Part 3

Due to the above, we can state that water is divided into two categories:

1Pure water, which can be used as a purifier, whether it is in its original state, or mixed with a pure object provided it is not prevalent enough to change the composition of water or turn it into another object.

2Impure water, which cannot be used for purification from either ritual or tangible impurity. It is also the water any of whose characteristics (odor, taste, or color) has changed due to an impure object. And Allah, Exalted be He, knows best.

1 The Two Testifications of Faith: Saying, “I testify that there is no deity but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah”

3 Abmad (1005) [1/151], Aba Dawdd (61) [1/42], Al-Tirmidhi (3) [1/8] and Ibn Majah (275) [1/177].

4 Tayammum: Performing dry ablution with clean earth (when water is unavailable or

Pots could be made of iron, wood, leather or the like. The original ruling is the permissibility of using such pots. That is to say, it is permissible to use every pure pot, except two types:

1Pots made of gold or silver, and the pots having anything related to gold or silver, such as being inlaid or plated with gold or silver, or anything of the kind that makes pots connected with them. The exceptional case here is the pots inlaid with little silver for the sake of repairing them,

The legal proof of the prohibition of using gold and silver pots is the following hadith related by the Group of Compilers of Hadith’:

“Do not drink in gold or silver vessels nor eat in similar bowls (i.e. bowls made of gold or silver), for they belong to them (the disbelievers) in this world and to us in the Hereafter.’

In another hadith, the Prophet (PBUH) also says: “He who drinks in silver vessels is only filling his abdomen with Hellfire.”

When something is legally prohibited to use, the prohibition is applicable whether this thing is used partially or totally. Therefore, it is prohibited to use pots inlaid or plated with gold or silver or containing anything related to these two materials, excluding the case of a pot inlaid with a little silver, which is permissible as mentioned above; this is illustrated in the hadith related by AlAl-Bukhari, on the authority of Anas Ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:

“The cup of Allah's Messenger (PBUH) got broken, and he fixed it with a silver wire at the (place of the) crack.”'

“Muslim scholars uniformly agree that it is prohibited to eat or drink in such pots or even to use them in purposes related to eating or drinking.”

This prohibition of using or keeping golden or silver objects applies to both males and females, as the addressee of this prohibition is generalized (i.e. the prohibition applies to both sexes). There is nothing specified for a certain sex in this concern, except for the permissibility for women to make use of both silver and gold for purposes of adornment for their husbands.

On the other hand, it is permissible to use the utensils of disbelievers unless one knows that they are impure. In this case, one can use them only after washing them.

2The hides of dead animals: It is prohibited to use them unless they are

tanned. Yet, scholars differ regarding whether it is permissible to use them after tanning or not. The sound opinion, which is maintained by the majority of scholars, is that it is permissible to use the hides of dead animals after tanning, due to the many sahih (authentic) hadiths’ indicating that. This is because their impurity is temporary, so it is removed by tanning, The Prophet (PBUH) said that the hides of dead animals:

“.. Are purified by water and qarz (leaves of a kind of tree which is used for tanning).”

He (PBUH) also said: “Tanning is the purifying means for hides.”

As for the clothes of disbelievers, it is permissible to wear them unless they are known to be impure. This is because the original ruling on their clothes is that they are pure, and they cannot be deemed impure out of mere suspicion. Likewise, it is permissible to use whatever is weaved or dyed by the disbelievers, for the Prophet (PBUH) and his Companions used to wear clothes weaved and dyed by disbelievers. And Allah, Exalted be He, knows best.

1 The Group of Compilers of Hadith are Al-Bukhari, Muslim, Ahmad, Abt: Dawid, AtTirmidhi, An-Nas@'i, and Ibn Majah.

2 Al-Bukhari (5633) [10/119], Muslim (5361) [7/261], Ahmad (23356) [5/491], Aba Dawitid (3723) [4/73], Al-Tirmidhi (1883) [4/299], An-Nasa‘i (5316) [4/585] and Ibn Majah (3414) [4/77].

5 See Al-Majmiti* [1/306] and The Expounding of Muslint’s Sahih [7/255].

6 Sahih (authentic) hadith is a hadith whose chain of transmission has been transmitted by truly pious persons who have been known for their uprightness and exactitude; such a hadith is free from eccentricity and blemish.

There are some deeds which Muslims are prohibited to perform unless they are in a state of purity, due to the greatness and the loftiness of these deeds. What follows is a discussion of these deeds accompanied with the related proofs, so as to familiarize the reader with such deeds and not to perform any of them unless he/she is in the proper state of purity. Furthermore, there are deeds that one in a state of ritual impurity, be it major or minor, is prohibited to do. On the other hand, there are some deeds specifically prohibited only for those in a state of major ritual impurity.

Deeds Prohibited for One in a State of Minor or Major Ritual Impurity

It is prohibited for one in a state of (minor or major) ritual impurity to touch the Glorious Book of the Quran unless with something that prevents direct contact, for Allah, Exalted be He, says:

That is, it is prohibited to touch it unless by those purified from minor and major ritual impurity, according to the opinion that the words “the purified” in the verse refer to human beings. However, there are some exegetes who state that the words ‘the purified’ in the aforesaid verse refer to the noble angels. Even if the verse is interpreted that the words ‘the purified’ refer to the angels, they also refer to human beings by implication. To illustrate, it was mentioned in the letter sent by Allah’s Messenger (PBUH) to the people of Yemen, as narrated by ‘Amr Ibn Hazm, that:

“No one should touch the Book of the Quriin unless they are pure.”"

(Related by An-Nasa’i and other compilers of Hadith with a continuous chain of transmitters)

“This hadith is more likely to be a mutawatir (continuously recurrent) hadith’ as it is commonly accepted by scholars.”

Shaykhul-Islam (Ibn Taymiyah) states that the prohibition of touching the Book of the Qur'an while being in a state of (major or minor) ritual impurity is agreed upon by the Four Imams'‘ *. Ibn Hubayrah also states in his book entitled AL-Ifséh (Enunciation), “They (i.e. the Four Imdms) agree that it is impermissible for one in a state of ritual impurity to touch the Book of the Quran.” However, one in a state of ritual impurity is allowed to hold the Book of the Quran in a cover or a bag so as not to touch it directly. Similarly, one in sucha state of impurity is allowed to read or browse through the Book

without touching it. 2Offering Prayer (neither Obligatory nor Supererogatory Prayers)

Scholars uniformly agree that it is impermissible for one in a state of minor or major ritual impurity to perform prayer at all, be it obligatory or supererogatory, provided one is able to purify oneself. This is because Allah, Exalted be He, says:

“O you who have believed, when you rise to [perform] prayer, wash your faces and your forearms to the elbows and wipe over your heads and wash your feet to the ankles. And if you are ina state of jandbah,’ then purify yourselves...”

Besides, the Prophet (PBUH) said, as related by Muslim and other compilers of Hadith:

“Allah does not accept a prayer without purification...”’ He (PBUH) also said:

“Allah does not accept the prayer of anyone of you if he passes wind, urine, or stool until he performs the ablution (anew).”"

The above hadith shows that it is impermissible for one to pray while being in a state of impurity, provided one is able to purify oneself. Thus, the prayer offered by one in a state of impurity is invalid, whether it is performed in such a state while one is aware of the ruling or not, and whether one performs it inattentively or intentionally. If one is aware of the ruling and offers prayer intentionally, one is regarded as a sinner who has to undergo discretionary punishment. But if one is unaware of it, and offers prayer inattentively, one in this case is not regarded as a sinner, yet one’s prayer is deemed invalid.

It is impermissible for one in a state of minor or major ritual impurity to perform fawéf, for the Prophet (PBUH) said:

“Tawaf is (considered) a prayer; the difference is that Allah made it lawful to speak during it.”

The Prophet (PBUH) used to perform ablution before performing tawaf". It was also authentically narrated that he (PBUH) forbade a menstruating woman to perform fawéf unless she purified herself". All the above shows that one in a state of minor or major ritual impurity is prohibited to perform tawéf until one purifies oneself.

Among the proofs that one in a state of major ritual impurity is prohibited to perform tawédf is the following Qur’anic verse:

“O you who have believed, do not approach prayer while you are intoxicated until you know what you are saying or in a state of jandbah, except those passing through [a place of prayer], until you have washed [your whole body]...” (Qur'an: An-Nisa’: 43) The verse means that one should never enter a mosque while being in a state of major ritual impurity except for those who are passing through it on their

way. Since one in a state of jandbah is prohibited to stay in a mosque, then, with greater reason, one in the same state is prohibited to perform tawéf.

Ina nutshell, the above-mentioned deeds are prohibited to be performed by one in a state of ritual impurity, whether minor or major.

Deeds Prohibited for One in a State of Major Ritual Impurity in Particular

As for the deeds specifically prohibited for one in a state of major ritual impurity, they are as follows:

One in a state of major ritual impurity is prohibited to recite the Qur'an according to the following hadith related by Al-Tirmidhi and other compilers of Hadith on the authority of * Ali Ibn Aba Talib (may Allah be pleased with him):

“Nothing prevented him (i.e, the Prophet, PBUH) from (reciting) the Quriin other than being in a state of janabah (major ritual impurity)?”

The wording of Al-Tirmidhi of the aforesaid hadith is as follows:

“He (PBUH) used to recite the Quran for us unless he was in a state of jandbah.”

This proves that it is prohibited for the person in a state of major ritual impurity to recite the Qur'in. The same ruling applies to both menstruating woman and a woman in a state of postnatal bleeding. Yet, some scholars, such as Shaykhul-Islam (Ibn Taymiyah), maintain that it is permissible for a menstruating woman to recite the Qur'an for fear of forgetting it”.

Itis permissible for one ina state of major ritual impurity to use the wording of the Quran with no intention of recitation, rather as a way of remembrance of Allah, such as saying:

“In the Name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.” (Qur'an: Al-Fatihah: 1)

“All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds.” (Qur'an: Al-Fatihah: 2)

There are many other examples of that. This is illustrated in the following hadith narrated by ‘ Xishah (may Allah be pleased with her):

“The Prophet (PBUH) used to mention Allah in all his conditions.”" 2Staying at a Mosque

It is prohibited for one in whatever state of major ritual impurity, be it jandbah, menstruation or postnatal bleeding, to stay in a mosque unless one performs ablution. Allah, Exalted be He, says:

“O you who have believed, do not approach prayer while you are intoxicated until you know what you are saying or in a state of jandbah, except those passing through [a place of prayer], until you have washed [your whole body]...”. (Qur'an: An-Nis@: 43) This means that one ina state of major ritual impurity is prohibited to enter a mosque to stay therein. In addition, in the hadith related by Aba Dawtd, on the authority of ‘Aiishah, and graded as sahih (authentic) hadith by Ibn Khuzaymah, the Prophet (PBUH) said:

“I do not deem the mosque lawful for a menstruating woman or for a person who is in a state of janabah.””

However, if one in a state of major ritual impurity performs ablution, it is permissible for one then to stay at the mosque, as * Ata reported:

“I saw some of the Companions of the Prophet (PBUH) staying at the mosque while being in a state of janabah only after performing the (ordinary) ablution performed for prayer. ”

The significance of performing ablution here, though one is in a state of jandbah, is lessening the state of jandbah so as to make it permissible to stay at the mosque. Likewise, it is permissible for one in a state of janabah to pass through the mosque without staying therein, for Allah says:

“.. Except those passing through [a place of prayer]...” (Qur'an: An-Nisa: 43)

That is, one in such a state is only allowed to pass through it for the sake of mere passing.

Whenever there is an exceptional case of a certain prohibition, it is deemed permissible. So, being a passerby is the exceptional case of the general ruling stated by the hadith of the Prophet (PBUH) that goes:

“I do not make the mosque lawful for a menstruating woman or for a person who is in jandbah.”

Similarly, it is prohibited for the one in a state of major ritual impurity, without even being ina state of ablution, to be present at the place of performing the Feast (*/d) Prayer. Yet, it is permissible for one to pass through it, for the Prophet (PBUH) says:

“Menstruating women should keep away from the place of performing prayer”

| Malik (297) [p. 196], Ad-Daraqutni (433) {1/129}, Al-Bayhaqi (409) [1/141], Al-Hakim (6122) [3/595] and Ad-Darimi (2183) 2/602].

2 Mutawéatir (continuously recurrent) hadith is a hadith reported by a large number of narrators whose agreement upon telling a lie is inconceivable (this condition must be met in the entire chain from the beginning to the end).

4 The Four [mams are Imam Abi Hanifah, Imam Malik, Imam Ash-Shafi'i, and Imam Ahmad.

6 Jandbah: A state of major ritual impurity related to sexual discharge.

12 Ahmad (627) [1/101], Abt Dawa (229) [1/114], Al-Tirmidhi (146) [1/673], An-Nasa’i (266) [1/158] and Ibn Majah (594) [1/331].

15 Aba Dawid (232) [1/116], Ibn Khuzaymah (1327) [2/284] and Ibn Majah (645) [1/358].

It will not escape you, my dear reader - may Allah grant you, me and all Muslims success - that Islam is a perfect, unique, integral religion. There is nothing required for our worldly and religious lives that is not clearly pointed out in Islam. Even the etiquette to’ be observed upon answering the call of nature is pointed out, so that man - whom Allah has honored over animals - becomes distinguished from animals in this concern with such proprieties. Islam is the religion of cleanliness and purity, Therefore, there are Islamic etiquettes to be observed on entering the bathroom, while answering the call of nature, and on leaving it.

Upon entering the bathroom, it is desirable for a Muslim to say, “In the Name of Allah, I seek refuge with Allah from all offensive and wicked things (evil deeds and evil spirits)” stepping in with his left leg. When leaving, it is desirable to step out with the right leg invoking, “I seek Your forgiveness. Praise be to Allah, Who removed harm from me and gave me health.”

This is because the right (hand or leg) is used for whatever is related to honor and beautification, whereas the left is used for whatever is related to removing impurities and the like.

In case one has to answer the call of nature out of doors, (at a place not prepared for that purpose), it is desirable for one to do so away from people, screening oneself behind a wall, a tree, or the like. In addition, while answering the call of nature out of doors, one is prohibited to face or turn one’s back towards the qiblah’’. Rather, one should move eastward or westward to avoid facing or turning one's back towards the qiblah, as the Prophet (PBUH) has forbidden both to be done while answering the call of nature. On the other hand, one must be cautious of splashing one’s urine least it might soil one’s body or clothes. Hence, one is recommended to select a smooth ground when having to urinate out of doors, so as to avoid being soiled by the scatter of one’s urine.