The Prophet's guidance regarding purification and relieving oneself

 

 

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

 

All praise be to Allah and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah, his family, and his Companions.

 

One of the greatest bounties of Allah upon us is the grace of Islam, for it is the religion of pure nature and moderation, a comprehensive and perfect religion, the religion of knowledge and morals, the religion that is fit for every time and place, the religion of easiness and mercy, and the religion which contains solutions to all problems. So much we need in this age to show the qualities and beauties of this religion to the entire world in order to show them the real bright image of Islam.

 

The guidance of Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the practical application for this religion. His guidance (peace be upon him) combined all these characteristics which made the Islamic religion easy to embrace and apply; that is because it encompasses all aspects of life whether acts of worship, applications, morals, materialism, and spirituality.

 

In this book [1]which I chose from (Zad Al Ma`ad fi Hady Khayr Al `Ibad of Ibn Al Qayyim) [2]which is counted as one of the best books that were written about the guidance of the Prophet (peace be upon him) in all aspects of life in order to follow his guidance.

 

We ask Allah for sincerity and acceptance, and to bless this Book.

 

The Prophet's guidance regarding purification and relieving oneself [3]:

A- The Prophet's guidance regarding relieving oneself:

1- When he entered the bathroom, he used to say: "O Allah, I seek refugee with You from Al Khubuth (male jinn) and Al Khaba'ith (female jinn)." [Reported by Al Bukhari and Muslim]. And when he got out of bathrooms, he would say: "I seek Your forgiveness." [Reported by Abu Dawud, Tirmidhy, Ibn Majah].

 

2- The most frequent he used to urinate while sitting.

 

3- Sometimes he used water to cleanse himself, sometimes he used stones in cleansing, and other times combined between water and stones.

 

4- He used to cleanse himself whether with water or stones by his left hand.

 

5- When he used water to cleanse himself, he would hit the earth with his hand afterwards.

 

6- When he was in a journey and wanted to relieve himself, he would go far until he would be unseen by others.

 

7- He used to screen himself with partitions, palm trees, and trees of valleys.

 

8- He used to choose the soft place for urination.

 

9- When he sat for relieving himself, he would not lift his garment until he drew near the ground.

 

10- When someone greeted him while urination, he would not answer.

 

B- His guidance regarding ablution[4]:

1- He used to perform ablution for every Salah in most cases and sometimes he would offer more than one Salah with one ablution.

 

2- He used to perform ablution with Mudd[5], with two-third of Mudd, and sometimes with more than a Mudd.

 

3- He was the most moderate in using water for ablution and warned his nation against extravagance in ablution.

 

4- He used to wash each organ, during ablution, one time, twice, and thrice. Sometimes he would wash some organs twice and some thrice, and he never exceeded three times.

 

5- Sometimes, he rinsed (his month) inhaled his nose with one handful water, sometimes with two handful water, and sometimes thrice, and he used to rinse the mouth and inhale with one handful water.

 

6- He used to inhale with his right hand and washing his nose with the left hand.

 

7- He never made ablution without rinsing the mouth or without inhalation.

 

8- He used to wipe his entire head, and sometimes he would move his hand forward and backward.

 

9- When he wiped over his forehead, he would continue to his turban.

 

10- He used to wipe his ears [outward and inward] along with his head.

 

11- He used to wash his feet if he was not wearing Khuffs (leather socks) or socks.

 

12- His ablution was arranged and consecutive and he never misarrange it, even once.

 

13- He used to begin his ablution with the name of Allah and use to say at its end: "Ashhadu an la ilaha illal-lahu wahdahu la shareeka lah, wa-ashhadu anna Muhammadan AAabduhu warasooluh. Allahummaj-AAalnee minat-tawwabeena wajAAalnee minal-mutatahhireen. " I bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped except Allah, alone without partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. O Allah, make me of those who return to You often in repentance and make me of those who remain clean and pure." [At-Tirmidhi].

 

He used to say: "Subhanakal-lahumma wabihamdika, ashhadu an la ilaha illa anta astaghfiruka wa-atoobu ilayk."

 

"How perfect You are O Allah, and I praise You, I bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped except You, I seek Your forgiveness and turn in repentance to You."

 

14- He did not say at its beginning: I intend to remove the minor impurity or to do that for Salah, neither he nor any of his Companions.

 

15- He never exceeded the elbows and the ankles.

 

16- He did not use to towel his organs after ablution.

 

17- Sometimes he passed his wet fingers through his beard but did not get use to that.

 

18- He used to pass his wet finders between other fingers and he did get use to that.

 

19- It was not part of his guidance to make someone pour water to him whenever he performed ablution, but sometime he would pour water for himself, and perhaps someone helped him for a need.

 

C- The Prophet's guidance regarding wiping over leather socks[6]:

1- It was authentically reported from the Messenger of Allah that he wiped over his leather socks in residence as well as in travel and timed for a non-traveler for one day and one night and for a traveler three days and nights to wipe over their socks.

 

2- He used to wipe over the leather socks, socks, and turbans alone or along with his forelock.

 

3- He never changed the condition of his feet: if they were in the leather socks, he would wipe over them and if they were uncovered, he would wash them.

 

 

D- The Prophet's guidance regarding Tayamum (dry ablution)[7]:

1- He used the earth upon which he performed Salah whether it was dust, mud, or sand. He said: "Wherever the time of Salah catches one of my nation, he has his praying place and purification [i.e. the earth to perform Salah on and to perform dry ablution from]." [Reported by Ahmad].

 

2- He never carried dust in the long journey nor commanded with it.

 

3- It was not authentically reported from him that he used dry ablution for every Salah nor commanded with it, but made dry ablution replaces ablution (in need).

 

4- He used to perform dry ablution with one hit to the earth with which he wiped his face and hands.