Purification (Part One)

  • Before we can pray, we need to purify ourselves.

  • Two main ways of purification:

    • Ablution (minor)

    • Ghusl (major)

  • We need physical and ritual purity.

  • Physical purity means that we cleanse ourselves from impure substances.

  • Impure substances:

    • Urine

    • Blood

    • Vomit

    • Liquid intoxicants

    • Dog’s saliva

    • Pig

  • Physical purity is not sufficient for prayer. We need to also ritually purify ourself for prayer.

  • Ritual impurity is of three types:

    • Minor ritual impurity –> ex. using the restroom. Can not pray or touch the original Arabic Qur’an.

    • Medium ritual impurity –> ex. husband and wife having intercourse. Can not recite the Qur’an (except for du’aa, protection, etc.), remain in the masjid, or do any of the things prohibited in minor ritual impurity.

    • Major ritual impurity –> ex. menstruating woman. Fasting prohibited, divorce unlawful in this state, and all things in previous levels.

How to remove minor impurity

  • The integrals of ablution (wudu) are six. What we mean when we say integrals are those things that without them, the ablution (wudu) would not be valid and it would be like you had not made ablution at all.
    1. Intention.
      • The intention must coincide with the beginning of the action.
      • Words can be used but are not necessary.
      • Proof: “Actions are only according to their intentions and everyone shall have what they intended.” -Hadith (Bukhari)
      • Intention is how daily washing is differentiated from ablution.
    2. Washing the face.
      • The face begins at where the hairline normally begins to the bottom of the face, where the jawbone ends. The sides are just by the ears.
      • Washing a little more (to each edge) is also obligatory.  But washing extra (washing extra times, etc.) is blameworthy.
    3. Washing the arms.
      • The arms are from fingertip to elbow.
      • Again washing a little more (beyond the elbow) is obligatory.
    4. Wiping the head.
      • Either the scalp or the hair.

      • Wiping is different than washing. You only need to get some moisture on either the scalp or on a hair on the head.

    5. Washing the feet.

      • This includes the feet and the ankles.

      • Again, go a little beyond the ankles.

    6. Doing these in their correct order.

  • All of the other acts (mouth, nose, ears, right before left, etc.) are Sunnah. If you never rinse your mouth and nose, your ablution will be valid. However, you will have missed out on a great reward. Reward is our rising in ranks for all of eternity in Jannah.There is no such thing as a minor Sunnah.
  • Why then learn integrals? We might come across difficult situations where we can only do the minimum or the integrals.