TAHARAH
|
Before a person can say his prayer, he must be clean and pure. The Qur'an says: "Truly Allah loves those who turn to Him and those who care for cleanliness". Cleanliness of mind, of body, and of clothes is called Taharah or purification. It is only in such a condition of purification that a Muslim may perform the Salah.
Purification of the body is attained by partial or total washing with clean water. The partial wash is known as Al-Wudu or the ablution, and the total wash is called Al-Ghusl or the washing (bath) of the whole body.
|
The process of performing Wudu is as follows:
|
Mention the name of Allah by saying "Bismilla-Hir-Rahma-Nir-Rah'im" (in the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful).
Wash both hands up to the wrists together three times, ensuring that every part including between the fingers is wetted by water as shown in figures 1, (a) and (b).
|
  |
Taking a handful of water into the mouth, rinse the mouth three times as shown in figure 2.
|  |
Snuff water contained in the right palm into the nose and then eject the water with the left hand (thrice) - as shown in figures 3 and 4.
| |
 | |
Wash the face, ear to ear, forehead to chin, three times as shown in figures 5, 6 and 7.
| |
 | |
 |  |
Wash the right arm thoroughly from the wrist to the elbow three times. Repeat the same with the left hand - as shown in figures 8 and 9.
| |
 |  |
Run moistened hands over the head from forehead to the back and back to forehead (once) - as in figures 10, 11 and 12.
| |
 |  |
Run moistened fingers through the ears, the first finger of each hand going across the inside of the corresponding ear, while the thumb runs across the outside (once) - as shown in figure 13.
|  |
Wash both feet up to the ankles starting from the right and ensuring that all parts particularly between the toes are wetted - as shown in figure 14. If you had performed complete "Wudu" before putting on your socks or stockings, it is not necessary to remove them when you want to repeat the performance of "Wudu". It is enough to wipe over the stockinged feet with wet hands. This may be done for a period of one day, (and three days on journey) on the condition that the socks or stockings are never removed.
|  |
If they are removed, it is necessary to re-wash the feet for Wudu. The process ends with the recitation of the Kalimatus-Shahadah.
| |
 ASH-HADU ALLA ILAHA ILLALLAHU WA-ASH-HADU AN-NA MUHAMMADAN 'ABDUHU-WA-RASULUH | |
A fresh performance of Wudu is necessary if one breaks wind, touches genitals, or becomes sexually excited, or pays a visit to the lavatory, or falls into sleep lying down, or vomits violently, or incurs a flow of blood from an injury, or a flow of impure fluid.
|
The greater purification, Ghusl, is obligatory when one is defiled as a result of nocturnal emission (or a wet dream), marital intercourse, child birth, or when entering into the fold of Islam.
The procedure is as follows:
Begin with the name of Allah as for Wudu. Wash the hands and the affected parts of the body with water to remove any impurity. Perform Wudu as above. Then wash the whole body three times, using clean water for each wash. |
 (DRY ABLUTION) |
On certain occasions, it may become either impossible (eg. when water cannot be found or just enough for drinking is available), or it is dangerous, because of illness, to use water for Wudu or Ghusl. In such situations, Tayammum (dry ablution) is performed. The procedure:
Begin with the name of Allah. Strike both palms on sand, or anything containing sand or dust, like a wall or a stone etc. Pass the palms of the hands over the face once. Strike the sand etc., again with the palms. Rub the right hand with the left palm from the wrist to the elbow and similarly for the left hand with the right palm. Finish with the Kalimatus-Shahadah as for Wudu.
|