Purifying Oneself before Prayer

Lesson # 598 From Holy Qur’aan

Purifying Oneself before Prayer

Surah Maaa-‘idah (the Table Spread) – Chapter – 5)

Verse – 6 of 120, Section – 2 of 16 (Part – 6)

 BisMIllaahir-Rahmaanir-Rahiim

In the name of Allaah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

O ye who believe! When ye rise up for prayer, wash your faces, and your hands up to the elbows, and lightly rub your heads and (wash) your feet up to the ankles. And if ye are unclean, then purify yourselves. And if ye are sick or on a journey, or one of you cometh from the closet, or ye have had contact with women, and ye find not water, then go to clean, high ground and rub your faces and your hands with some of it. Allaah doth not wish to place a burden on you, but He wishes to purify you and would perfect His Grace upon you, that ye may give thanks.

Yaaa-‘ayyu-hallaziina  ‘aamanuuu  ‘izaa  qumtum  ‘ilas-Salaati  fag-siluu  wujuu-ha-kum  wa  ‘ay-diyakum  ‘ilal-maraafiqi  wam-sahuu  bi-ru-‘uusikum  wa  ‘arju-lakum  ‘ilal-ka’-bayn.  Wa  ‘in-  kuntum  junuban-  fat-tahharuu.  Wa  ‘in- kuntum  marzaaa  ‘aw  ‘alaa  safarin  ‘aw  jaaa-‘a  ‘ahadum-minkum-minal-gaaa-‘iti  aw  laamas-tumunnisaaa-‘a  falam  tajiduu  maaa-‘an-  fata-yam-mamuu  sa-‘iidan  tayyi-ban-  fam-sahuu  bi-wujuuhikum  wa  ‘ay-diikum-minh.  Maa  yurii-dUllaahu  liyaj-‘ala  ‘alay-kum-min  harajinw-wa  laa-kiny-yuriidu  liyu-tahhi-rakum  wa  liyu-timma  ni’-matahuu  ‘alaykum  la-‘allakum  tashkuruun.

Lesson

Wam-sahuu – (and rub lightly), it is from masah, which means ‘to touch anything with hand, to caress hand on something’.

‘Al-ka’-bayn – (the ankles), it is plural of ka’-b, Ka’-b means a thing, which is risen or grown and seems separate from its surrounding. Here it aims ‘the excited parts of the foot from both sides, which are called ankles’.

Junuban – (unclean), it is from janaabat, which means ‘such condition of the body, when taking a bath becomes incumbent’.

Gaaa-‘iti – (the closet, the descent place), usually human being goes to the privy at any abyss or deep place. Therefore, gaaa-‘iti means a latrine.
Laamas-tum – it is from laamsah, which has been derived from lamas. It means ‘to touch, to meddle with someone’. Here it aims “to copulate”.

The Muslims were ordered in the beginning of this chapter (Surah) that they should fulfill all the duties and obey the commands of Allaah Almighty. Then it was told that all good things have been made lawful for them. They can use them pleasantly. Likewise, they should marry the women and enjoy the pleasures of the world, remaining in the prescribed limits of Allaah Almighty. But they were warned at the end that remaining entangled every time in the pleasures of the world, drives away the humankind from the spiritual pleasures and makes the light of Belief foggy. Therefore, they should keep the prayer up, presenting themselves in the court of Allaah Almighty, at prescribed times, so that their faith may remain fresh and they may be saved from the loss in the Hereafter.

But the lawful pleasures too do not spare the human being to be able even to be present in the prayer straight forward. Therefore, before offering the prayer, they should purify themselves. If there is no need to take a bath, then they can do ablution only. That is to say; they should wash their hands first                                                                                                                                                                                                                            including wrist, then rinse the mouth and clean the teeth thoroughly, after that ;clean the nose and pour the water into it, then wash entire face with water and both arms up to elbows, and rub their head lightly as turning over their hands duly freshly wetted, and at the end wash their feet up to the ankles.

Then it has been described that if bathing is incumbent, then only ablution is not sufficient for prayer at that time. But it is compulsory to wash entire body thoroughly with water. Three acts are necessary while taking bath:

1. Rinsing the mouth and pouring the water up to the throat.

2. Cleaning the nose and causing to arrive the water up to the soft bone.

3. Washing the human’s entire body thoroughly with water.

As it has been discussed earlier that, ablution is mandatory before offering the prayer, but use of water harms often to the sick, and sometime it cannot be availed during journey and that, which is available, is necessary to be kept for drinking purpose. In such conditions, if the time of any prayer begins, then what should we do? In this verse, it has been clarified that in such situation, you should do Tayammum.  

After intending to acquire pureness, palms of both hands should be spread and kept on pure earth. Then arise both hands and turn them over the face fully. Put both hands again on the earth and after arising them, left hand palm should be turned over the right hand from fingers up to elbow, and palm of right hand – on the left hand from fingers to elbow thoroughly. That’s all, the Tayammum has been completed and now you can worship and offer prayer.

Due to eating and drinking, a human being needs to go to closet (latrine) and sometimes gas etc. exhausts from its stomach. These are called little impure-ness. Ablution is necessary in these conditions. Then ablution is broken when either anyone cause of the above happens or some blood flows from any part of the body or someone has slept for a while. Besides this, there is another big impureness, for which ablution is not sufficient to be pure, but bathing becomes incumbent. If there is need of ablution and taking bath (both), but use of water is impossible, then Tayammum is sufficient for the both.     

Allaah Almighty has not placed any burden in the religion for us, but He has eased for every trouble. So thank Him and obey His orders.

Transliterated Holy Qur’an in Roman Script & Translated from Arabic to English by Marmaduke Pickthall, Published by Paak Company, 17-Urdu Bazar, Lahore, Lesson collected from Dars e Qur’an published By Idara Islaah wa Tableegh, Lahore (translated Urdu to English by Muhammad Sharif)