Kinds of Taharah
There are basically two kinds of taharah namely:
Taharah from Najasah: This is the purification of body, garments and places of worship from physical impurities such as menstrual blood, excreta, canine saliva, dead animals, urine, carrion, wine etc. that may defile them. Removal of these impurities from one’s body, clothe or place of worship makes one’s acts of worship to be valid. Otherwise, the act of worship will be invalid.
Taharah from Hadath: This is the purification of the body from minor and major impurities. Minor impurities include: urine, faeces and passing of wind while major impurities comprise: menstrual blood, childbirth bleeding, sexual intercourse and wet dream. Minor impurity is removed through wudu ‘ or tayammum while major impurity requires ghusl.
Importance of Taharah (Purification)
- It is the foundation without which one’s acts of worship are invalid.
- It is an act of worship that earns one huge reward from Allah.
- It is half of faith.
- It is a sign of faith.
- It cancels one’s previous sins.
- It promotes good health.
- It makes life pleasant.
- One’s faith is incomplete without it.
- It makes one to gain Allah’s pleasure and love.
- It makes one to gain people’s love as nobody loves a dirty person.
Summary
Taharah means purification. It is the process of cleaning and the removal of impurity/dirty (Najas) from one’s body, clothes, prayer mats and places of worship.
The three main modes of Taharah are: Wudu, Ghusl and Tayammum.
Basically, there are two kinds of Taharah namely:
Taharah from Najasa which is the purification of body, garments and places of worship from physical impurities.
Taharah from Hadath which is the purification from minor and major impurities. Purification is half of faith and an act of worship.
Meaning of Al-Wudu (Water ablution)
Al- Wudu’ simply means ablution. It is the use of clean water on certain parts of the body prescribed in the Qur’an and Sunnah. It is considered a ritual act of worship which is done with the intention of seeking Allah’s pleasure.
Almighty Allah commands Muslims to perform ablution whenever they want to observe salat.
يَٰأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓاْ إِذَا قُمۡتُمۡ إِلَى ٱلصَّلَوٰةِ فَٱغۡسِلُواْ وُجُوهَكُمۡ وَأَيۡدِيَكُمۡ إِلَى ٱلۡمَرَافِقِ وَٱمۡسَحُواْ بِرُءُوسِكُمۡ وَأَرۡجُلَكُمۡ إِلَى ٱلۡكَعۡبَيۡنِۚ
The Qur’an says: “O you who believe! When you intend to offer the prayer (salat), wash your faces and your hands (fore-arms) up to the elbows, rub your heads, and wash your feet up to ankles…… “Q5:6.
The Prophet (peace be on him) said: “Allah does not accept prayer (salat) without purification (ablution). (Transmitted by Muslim)
What necessitates ablution?
The observance of ablution is necessitated by the following conditions:
- Observance of salat.
- Tawaf (Circumbulation round the Ka’bah).
- Ritual impurities such as urine, faeces, pre- sexual discharge etc.
Ablution is also recommended before Quranic recitation, before going to bed, and before supplication to Allah (du’a) among other situations.
Things that vitiate (spoil) ablution
- Deep sleep.
- loss of consciousness,
- Touching the private organ directly without a barrier.
- Release of urine, gas, excreta etc. vitiate one’s ablution.
- Touching the opposite sex with sexual desire.
- Eating the flesh of camel.
ASSIGNMENT
- Taharah simply means ___________
(a) purification (b) ritual bath (c) ablution (d) dry ablution
- Three modes of taharah are ____________, __________ and ___________.
- Mention the sources of clean water suitable for taharah.
- Write short notes on the following:
- taharah from Najasah
- taharah from Hadath
- State five importance of taharah.
- What is Al-Wudu’?
- What necessitates ablution?
- Write out the supplication to be said after ablution.
- Enumerate five things that vitiate ablution,
- How does a Muslim perform ablution?