Ghusl

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

I had already typed this in the pad so basically I am just throwing this away as a post here when I access this site, hehe. This topic is a basic important thing that a Muslim needs to know and to practice in his or her life. Basically I am posting here as a male because I am a male and male functions differently from female. So, for female please ask specific teachers for female and of course they should be female if there comes specific sensitive issues which only females could explain to female.

Ghusl basically means we are washing clean our physical body. It has both physical and spiritual significance though we look like washing our physical parts. Of course it must begin with an intention. We do everything with intention. The ghusl basically has several names for several different purposes. The form of ghusl is also a little bit different depending on the place where we perform it and the ways to perform it could be slightly different as according to orthodox and traditional schools of jurisprudence. Basically these are my experience. I perform this almost everyday even without any occurrences as to preserve the traditions within myself. Sometimes I call this as 'ammudim which means dipping if we are at a pool, a river or the sea.

The Purpose of Ghusl

One performs ghusl in order to free him from great occurrences. Among them for e.g the hadat janaba which is related to sexual intercourse or anything related to genitals that restraints one from the performance of worship or to enter places of worship like the mosque's prayer hall. For this, there are several things which cause one in the great occurrence states depending on the occurrences whether of man or woman.

Occurrences

Occurrences which obligate us to perform the ghusl would be...

1. Ejaculation of sperm.

2. After sexual intercourse for both male and female.

3. After menstruation for female known as haydh.

3. Female who deliver a baby where there is a state known as wiladat.

4. For female where there would be a state known as nifas after giving birth to the child.

4. Gaining sanity after drunk, intoxicated or recovering from insanity.

5. Reverting to Islam.

6. Death where the dead person needs help for this but the martyrs who were killed while protecting his or her faith are not required to be performed ghusl on his or her body.

The blood of the martyrs already performs the ghusl for the body. Related to martyrs, there are several different things too as how they are defined as martyrs which defines the way they are buried.

Recommendation

Ghusl is recommended for certain events....

1. Before Friday prayer service for males who are going to attend the prayer service in congregation.

2. After washing a dead person or after involved in funeral as in general.

3. Before 'Eids prayer service which are performed in the morning.

4. Before the drought prayer service to ask for rain.

5. Before the eclipse prayer service to seek protection.

6. When entering the holy city, Mecca.

7. When entering sacred areas for e.g mosque.

8. When entering the state of vow for e.g pilgrimage.

9. When standing on the 'Arafat hill.  

10. When making the welcoming circumambulation at the cubical building in the grand mosque in Mecca.

11. When making the farewell circumambulation at the cubical building before leaving Mecca.

12. When staying overnight in the Mudzalifa.  

13. While throwing pebble stones at the jamrat points during the pilgrimage season. 

Pillars of the Ghusl

1. Say the intention whether by mental or by speech does not matter as long as there is an intention.

2. Clean the body parts from anything which could hinder the water from reaching the skin for e.g dry paint sticking, make up and others.

3. Perform the ablution first.

4. Pour some water on the head and neck until it turns wet all over.

5. Pour the water from the right side of shoulder down.

6. Pour the water from the left side of shoulder down.

7. Rub every part of body as to make sure that water reaches every exposed part or hidden parts.

8. It is optional while performing ghusl for one to cover the 'awrat which refers to private parts of human body but strongly stressed as important.

9. It is optional to repeat everything three times.

Immersion

For the ghusl by jumping into the pool or water immersion, it is recommended to plunge into the water three times. Water immersion could not be performed in the water less than 230 liter or 52 gallons. This specific limited water measurement is only for a person! If one choose to do immersion, make sure that there is a river with water flowing, maybe at the sea or a large pool.

One may use soap. However, for certain conditions like the ghusl related to vow i.e pilgrimage, soap is forbidden. Usually I perform ghusl for daily prayer services from Subh, Dzuhr, 'Asr to Maghrib in the evening depending on the conditions, occurrences and where I am for e.g if I visited non-Muslim places of worship or other places which I consider as secular, I will perform the ghusl again before entering the state of prayer service or before entering the mosque. Usually if I travel or wandering around, I will bring with me a rucksack with prayer books, sunnah treatises, note books, towel, some plastic bag and hygienic stuffs because they are important.

Sealed with prayers for mercy, peace and love, amin!

Ablution

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

In Arabic, we have the term wudhu' which means ablution. In Persian basically we call this as aab dast while in Malay simply as ayer semahiyang. Before we perform our salat services, we have to be in good shape and pure condition. So, it is necessary for us to wash or expose the parts of our body which are generally exposed to dirt, smokes, smog or dust to the flowing water or water saved in the bottles.

There are about five  steps while we perform the ablution...

1. Intention

First of all we would say the prayer which means, "In the Name of the God the Most Merciful the Most Compassionate". Some scholars such as Imam al-Shafi'ie consider this as very important. Because this is good so I am following this suggestion.

And then say the intention maybe just mentally. No need to be so specific like reciting it in Arabic as it is outside of the salat services acts. We only recite everything in Arabic while performing salat services be they obligatory or optional. The intention proposed is like, "I am performing the ablution as a sacrifice to be closer to the God the Highest". The intention defines the purpose of our act and why we are doing so.

2. Wash Hands

Wash our hands maybe like making it wet so it would make us easier to wash other parts with already wet hands. This is optional.

3. Rinsing the Mouth

We may rinse it once, twice or thrice depends on the condition of our mouth. Rinsing the mouth is not mandatory as it is only optional. One may leave this without any sin or if he or she is fasting. 

4. Rinsing the Nostrils

It is not mandatory but optional. Usually we are doing like this when we are waking up for morning prayer services as to clear up our respiratory system. This also has spiritual meaning but I am not talking too deep about this. Once would be enough but it is not a sin to do it more than once up to thrice. As long as it is not wasting the water. Snuff the water

5. Washing the Face

For Shafi'ie school, one may say his intention while washing his or her face. Washing the face is obligatory. Wash the whole face with whole hands, from the top of the forehead to the bottom of the chin and from ear to ear. If one has beard at his face so he must also wash his beard. Once up to thrice depends on a person.

6. Wiping Head

Wipe our whole head once with wet hands. I just hold my head down the pipe and let the water flows until my whole hair turns wet. This is mandatory but it depends whether one would do it once, twice or thrice. Usually I am just doing it once as my head will be all wet.

7. Wiping Ears

Wipe the inner sides of the ears with forefingers and their outer sides with thumbs. Make sure the fingers are wet. This is optional part of ablution. If one is leaving it, no sin for that. The ablution is still going on.

8. Wash Feet

Washing two feet up to the ankles, once each or up to thrice for each. Begin with the right foot. This stage is obligatory.

The ablution is complete at the 8th stage. The person who has performed this may get ready to start his salat service or prayer service. The ablution is valid as long as it does not meets the matters that nullify it. He may pray as many prayer services as he wishes while it is valid. It will be more better for one to renew his ablution as often as possible but avoid from wasting the water. Doing everything as according to chronological order is preferable. Those who fail to keep the order but does it completely are not sinful. Their ablution is valid as long as he keeps the obligatory ones with him.

Supplication After Ablution

Once the ablution is complete, face the quibla direction and say the prayer preferably with hands a little bit raised or just point the forefinger of one's right hand to signify the Oneness of the God.  Recite...

أشهدُ أنْ لاإلهَ إلاالله وأشهدُ أنَّ محمدً عبدُه ورسولهُ أللهمَّ أجعلني مِنَ التوابين واجعلني من المتطهرين واجعلني مِنْ عبادِكَ الصالحينَ وصلَّى اللهُ على أهلهِ وسلَّم والحمدُللهِ ربِّ العالمينَ

The supplication means...

"I bear the witness that there are no gods except the God, and I bear the witness that Muhammad s.a.w is messenger of the God and His servant. Dear the God, please place me together among the people who seek Your forgiveness and make me person who is constant in cleanliness and make me a servant who strives in goodness and charity. And please be in contact with the noble prophet Muhammad s.a.w and with his family members and peace. All praises due only to the God the Lord of the universe, amin!".

One may say this supplication in whatever language that they use. It is not strictly in Arabic as we are not performing the formal salat service yet. Please respect the prayer, thank you.

Nullification of Ablution

Actually many things depending on a person and what is his school of jurisprudence. The general ones according to my school of jurisprudence are:

1. Natural discharges for e.g pissing, pooping, gas, and others.

2. Flow of blood or pus or such from any part of the body.

3. Throwing out.

4. Falling asleep which means sleeping soundly.

5. Losing sanity by taking drugs or intoxicating stuffs.

6. Losing sanity or go crazy.

7. Touching private parts with the palm of hands.

After the occurrence of any of these, the ablution must be renewed for another valid prayer. After natural discharges, water should be applied as toilet paper is not sufficient for the purpose of purity and worship. Some people also have to renew ablution or even perform ghusl if having the contact with some seafood for e.g squid, shrimp and others like Hanafi school of jurisprudence. That is why I am trying to avoid taking seafood. Some who follow the Shafi'ie school of jurisprudence would have to renew his or her ablution if they touched people of different gender. 

Benefit of Ablution

Some of them are...

1. Helping us to counter diseases.

2. Refreshing our physical body.

3. Tranquilizing our soul.

4. Removing our sins as according to hadiths of prophet Muhammad s.a.w.

Sealed with prayers for mercy, peace and love, amin!

Inner Secret of Fasting

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

Just a reminder for myself and sharing to beloved brothers and sisters may everyone be blessed. I had been very sad when my classmate of Palestine talked about the importance for me to take food because I used to fast. I realize about that, I am tiny and skinny unlike other build-up men. Even if I do not live in Gazah, but poor people are everywhere. I was a poor kid from a poor family when I was a child where we were pressured by the life in a big city (Kuala Lumpur) if not as big as New York city but it is still a city and a capital of a country. I am used to skip my meals and sometimes just taking veggies. Lack source of protein from malnutrition where I didn't take fish too. I was traumatized to see blood from the fish when I was a young child, hahahaa. It develops to be a habit now. I tried to take fish especially those with scales but I just can't so I avoid meals which consist fish or other seafood if I could sense them.

I never recommend others to perform intense optional fasting except to some friends that I know whom are memorizing the Glorious Quran as it is a way to ask Him to pour down the wisdom. It is for their own benefit to protect the "Quran" in their heart because nowadays the bearer of the Quran is very hard to find. I am just concerned about their well-being and wishing them luck. Just fast every week, two days in Monday and Thursday "if free." And obligatory to fast full month in Ramadan if able. I am also trying to memorize the Glorious Quran again after I had left it. I just recommend everyone to perform middle path as Islam is the middle path, no less, no over the limit. We just be human-being, not angel and not demon.

Even when my mum tried to fast too because she saw me did that, I became very angry. I don't want her or anyone to feel exhausted. I did that because I wanted to slow-down my mind from negative thoughts and as an offering for Him wishing He forgives my sins and my grandparents because I think I had wronged them. I didn't have the chance to apologize to them except that I only saw "grandpa" in dream during quarter of Ramadan 2009. Now I also began to feel bad that I had wronged parents and burdening them because I am still stuck here and they would have to support me while I don't want them to worry... :'(

Virtue of Fasting

Indeed the fast is only virtuous due to two significant concepts:

1. It is a secret and a hidden action. No one from the creation should be able to see it. Showing off cannot enter into fasting.
2. It is a means to subjugate the enemies of the God. It is due to that, His enemies embark upon the son of Adam and misguiding them through desires.

Through the notes, we know that the fast is a special quality which is not found in anything else. And that, it makes people close to the God as what He says in the Quran: "The fast is (only) for Me and I will reawrd it."  This connection is enough to show the status of fasting in the view of the God. Similarly, the Ka'abah is highly dignified due to its close connection to Him as what had been stated by the God: "And sanctify My House."

What strengthen the desires? Eating and drinking strengthen a wild desire. There are many reports indicating the merits of fasting and they are all well known by everyone.

Recommended Acts of Fasting

The pre-dawn meal and delaying in taking it is preferable as well as hastening to break the fast and doing so with dates. Be generous in giving during Ramadan Mubarak and try to increase charity according to the way of the messenger of the God, Muhammad s.a.w. Try to study the Quran while fasting and perform i'tikaf (meditating in masjid) during fasting. During Ramadan everyone could also perform this while free and increasing charity in the last 10 days.

In two valid hadiths, mother Aishah r.a reported: "When the last 10 days (of Ramadan) would come, Muhammad s.a.w would tighten his waist wrapper and he spend his night in worship, waking up his family for prayers." 

The scholars mentioned two views concerning the meaning of "tighten his waist-wrapper":

I. It means turn away from wife (or husband for sisters in faith).

II. It is an expression denoting prophet's eagerness and diligence in performing charity to offer to the God. 

During Ramadan, there is also special exertion in the last 10 nights where Muhammad s.a.w was seeking the Night of Power or Leylat al-Qadar as what is mentioned in Surah al-Qadar.  

Explanation of the Inner Secrets of Fasting

There are three levels of fasting...

1. General Fast

It is refraining of the stomach and private parts from fulfilling their desires through this discipline.  

2. Specific Fast

Refrain from one's gaze, tongue, hands, feet, hearing and eyes as well as the rest of the body from committing sinful acts. These acts of protecting parts of body is to protect the heart and mind from those which lead to negativity.

 

3. Further Specific Fast

Heart's abstention from its yearning after worldly affairs and thoughts which distance one away from the God as well as its abstention from all the things which associates the God with them.

Characteristics of Specific Fast

From the characteristics of the specific fast is that one lowers his gaze and safeguards his tongue from the repulsive speech that is forbidden, disliked, or which has no benefit as well as controlling the rest of body parts. 

A hadith reported by al-Bukhari mentioned: "Whoever doesn't abandon false speech and the acting which leads to it, the God is not in need of him leaving off his food and drink" (Saheeh Ibnu Dawud, Tirmidzi, Ibnu Majah). 

Another characteristic of the specific fast is that one doesn't overfill himself with food during the night after the breaking of fast. Instead, just eat in due measure, for the son of Adam doesn't fill a vessel more evil than his stomach. If a person were to eat his fill during the first part of the night, he would not make good use of himself for remembrance during the night. 

In the same manner, if he eats to his fill for pre-dawn meal, he does not make good use of himself until the noon. It is because excessiveness in eating for what is intended by the fast is that one savours the taste of hunger and becomes one who abandons desires. 

Characteristics of Further Specific Fast

Know that the one who has been given intellect, knows the objective of fasting. Therefore, he burdens himself to the extent that he will not be able to do that which is more beneficial than it. Ibnu Mas'ud would fast very little and it is reported he used to say that he would grow weak in prayer if he fast. So, he prefers the prayers over optional fasts. Some of the companions mentioned that fasting optional fast would weaken them in their recitation of the Quran if they perform optional fasting. So, they observe less optional fasts until they were able to balance their recitation. Every individual is knowledgeable of his condition and of what will rectify it. Choose to perform what is important first in optional acts of worship.

Recommended Fasts

Everyone should know the preference of fasting is established in certain virtuous days. Some of these virtuous days occur every year such as:

1. Fasting Six Days of Shawwal

2. Fasting during Arafah Day

3. Fasting during Ashura

4. Fasting during 10 days of Dzulhijjah and Muharram

Some occur every month such as:

1. Fasting during the first part of the month

2. Fasting during the middle part of the month

3. Fasting in the last part of the month

Some occur every week:

1. Monday

2. Thursday

The most virtuous recommended fasting is the fast of prophet Dawud a.s. He would fast one day and break his fast the next day. It serves the three objectives:

1. The soul is given its share on the day the fast is broken.

2. And on the day of fasting, it completes its worship in full.

3. The day of eating is the day to be thankful to the God. 

Fasting day is the day for patience. While our faith is divided into two halves that of the thankfulness and that of the patience. It is the most difficult struggle for the soul. It's due to that, every time the soul gets accustomed to a certain condition, it would transfer itself to that.

As for fasting everyday, there is a report by Muslim from the hadith narrated by Abu Qatadah which says, Umar r.a asked prophet Muhammad s.a.w: "What is the case if one were to fast everyday? So, prophet Muhammad s.a.w answered: "He did not fast nor did he break his fast."

This is concerning the one who fast continuously, even during the days in which fasting is forbidden. So beware with this. Check the calender and ask the guided teachers. Don't do anything without consulting nor getting the knowledge because we have Quran and Sunnah. If we have no knowledge, we must acquire ones and don't just blindly follow people without evidence. 

In South East Asia and South Asia, there are many spiritual movements which do not come from Quran and Sunnah basis but from Hindu-Buddhism roots as they try comply within local customs and traditions but they had forgotten that religion and custom have a thin line which differentiate them. Just be careful of who are the teachers, it means don't simply follow without further researches. And the God knows everything better than others.

Source: Mukhtasar Minhaj al-Qasideen
Translator: Isma'eel bin al-Arkan
Editor: Abu Khaliyl

Allahumma salli 'alaa Muhammad wa 'ala aali Muhammad... Sealed with prayer for mercy, peace, and love, amin!