CLEANLINESS faces and your hands. God does nat wis! c : ish to place a burden on you, but He wishes to purify you and to complete His favour upon you that you may give thanks”, Qur’an 4:43 also Supports the above. 2. WUDO? (ABLUTION) The essentials of Wudi’ as one can see in the above verse are: I. washing the face, 2. washing both hands and arms to the elbows 3. rubbing the head and 4. washing the feet to the ankles. In addition, following the Practice of the Prophet, it is usual first to wash the mouth, the nose before Proceeding to the face, etc. The ablution is therefore performed as follows: 1. Get clean, pure water. 2. Start in the name of God, thus, Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim. (meaning: in the name of the Beneficent the Merciful). Wash the hands to the wrists thrice. Rinse the mouth thrice. Clean the nostrils (inhale and exhale) thrice. Wash the face: from ear to ear and from forehead to the chin, thrice. Give the aim for the ablution here, thus: I am making this ablution for the purpose of prayer. 7. Wash the arms to the elbow thrice, the right first and then the left. 8. Wipe the head with wet hands once only. 9. Cleanse the ears with wet fingers once only. 10. Wash the feet to the ankles, the ri ght first and then the left. Avawe NB. The making of the washing thrice is not compulsory; it is introduced to make sure that water reaches every part we intend to wash. If one is in haste or there is not much water, then he can do each once but he must make sure that he does not leave out any spot, however small, untouched by water. 3. WATER FOR ABLUTION Any water from rain, sea, river, fountain as well, as snow, is pure and suitable for ablution, if it does not contain urine, excreta, oil and such other dirts; if it does not have, also, bad taste and smell. If the soil of a 37 2 ee ___———————————,——CO?!”S”C”C*C~C~””:~—Stt:~—~—~—sttsti‘SOSOOCOCSee STUDIES IN ISLAM SERIES BOOK 1 place or locality changes the colour of the water in its environment, the water is still pure as long as it does not contain any of the above dirts. 4. WHAT VITIATES AN ABLUTION A fresh ablution is necessary if any of the following things does happen: (a) Uf one attends the call of nature e.g. passes urine, or excreta or wind. (b) If one falls fast asteep. fe) If one discharges semen by any means whatsoever (cither by sexual intercourse or by bed wetting) (d) Tf one loses his senses either by being intoxicated with alcoholics or by having menial disturbance. (e) If one touches the penniswith bare palm or fingers, ‘The following do not however affect the ablution : (a) If onc vomits: he only nceds to clean up. (4) W one eats any dry food which is devoid of fresh ofl (e.g. bread, biscuits, meat cic.) (©) UW one touches the pennia while there is a material of cloth, however thin, between it and his fingers. S GUSLU (WASHINGS) ‘Washing of the whole body becomes necessary in Talim when we have done something which males it become impure before God. ‘This og takes different names under different conditions even though the Coun of it is the same for all the occasions. These washings when the feed occur, must be performed before one gost 19 perform any prayer, The various washings are as follows: 1. danabah: This occurs when there ix sexual intercourse between. both sexes: both maa and woman conpecied shall perform this washing. 2, aydak: A woman verforme this as soon ay she has fits het coune (eNstTEAKION), While the course in om she is allowed off the daily prayers, Msting and sexuai intercou ria,a, CLEANLINESS 3. Nifas: A woman performs this as soon as the child-birth blood has stopped: this is usually about forty days after having given birth to achild, During this period the woman is exempted from saying the ritual prayers. = 4. Dukhil-ulIsiam: This is performed by male or female converts to Iskim. 5, Jandzah: This is done to the corpse of a Muslim before it is shrouded for burial. All the washings are done in the same way, the difference is only in the niyyah (the aim for the washing) which is the mentioning of the name of the washing as given above. The washing is performed as follows: 1. Get clean, pure water (any water which is good for ablution is also good for the washings). 2. Give the aiypah: thus: mawaytu gasla.......0..2.60000-0-0- (insert the name) meaning: [ am making...............0... washing. 3, Then pour on water, beginning from the head and wash all the parts of the body. 4. Sec that water covers all parts. 5. Then perform Wudi (ablution) if you wish to go onto prayer immediately, otherwise, let it off. Allah requires that you shall be clean in.body, thought, deed and dress before you come before Him for prayer, Qur'an 4:43, As for the Janizah, the corpse is washed first with soap or some other disinfectant and cleansed of all impuritics which may be duc to illness. In washing the dead body, the parts which are washed in Wwdi’ are taken first, and then the whole body is washed. It is then wrapped in shects and scent may be added. THE TAYAMMUM (SAND ABLUTION) The Wud" and the taking of a bath, apart from their religious significance, are a means for the purification of the body. But when ‘water is not available oc one cannot use water as a result of illness, then fayammun is recommended for spiritual purification, The underlying purpose of the tayammum is that God does sot want to impose a burdenSTUDIES IN ISLAM SERIES BOOK 1 or difficulty on anyone but He desires that we shall be purified. The aim of prayer is the purity of the soul; there is, in wudii’ and gasl, a religious purpose besides the hygienic onc — the purification of the soul; but when water is not available, it is still necessary to perform an act which diverts attention from bodily purification to the purification of the soul. The act is Tayammum. It is performed as follows: 1. a 3: 4, 5. 6 NB. ‘Get some clean sand, dust or earth. Place both palms on it. Give the niyyah:Nawaytw tayammum while the palms are placed on the sand. Shake off the particles that are portably on. Rub the face with palms. ‘Then (without separating the palms) rub the right arm to the elbow with the left palm, and then the left with the right palm. The Tayammum, unlike the water ablution, cannot be used for more than one obligatory prayer at a time. Tt cannot be used for any ceremonial prayer. It is not made in advance of prayer but at the instance of the prayer for which it is intended. All the conditions which vitiate the water ablution equally vitiate the fayammum.CHAPTER FIVE Salat—Ritual Prayer 1. ISLAMIC CONCEPT OF WORSHIP _IN ISLAM, worship is the fundamental aspect not only of religious Wife but of life itself. ‘This is the very object of man’s creation, The Qur'an sdys: “have not created the Jinn and the Men except that they should worship (serve) Me™ (51.56). The Arabic word for worship is “ibddah_ which literally means: serving, worshipping, adoring or obeying God with humility of submissiveness, This verse shows, on the one hand, that man’s existence in this world is not without any purpose, and, on the other hand, that the highest object of his creation is ‘ibddwh. Ih is only by working in accord with God's will that man can realize what is best in him. If he serves God, it is not in any way beneficial to God, Who is the source of all goodness and power; He stands beyond all needs ‘of human service. It is for man’s own benefit that he should place himself under Divine protection by worshipping God, all his life, 1 is towards this that God enjoins the Prophet when he says, “My prayer and my sacrifice and my life and my death are surely for God, the Lord af the worlds. He has no associate, and this 1 am commanded, and f am the first of those who submit to Him”. (6:163- 164). “Ghddah is, in fact, the very soul and essence of life without which no progress in human affairs is possible. Prayer m a part of ‘Vbdulah. Worship is the first step towards the spiritual perfection of man. [i does not only keep him away from evil but it also purifies his inner self’ (magix) or the soul, and raises him to a place of eminence (1:9) If worship does not keep @ person away from intecency and evil, if worship & not a restraint on sin, if 1 docs not purify one’s heart for emotion, if it does not teach him the lesson of steadfastness and patience, and if it does aSTUDIES IN ISLAM SERIES BOOK | not help him to realize the Divine in him, there is something wrong with the made of his worship and with the mode of his remembrance of God. Worship in Islam is not an empty ritualism. It is a part and parcel of our daily conduct, it determines our attitude towards life and helps us to attain to moral and spiritual perfection. It should lead us to the selfless service of humanity; it should urge us to come to the rescue of the indigent, If worship fails to urge man to safeguard the rights of others, especially the orphan and the needy, it is of mo value to the worshipper. Even the religion he outwardly professes is utterly belied by his own con- duct. Tmagine what Qur'an chapter 107, (the whole of it) enjoins when it says, “Have you seen him who belies the religion? That is the one who drives back the orphan with harshness, and does not urge the feeding of the poor. Ah! woe be unto the worshipping ones who are unmindful of their prayers! Who do good only to be seen and refrain from acts of kindness”. Worship, therefore, loses all its meaning if it becomes a show of piety, a mere daily routine and just verbal repetitions of certain formulae. Worship that is divorced from life and its moral and spiritual demands and obligations is in fact belying the religion, In Islam, prayer in a particular form performed at stated times is an integral institution of its system. Besides its spiritual and moral benefits, it has a great social aspect. 11 helps to level down all differences of race, colour, rank and nationality from among its followers. While Praying, a prince and a beggar stand shoulder to shoulder. It is through this regular training that the colour problem does not exist in Islamic world, either in theory or in practice. _ Again, in Muslim mode of worship has been combined all the possible positions which are necessary for developing the right attitude of reverence, Standing, bowing, prostration and sitting postures, are sufficient to inspire the heart of the worshipper with feelings of humility before the Divine Being: To an outsider, various postures of Muslim worship may appear strange bul they are the same postures which were adopted by previous prophets and their disciples when they Prayed. Here are a few examples: “O come, let us worship and bow Lord our maker” (Psalms 95 26) “They fell on their faces" (1 Kings, 18:39) down : let us kneel before theSALAT —RITUAL PRAYER “And he (ie. Jesus) went a little further, and fell on his face and prayed” (Mathew 26:39; Mark 144:35) The last reference shows that Jesus prostrated on the ground and prayed and that is how he taught his disciples to pray and worship. There is some misconception about the repeated times of Muslim ritual prayer. As we partake of food five or six times a day, similarly we should partake of this spiritual food several times during our waking hours. Repetition is the secret of beauty, How many times a pattern is repeated in.a carpet or line or wall paper to make it a beautiful whole! Worship, to a Muslim, is a moral and. spiritual discipline where Patience, steadfastness, submission, humility, regularity and cleanliness are most essential before he can enjoy the points and blessings of prayer. 2. KINDS OF PRAYER There are three kinds : these are: 1. Obligatory Prayers: These are the prescribed five daily prayers observed at Prescribed times. The Qur'iin says, “Therefore (OQ Muhammad) bear with what. they say, and celebrate the praise (worship) of your Lord before the rising ¢ of the sun, and before its going down, and worship Him some hours of the night, and at the two ends of the day that you may find joy” (20;130). ‘This verse sets out the various periods that the prayers are ta be observed: See also verse 4.103, ‘These five prayers are: 1. Subh: This is the morning prayer; it is said after dawn and before sunrise, It is also referred to in the Qur'4n ay the Fajr prayer (17.78; 24,58). A Muslim has to habiteratc himself’ 10 rising before sunrise. Uf however he gets up late on some days the prayer can still be said though the sun may have risen (Bukhari 9.35), 2. Zuhe: This is the early noon prayer the first of the two referred to in the above verse as at the two ends of the day, the other one being the next prayer. [1 is said when the sun begins to decline, Its time extends till the next prayer, 43STUDIES IN ISLAM SERIES BOOK 1 The Qiblah— the direction of the Ka‘bah which the Muslims face in prayer.SALAT—RITUAL PRAYER 3. ‘Asr: This is the afternoon prayer; it is performed when the sun is about midway on its course to setting; its time extends till the sun begins to set. But, it is better to say this prayer when the sun is still high. 4. Maghrib: This is the sunset prayer; it is said immediately the sun sets and its time extends until the next prayer. 5. ‘Isha’: This is the early night prayer; it is said when the red glow in the west disappears, and its time extends till mid-night. The ‘sha’ prayer is even mentioned, like the Fajr prayer, by name in the Qur'an (24.58). This prayer is the last act of the day as the Fajr prayer is the first act of the day. Il. Non-Obligatory Prayers or Sunnah: These are prayers which are not obligatory but which are desirable; they are founded on the practice of the Prophet and that is why they are referred to as Sunnah. These sunnah prayers are also referred to in some circumstances, as Nafilat (supererogatory ones). The commonest among them are: (@ The Nafilat which accompany each of the obligatory prayers; these ndfilats are said before and after most of the obligatory ‘ones; they do not have specified or prescribed number of raka‘ahs as do the obligatory ones; they however contain two raka‘ahs at a time, and may be any multiples of two. (b) Salat Shaf' and witr: These are special nafilats said after ‘Ishah ; they are as good as obligatory but are not as strong. (0) Salat Duhd: This is observed between.sunrise and midday. The number of rak‘ahs varies with individuals. (d) Tahajjud: This is observed between ‘Ishah and Fajr, after one has slept, at least, for two hours; usually it is observed at mid- night. Qur’an 17:79 supports this. IIL. Special Prayers: These are observed on special occasions and not daily; they are also non-obligatory, but have stronger importance than the Sunnahs. The following come under this category: 45STUDIES IN ISLAM SERIES BOOK | ee Z t (@ Jum‘at Prayer: This is observed every Friday in place of Zuhr, oS if one misses it, he has to perform the Zuhr and not the Jum prayer. (b) Salat Tarawih: This is observed once in the year throughout the month of Ramadan after the ‘Ishah Prayer, but before Shaf* and Witr. (c) ‘Idul-Fitr: This is observed once in a year at the close of the Ramadan fasts. (d) ‘Td ul-Adha: This is also observed once in a year before the sacrifice. (e) Salat Istisqa: This is observed when there is a drought of rain; it is said to make a request to God for rain. 7 (f) Salat Jandzah: This is a kind ‘of prayer said to the corpse of a Muslim before burial; unlike the other prayers, there is no bowing and there is no prostrating. 3, DESCRIPTION OF A RAKA‘AH The word raka‘ah literally means an act of bowing down before God; but technically it has come:to mean one complete act of devotion in salat which includes standing, bowing down, prosirating and sitting down. Every prayer (salat) consists of a certain number of raka‘ah grouped into twos or multiples of two; that is, there is a sitting down and an aftahiyyah at the end of every second raka‘ah. Each raka‘ah is completed as follows: @ The devotee first stands (with both hands raised to the ear level if it is the first) while the words, Allah Akbar (God is the greatest) — are pronounced, facing the Qiblah (the central mosque at Mecca). (b) The standing position is maintained until the Fatihah and anothe sitrah, if any, are recited. is (c) Then with the words, Allah Akbar the devotee bows down with the palms resting on the knees, This is the ruka‘ eet Rune deuihis position he says “Subbdna rabbiyal-ceim bihamdih” — Glory and praise be to You my Lord, the Great