Course Title:

FIQH IBADAH

SHA 2908A

SECTION 1

Assignment Title:

WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT

WUDHU’ AND AL-GHUSUL: THE IMPORTANCE OF RUBBING AND KNEADING

(‫)الدلك‬

Lecturer:

MOHAMMAD DEEN BIN MOHD. NAPIAH

Member:

USAMAH BIN MOHD NA’IM [1811895]

 1.0 ABSTRACT

As far as daily ethics and habits are concerned, cleanliness is a

moral value so lauded and prominent within the holistic religion of
Islam. Countless Islamic precepts and injunctions have expressed
the idea that the life of a true servant of Allah SWT is paved with
concentrated attention to the aspect of being clean. While cleanliness
is a habit so commendable as we go through the common rituals of
a daily lifestyle, Muslims are commanded to purify ourselves to the
utmost degree when performing our religious obligations. In the
same vein, divine and/or contemplative guidelines were bestowed
through the Quran, Sunnah and Ijma’ which serve to expound on the
methods of cleaning the body from any impurities. Accordingly,
wudhu’ )‫ (وضوء‬and al-ghusul )‫ (الغسل‬are some of those most
renowned and usual methods of purification. It is only natural then
for such a renowned and usual method to sprout certain issues as to
how it is performed. Rubbing or kneading the select parts of the body
)‫ (الدلك‬is one of the actions commended to be performed in both
methods of purification. However, there is lack of clarity to the
nature of this practice; whether it is an obligation, a
recommendation, or a mere action that does not entail the extra
graces of Allah SWT? This research paper is written with the
objective of identifying the significance of such particular act in the
religious rituals of wudhu’ and al-ghusul. Hence, proper exposition
shall be first made to the fundamentals of wudhu’ and al-ghusul to
then be followed with the inference on the importance of ‫ الدلك‬and
how aligned it is to the inherent purpose of performing the two
religious rituals.

2.0 THE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF WUDHU’ AND AL-GHUSUL

Proper acknowledgement to the principles embroidered within the practices of wudhu’

and al-ghusul is necessary in determining the importance of ‫ الدلك‬during their performance.
With considerable understanding to the purposes of these religious rituals can there be no doubt
in knowing where the practice of ‫ الدلك‬clearly stands.

Consideration shall first be given to the practice of wudhu’. In its etymological terms,
the word wudhu’, with its root word being ‫وضاءة‬, refers to cleanliness and a state of purity.1 In
the shariah perspective, wudhu’ is defined as an action committed to purify in a specific

1
Su’ad Ibrahim Salih, Fiqh Ibadah Wanita, pg. 90.
manner, or a proper sorting of specific actions beginning with a specific intention.2 The divine
injunction expounding the details in performing wudhu’ as well as introducing it as an
obligatory ritual is prescribed in the Quran:

ِ ‫ص ََلةِ فَا ْغ ِسلُوا ُو ُجو َه ُك ْم َوأ َ ْي ِد َي ُك ْم ِإلَى ْال َم َرا ِف‬

‫ق‬ َّ ‫َيا أَيُّ َها الَّذِينَ آ َمنُوا ِإذَا قُ ْمت ُ ْم ِإلَى ال‬
3
‫س ُحوا ِب ُر ُءو ِس ُك ْم َوأ َ ْر ُجلَ ُك ْم ِإلَى ْال َك ْعبَي ِْن‬ َ ‫َو ْام‬
It is within the aforesaid Quranic verse that wudhu’ can be found to be comprised of
six pertinent actions within its practice; i) the intention, ii) washing the face, iii) washing the
arms to the elbows, iv) rinsing parts of the head, v) washing the feet and vi) doing in such
orderly fashion.

Whereas on the fundamentals of al-ghusul, the word can be taken to mean from its
linguistic perspective as when the water runs over something. In the eyes of syara’, it is known
as the circumstance when water runs over the whole body with a specific intention. The
obligation of this religious ritual is expressed clearly in the Quran:

ِ ‫سا َء فِي ْال َم ِح‬

‫يض ۖ َو ََل‬ ِ ‫ع ِن ْال َم ِح‬
َ ِ‫يض ۖ قُ ْل هُ َو أَذًى فَا ْعت َِزلُوا الن‬ َ ‫َو َيسْأَلُون ََك‬

َ َّ ‫َّللا ۚ إِ َّن‬
ُّ‫َّللا ي ُِحب‬ ُ ‫ط َّه ْرنَ فَأْتُوهُ َّن ِم ْن َحي‬
ُ َّ ‫ْث أ َ َم َر ُك ُم‬ ْ َ‫ت َ ْق َربُوهُ َّن َحت َّ ٰى ي‬
َ َ ‫ط ُه ْرنَ ۖ فَإِذَا ت‬

4 َ َ ‫الت َّ َّوابِينَ َويُ ِحبُّ ْال ُمت‬

َ‫ط ِه ِرين‬

The cited verse not only made clear of the preference of Allah SWT upon those who

prefer to clean and purify themselves, but also stated one of the reasons that make the ritual

as one that is obligatory to be performed. Islamic scholars differ as to the specific number of

reasons, but in the general view, they may be divided into four distinct situations; i) janabah

(sexual release) , ii) haidh (menstrual period), iii) wiladah (giving birth), iv) maitah (death).

2
Wahbah az-Zuhaili, Fiqh Islam wa Adillatuhu, pg. 298.
3
Al-Ma’idah: 6.
4
Al-Baqarah: 222.
3.0 ISLAMIC PRECEPTS ON RUBBING AND KNEADING )‫(الدلك‬

At this point and juncture, attention shall be given to Islamic precepts and injunctions
that are relevant by making any mention of the practice of ‫الدلك‬. By assessing the language
used in accompaniment of the word as well as the context within which the particular word is
used in the primary and secondary sources of Shariah, a credible and strong conclusion may
be formed upon the importance of this practice in wudhu’ and al-ghusul.

Firstly, is the Hadith narrated by Imam Ahmad, which reported the practice of the
Prophet Muhammad pbuh to knead his body parts after making his wudhu’:

.5‫يَ ْدلُك‬ ‫سلَّ َم ت ََوضَّأ َ فَ َج َع َل يَقُو ُل َه َكذَا‬

َ ‫علَ ْي ِه َو‬ ُ ‫صلَّى‬
َ ‫هللا‬ َّ ِ‫أ َ َّن النَّب‬
َ ‫ي‬
It is made clear though this narration that ‫ الدلك‬is an act already practiced at the time of the
Prophet.

In one of the books within the Shafi’e school of thought, Imam Nawawi provided under
his elaborations of commendable actions during the process of wudhu, that:

6
َ ‫َوأ َ ْن يُ َد ِل َك ْاْل َ ْع‬
‫ضا َء‬
which makes to mean that someone rubs their body parts during the taking of wudhu’.
Similarly, on the matter of purifying oneself from the state of junub or impurity, Imam al-
Shafi’e declared ‫ الدلك‬to be a commendable action to be eperf during the obligatory bathing:

َ ‫س ِد ِه فَإِ ْن لَ ْم يَ ْف َع ْل َوأَت َى ْال َما ُء‬

َ ‫علَى َج‬
‫س ِد ِه‬ َ ‫َوأ ُ ِحبُّ لَهُ أ َ ْن يُ َد ِل َك َما يَ ْقد ُِر‬
َ ‫علَ ْي ِه ِم ْن َج‬
7َ
ُ‫أَجْزَ أه‬
making clear of his preference for one to rub and knead their body parts despite it being
permissible for them to choose either ways. Hence, Islamic scholars should be taken to have a
similar stand on the matter of ‫الدلك‬.

5
Ahmad (16441).
6
Al-Majmu’ Syarah Al-Muhazzab, Al-Nawawi (1/465).
7
Al-Umm, Al-Syafi’e (1/57).
4.0 IMPORTANCE OF ‫ الدلك‬IN THE PERFORMANCE OF WUDHU’ AND AL-

GHUSUL

In consideration of the above findings and observations, it would be rational to conclude

that the practice of rubbing and kneading the select body parts during the process of wudhu’
and al-ghusul is a practice that is recognized within the aspect of syara’. Hence, there can only
be error in thought that ‫ الدلك‬is an unfounded action under the category of bid’ah which is made
without any reliance to the syara’.

Additionally, despite its mentions in Islamic sources, ‫ الدلك‬was never imposed as an

action that is obligated to be done in either wudhu’ or al-ghusul. All the relevant injunctions
describe the action as one that is a habit of the Prophet Muhammad pbuh or one that is
recommended to be committed by Islamic scholars.

Therefore, it shall then be taken that the importance of ‫ الدلك‬in the performance of
wudhu’ and al-ghusul is one that stands on the same standard of those that is commendable by
syara’. In other words, it will be considered as a good deed for those performing ‫ الدلك‬in wudhu’
and al-ghusul, while there shall be no sin or unacceptable religious ritual for those who chose
to ignore the performance of ‫الدلك‬, though they shall certainly be those who are missing out on
simple but meaningful acts of worship.

5.0 CONCLUSION

Rubbing or kneading the body parts or ‫ الدلك‬is a commendable act to be done during the
performance of wudhu’ and al-ghusul. However, much like any other form or acts of worship,
none shall be wholly acceptable by Allah SWT if not for the correct intentions. The Prophet
pbuh had stated as much in the Hadith: ‫ َو ِإنَّ َما ِلكُ ِل ا ْم ِرىءٍ َما ن ََوى‬،ِ‫ ِإنَّ َما اْل َ ْع َما ُل بِالنِيَات‬8. Thus, equipped
with the right intentions and a pure soul, ‫ الدلك‬and any other miniscule actions may well be the
accumulated deeds to guarantee our place in Jannah in the Hereafter. Wallahua’lam.

8
Bukhari (1); Muslim (1907).