From Revival of Religious Learnings by Imam Gazzali (r.a.)
IHYA ULUM-ID-DIN
DATE: 450
(A.H.) 1058 A.D.- 505 A.H. 1111 A.D.
Translated
by Fazlul Karim Published by Darul Ishaat Karachi Parkistan
Allah say in Holy Quran (9:109)
“.....therein, where there are men who love to purify
themselves. Allah Loves the pure...”
This verse was revelead Allah praising the people of Quba
who were accustomed to use both stones and water after calls of nature.
“...Allah would not place a burden on you, but He would
purify you and would perfect His grace upon you, that you may give thanks
purifiers.....” (5:7)
The Holy Prophet said:
Religion is founded on cleanliness.
Cleanliness is the key to prayer.
Cleanliness is one half of belief.
Those who possess insight understand by these sayings that
the most important thing is the purification of the heart. If the tradition ‘cleanliness
is one half of faith is limited only to the external cleanliness of physical
organs by water and not also to the purification of the heart which may
entertain evil designs and thoughts, its meaning then will be distant and it is
impossible.
1. The first stage is
the purification of the external organs from excrements and filth.
2. The second stage is
the purification of the bodily organs from sins and faults
3. The third stage is
the purification of the heart from evil traits and evil vices.
4. The fourth stage is
the purification of the inner self from everything except God . This is the
stage of the Prophets and the saints.
Every item of cleanliness is half of action, because the
object of the actions is the glorification and greatness of God. In reality God’s
knowledge is not attained unless the heart is purified of all things other than
God. For this reason,
Allah says in Holy Quran (6:92)
And they measure not the power of Allah its true measure
when they say: Allah Has nothing revealed to a human being. Say : Who revealed
the Book which Moses brought, a light and guidance for mankind, which you have
put on parchments (scroll) which you show, but you hide much (thereof), and by
which you were taught that which you knew not yourselves nor (did) your fathers
(know it)? Say: Allah. Then leave them to their play of caviling.
There can be no two things in mind at the same time and
God also has not created two minds in the same man. The object of the actions
is to adorn the mind with praiseworthy qualities and religious firm faith. It
is well known that the mind will not be adorned with those qualities till the
blameworthy evils and false faith reign in it.
To purify the mind from these evils comprises half of its
actions and the first half is prerequisite for the second. In this sense, purity
is said to be half of belief. So to purify the bodily limbs from the prohibited
things is the first half and to strengthen it with religious acts is its second
half. These are the stages of belief and every stage has got its rank. Nobody
will attain a higher stage unless he first goes through the lower one. He can
attain real purity of heart till he purifies it from the blameworthy vices and
adorn it with the praiseworthy qualities. He can’t purify the heart till he
purifies his organs from prohibited things and makes it firm with religious
acts. The more honorable is the object, the more difficult is the attainment of
that object. The longer is the road that leads to it, the greater are the
obstacles. Don’t think that this can be attained with ease and without efforts.
He who is blind to these stages of purity will not understand the above
mentioned four stages. He will understand the lowest stage of cleanliness. It
is like the outer husk of a crop or like skull in relation to brain.
He understands that the outer cleanliness is the desired
object and makes exaggeration in it and spends much time and wealth in
abstersion (Istinja), in cleanliness of cloth, body and in the use of water and
thinks that the noble purity comprises these outward and external cleanliness.
The early Muslims concentrated their entire attention and energies on the
purification of their hearts and were lenient in their outward cleanliness.
Even Hazrat Omar, being placed in a high position, made ablution with the water
from a jar which belonged to a Christain woman. The companions were accustomed
not to wash their hands after eating from the remains of fat and food but to
wipe them out against the arches of their feet and regarded the use of soap as
innovation. They used to say pray kneeling and prostrating directly on the
ground in the mosque and walk barefooted on the roads. They used to use pebbles
after calls of nature.
Abu Hurairah and some immates of Suffa said: we ate meal
and when the prayer time came, we wiped our fingers against the pebbles and
proceeded to say prayer. Hazrat Omar said: we did not know the use of soap at
the time of the Prophet and the hollows of our feet were our towels. It is said
that the first four innovations after the Prophet were the use of sieves, soap,
tables and eating to (fill)satiety. The efforts of the companions were towards
the purification of the heart to the extent that some one among them said: it
is better to say prayer with shoes than without shoes because when the Prophet
look off his shoes with uncleanliness at the advent of Gabriel, the companions
also took off their shoes. He told them: Why have you taken off your shoes? One
of them named Nakhyi said: Perhaps someone in need may pass by and take these
shoes. In fact, they walked barefooted, sat on the mud and sand, prayed
directly on the floors of the mosque. They used to eat bread of coarse wheat
which the animals trod with their feet and sometimes polluted with their urine.
They made no efforts to avoid small impurities.
These things have now changed. The People termed
cleanliness for ironed cloth and say that it is the foundation of religion. One
group spend most of their times in beautifying their bodies just like a new
bride but their minds are full of evil thoughts, pride, self conceit,
ignorance, show and hypocrisy He who cleanses with-stones after calls of
nature, walks barefooted in mud, prays in mosque on the floor, walks on the
rugs without leather over shoes or makes ablution with water belonging to an
old woman, is attacked furiously and he is termed as impure.
The following are three matters of external purity—
(1) purification from
impurities,
(2) purification of the
body from excrements and
(3) purification from
bodily growths. such as pairing of nails, cutting off hairs, cirrcumcision,
removal of the hairs of pubes and the like.
There are three matters in this, the things to be removed,
the means of removal and the meaning of removal. That which shall have to be
removed is of three kinds
(1) inanimate objects,
(2) animate objects and
(3) parts of animate
objects.
(1) As to inanimate
objects, all are pure except wine and intoxicating things.
(2) All animate (i.e.
living thing ) objects are pure except dogs and pigs and their young ones. when
an animal dies, it becomes impure except five-
(1) locusts,
(2) fish,
(3) worms in
foodstuffs,
(4) dead animals which
have no flowing blood like flies, beetles and the like.
(5)
(3) As to purity from
inanimate objects, it is of two kinds,
(1)what is cut off from an animal and its law is the same
as that of dead bodies. Hair is not impure. Bones, however, become impure after
death.
(2)The second is what is changed after entering into body.
They are all impure.
What emits from the body not after change is pure, such as
sweat and tear. Things which have a fixed seat and are subject to change are
impure. such as saliva, mucus of nose except the seed of life like semen, eggs.
Blood, pus, feces, urine are impure. Nothing is exempted of these impruites
except five things:
(1) the remains of odour
after abstertion with pebbles are exempted,
(2) whatever cannot be
avoided, such as mud in the streets and the dust of dung inspite of their
impurity is exempted,
(3) what is attached to the
leather socks of impurites of the streets is exempted after it has been wiped
against earth.
(4) the blood of fleas
and the like little or much on shirt is exempted except when it goes beyond the
oridinary limits.
(5) and the blood of
itches and pimples is exempted.
The means of removal of impurities are either condensed or
liquid things. The condensed or solid things are pebbles of abstersion. Pebble
purifies it if it is itself pure and dried. It should be hard, pure, dry and
free from illegality. Liquid thing is water with which impurities are cleansed.
Only pure water can remove impurities. The water, when mixed with impure thing
and changing not its colour is pure, but if its colour taste and aAour are changed,
it becomes impure. The Prophet said: When water is sufficient to fill two
pitchers, it carries no impurities, if less, it carries impurities and does not
remain pure. This is applicable in case of stagnant water. If flowing water
mixes with impure things and does not remain pure. This is applicable in case
of stagnant water. If flowing water mixes with impure things and becomes
changed, it becomes them impure.
Some incidents together with urgent need and necessity
strengthen the belief that only change in water was taken into consideration by
the Prophet. The following words of the
Prophet support it: Water was created pure and nothing
makes it impure except that which changes its colour, taste and smell.
If the impurity is not a matter of touch, it is sufficient
to run water over all its parts. If the impurity is physical, it should be
removed. If its taste remains, it indicates the persistence of the physical
matter. The same is true of the persistence of colour. if it sticks, it is
exempted provided it is thoroughly rubbed. If taste persists, the persistence
of its physical matter is perceived.
The manner of purification with sand is as follows. If the
use of water does harm to a person, if water is not found on search, or if
there is danger in reaching the place of water such as fear of ferocious beast
or fear of enemies, or if the water is even insufficient to quench thrist, or
if the water is in possession of another and the price is high, or if he is ill
or has got wound and water will do harm, then he should wait till the time of
compulsory prayer comes. He should then proceed to use pure soil with intention
of Tayammam. He should put his right palm over the sandy soil and lift it to
his face, wipe it and intend to observe prayer. It should be done only once.
Then he shall again place his left palm over the sand and wipe his right hand
and then place his right hand to the elbows over the sand and then wipe his
left hand up to the elbows. By this Tayammam, only one prayer at a time can be
done.
These are of two kinds, the discharges and the wet
excretions of the body and bodily growths. These excretions are eight in
number.
(I) That which attaches
to the hairs of head such as dirt and lice should be removed by washing,
combing and the use of ointment. The Prophet used to oil his hairs and comb
them on every alternate days and ordered his followers to do the same. The
Prophet said: Oil your hairs on every alternate days. He also said: Let one
honour his hairs. It means: Keep them clean of filth and arrange them. Once a
man came to the Prophet with dishevelled hairs and fuffled beard and he said:
Has he got no oil wherewith to arrange his hairs ? Then he said: One of you
comes as if he is a devil.
(II) Filth which collects
in the holes of ears. This filth should carefully be caleansed
(III) Filth in the
nose should be removed by inhaling and exhaling.
(IV) The filth which
collects between the teeth and the tip of the tongne should be removed by tooth
stick and the rinsing of mouth.
(V) Filth which attaches
to the beard should be removed and the beard should be combed. There is a well
known tradition that the Prophet either at home or in journey never parted with
his tooth stick, comb and mirror. Hazrat Ayesha said that the Prophet said: God
loves a man who adorns himself whenever he goes out to meet with his brethren.
(VI) The filth which
collects in finger joints should be removed and the Prophet ordered his
followers to cleanse them specially after eating.
(VII) The filth which
collects in nails of fingers should be removed. The Prophet ordered that the
manicuring of nails, plucking the hairs of armpits and shaving the pubes should
be done once every forty days. Once revelation stopped coming to the Prophet.
When Gebrail came to him, he asked him the reason and Gebrail said: How can
revelation come to you when you have not cleansed the filth from your knuckls
and nails and filth of mouth by toothstick?
(VIII) Filth of the
whole body collected through perspiration and dust of path ways should be
removed by bath. There is no harm to enter public bath room for that.
These are bodily growths and are of eight kinds.
AUTHORITY OF ‘Aisha SAHIH_MUSLIM #REF=0502 RASULULLAH,
(sallallaho alaihe wasallam) said: Ten are the acts according to fitra:
clipping the moustache,letting the beard grow, using the tooth-stick, snuffing
up water in the nose, cutting the nails, washing the finger joints, plucking
the hair under the armpits, shaving the pubes, and cleaning one’s private parts
with water. The narrator said: I have forgotten the tenth, but it may have been
rinsing the mouth.
(1) Hairs of head. There
is no harm in shaving the hairs of head for one who desires to be clean and
there is no harm in keeping them provided he oils them and keeps arranged and
combed.
(2) Hairs of moustache.
The Prophet said: Cut off your moustaches, in another naration, spare your
moustaches. In another naration, trim your moustaches and spare your beards. In
other words, let your moustaches extend to the upper lip. Shaving of moustaches
was never mentioned in the tradition, while trimming so closely as to resemble
shaving has been narrated by the companions. There is no harm in leaving the
ends of moustaches to hang down. The Prophet said: Cut off your moustache along
a tooth stick. The Prophet said: Spear the beard and let it grow. The Prophet
said: Do the opposite as the Jews used to spare their moustaches and trim their
beards.
(3) Hairs of armpits
should be removed once every forty days either by plucking or by shaving
(4) Hairs of pubes
should be removed once every forty days either by shaving or by the use of a
depilatory.
(5) Nails should he
manicured because of their ugly appearances and also because of the dirt which
collects underneath them. The Prophet said: O Abu Hurairah, manicure fyour
nails as the devil sits therein when they are long.
(6) The navel cord which
is cut off at the time of brith of a child
(7) foreskin of genital
organ. The Prophet said: Circumcision is sunnat for a male and meritorious for
a female. Excess should be avoided in the case of a female. The Prophet said to
Omme Atiyyah O: Omme Atiyyah, be moderae in circumcision and cut off only a
small portion of clitoris, for it is better to preserve femininity and more
welcome to masculinity.
(8) Length of beard.
There are differences of opinion regarding the length of the beard somesay that
it is to be kept up to grip and ther is no harm in cutting beyond the grip.
Hazrat Omar and some Tabeyins used to do it. Hasan Basari and Qatadah said that
to spare it to grow long is better as the Prophet said: Spare your beards. It
has been said that the bigger the beard, the smaller the intellect.
There are ten undesirable practices regarding beard. These
are
(1) dyeing the beard
black,
(2) bleaching it with
sulpher,
(3) plucking it,
(4) plucking the grey
hairs,
(5) trimming it,
(6) augmenting its size,
(7) keeping it
dishevelled,
(8) combing it for show
of people,
(9) making it black for
show of youth,
(10) making it grey
to attract honour and dyeing it red or yellow.
Dyeing it with black colour is prohibited as the Prophet
said: The best or your youths is he who follows the old among you and the worst
of your old is he who follows the youth among you. The Prophet said: Black dye
is the sign of the inmates of Hell. The first man who used black dye was
Pharaoh. The Prophet said: There will appear in latter ages people who will dye
their beards black like the peak of pigeons. They will not get the fragranc eof
Paradise.
Dyeing the beard yellow or red is permitted. The Prophet
said: Yellow is the colour with which the Muslims dye their beards and red is
the colour with which the believers dye their beards. Henna can be used for red
dye and saffron and phillyrea for yellow dye.
Bleaching the beard with sulpher to give the appearance of
advanced age to attract venra tion and to have their testimony accepted is
undesirable.
To shave beard is Makruh or undesirable.
So also plucking grey hair because the Prophet prohitited
it as it is a light for a believer.
Final note: Since these Islamic practices are essential part of our worship (ibbada), reliable Ulema or alternatively knowledgeable person in Islam shall be contacted to ensure the proper understanding of these rules: