Lesson Nine - Taharah Purfication - Page 1

The Mukhtasr of Al-Quduri

Page 1

This book is split in to two:

1. Ibaadaat - This is from page 1 – 155.
2. Mua'mlaat - This from Page 156 to 720.

The author first brings the action which concern Ibadaat. Ibadat are those actions which are directly link to Allah. For instance, Salah, Zakah, Hajj etc. These actions are important for the salvation of the hereafter.

Mua'mlaat are those chapter which concern an individual to another individual.For instance, Transactions, Nikah etc. So, for this reason the author brought the chapter of purification as this worship is directly done for Allah and from all the Ibadaat acts it is a per-requites for other worships.

Now, within the the Book of Ibaadat, there are many chapters. For instance, chapter of Salah, Jum'uah, Prayer of two Ids, funeral prayer etc. From all these chapters the author brings the chapter which is most important, is Purification.

Book/Chapter of Taharah

What is the main purpose of a chapter?

• There are 62 chapters in this book.
• A chapter usually gives the reader an idea of what is forthcoming.
• The entire chapter will be regarding 'Purification', this will be the focal point.
• Chapters helps to find rulings easily.
• Organizes the books in orderly fashion.
• Who was the first author to organize the books in chapters?
• This was one of the reason many student would follow the Madhab of those the books were organized in good fashion.
• Recognising the reason why the author brings the chapter at a certain place is a interesting field.
• Predecessors would spend days analysing and thinking why the author has brought the chapter in a certain place. (E.G. Mufti Shabbir's Lecture)

Taharah means:

• Purity, Purification, to purify, to cleanse.
• Technical meaning of Tahrah is 1) remove dirt f& filth 2) cleaning specific parts of the body

• The root word is Ta – Ha – Ra is: to become pure, to be free from dirt, to become clear.

Different meanings of Taharah (Mentioned 24 times in the Quran)

Mentioned in the Qur'an: (2:25) “ In (heaven) will be clean/purified wives” (2:125) “Ibrahim & Ismaeel cleaned the Ka'ba (from idols)

Also check (2:222) (3:15) (3:42) (5:41) (7:82) (8:11) (9:103) (9:108) (11:78) (22:26) (33:33) (33:53) (56:79)(58:12) (74:4) (80:14) (98:2).

All are mentioned in different context. Pick two or three and next week bring translation and explain which context the word 'Tahara' is used.

Is the word Taharah mentioned in the Hadith?

 “Whenever the Prophet would go and visit someone who was ill, he would say, “Be of a good cheer, the illness will serve as a purifier”. (Muslim)

In another hadith, the Prophet said, “Cleasiness is half of faith”.(Muslim)

Why is Tahrah considered half of faith?

Now that Taharah is explain, the question arises what does a person has to be clean from? 

From an Islamic point of view there is two impurities a person is to be clean from, 1) Outer impurity 2) Inner impurity. Which is explained in detail below.

Outer Impurity

1. Being clean from outer impurity is taharah such as stool, blood and urine and its Opposite is Najasah which means unclean, impure, dirty. (Mentioned only once in the Quran)

As Allah says in the Qur'an, “O you who bieleve, truly the pagans are unclean” (Najas)

Inner Impurity

2. Being clean from the inner impurity such as jealousy, backbiting and arrogance is Taqwa and its opposite is ithm (Sin).

As Islam considers both the inner and outer aspect, Taharah holds an important place in Islam for this reason it is considered half of faith.

Different types of Taharah:

Najasah Galeeza/Kabath

One is to remove actual impurity which is called Najas Galeeza/Kabath. This is to clean solid impurity or that impurity which you can see. Such as blood, stool, urine, wine etc. The technical meaning is Najas/Kabath is referred to those “psychical  substances which are deemed unclean in Islamic terms”.

Najasa Muhasa/Hadath

One is to remove ritual impurity which is called Hadath/Najas Muhassha. It refers to that impurity which cannot be seen or to abstract matters. For instance, after the sexual intercourse, the person is in the state of Hadath although no impurity can be visually seen but the person is impure and not allowed to perform the ritual prayer. In simpler terms, Hadath is that state in which a person is in need of a minor or major ablution. (For entire discussion check Fiqh Ala Madahib Arab'a)

More details will come on Page 23 Insha'Allah.

What will we learn in the chapter Taharah?

• Whudu
• Ghusl
• Water
• Tayamum
• Masah over socks
• Hayd – Menses
• Impurities and their cleaning

Think how these chapters are linked to the chapter of Taharah.

Why did the author bring this chapter first?

The Prophet said “ The key to Salah is Purification (Tirmidhi)

Without purification, no Islamic action can be deemed valid.

What other authors have brought this chapter?

In terms of Hadith books, the chapter of Purification is not always mentioned first. However, Imam Tirmidhi brings the chapter of Purification first. Why?

In terms of Fiqh books, the chapter of Purfication is majority of the time brought first.

Key Words of today's lesson: Tahrah + Najasa, Taqwa + Ithm +  Najasah Galeeza + Kabath, Najasah Muhasa + Hadath