٢٩. عَنْ ثَوْبَانَ رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللّٰهِ صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ:
«اِسْتَقِيمُوا وَلَنْ تُحْصُوا وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ خَيْرَ أَعْمَالِكُمُ الصَّلَاةُ وَلَا يُحَافِظُ عَلَى الْوُضُوءِ إِلَّا مُؤْمِنٌ».
29. Thawban (r.a.) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said:
“Stay on the straight path, but know that you cannot perform everything perfectly. Know it well that the best of your deed is your prayer. Only a believer tries to be in a state of ritual purity at all times.” (Ibn Majah, Taharah, 4; Muwatta, Taharah, 36; Ahmad, V, 276, 282; Darimi, Taharah, 2)
Explanations:
The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said:
“Allah is pure and loves purity” (Tirmidhi, Adab, 41/2799)
“Being pure is half of faith.” (Muslim, Taharah, 1)
For this reason, Islam is known as the religion of purity. Allah the Almighty wants His servants to be purified from both material and moral impurities of all kind. This is the reason why Islam commands a new Muslim-convert to take bath lustration (ghusl) [1] and take ablution (wudu) to those who will perform worship. Thus Muslims pay extra attention to cleanliness as the requirement of their religion, and they covered the topic of cleanliness in detail under the title of “Taharah” (Cleanliness) in the first chapters of the books of Islamic jurisprudence. As a matter of fact, cleanliness is a trait that keeps us away from Satan and makes us closer to the angels and saves us from the torments of the grave.
Also cleanliness helps our soul be exalted and reach the level of benevolence and be closer to Allah. For this reason, it is expressed in the following noble verse that:
“…Allah loves those who keep themselves pure and clean.” (Al-Baqarah; 2:222)
As a matter of fact, the material cleanliness influences the spirituality and enlightens one’s soul and brings some light to the gloom of the heart caused by sins. This means that good deeds are recorded and mistakes are forgiven. Thus, the virtue of ablution that conduces to both physical and spiritual cleanliness becomes evident.
Since they are the most exposed ones, parts of the body that are washed during ablution are the ones which get more easily dirty. For this reason, washing them five times a day does not just provide material and spiritual health but it also keeps one mentally awake.
Paying attention to all these, a believer must perform his ablution carefully and must put extra effort in order to increase the divine light that he will receive as a reward in the hereafter. The way to accomplish this is to wash three times the body parts required to be washed during ablution and little more than the required limits, to turn towards Ka’bah if possible, to start with reciting the name of Allah (saying Bismillah), to make intention (al-niyyah), to clean the mouth and nostrils well, to recite the supplications of ablution, and not to waste any water while performing the ablution.
Using a miswaq (tooth-stick, a special wood used to clean the teeth) is also an important Sunnah. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) expressed the virtue of using miswaq as:
“Miswaq cleanses the mouth and allows one to gain the contentedness of Allah.” (Nasai, Taharah, 5/5)
“Were it not that I might over-burden the believers, I would have ordered them to use a tooth-stick at every time of prayer.” (Bukhari, Jum’a, 8)
The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) attached importance to the use of miswaq outside of the prayer times as well. When he wakes up for the mid-night prayer, he used to clean his teeth, take ablution, and perform a prayer. (Muslim, Musafirin, 139)
Again, when he came home, the first thing that he did was to clean his teeth. (Muslim, Taharah, 43-44)
On the other hand, ablution cleanses small sins and mistakes unknowingly done other than seizing the rights of the others. The story of Imam Abu Hanifa in this regard is well known: After watching a young man performing ablution, the Prominent Imam told him:
“My son! Stay away from such and such sins!”
The young man shocked by hearing these words asked:
“Sir, how did you know that I committed those sins?”
Abu Hanifa answered:
“From the ablution water that is flowing from parts of your body…”
In the above mentioned sayings of the Prophet, those who are complimented as “my followers” and “my brothers” by the Prophet (pbuh) are the ones who perform ablution and their prayers, and who live an exemplary life by paying attention to their acts of worship. On the Day of Judgment, they will be distinguished by their bright body parts and will be closer to the Prophet (pbuh).
Every believer who is aware of the good news mentioned in these sayings tries to perform his ablution as well as possible and tries to preserve the state of ablution as long as possible. However, being in the state of ablution at all times is a difficult matter to accomplish. For this reason, in the fourth hadith, this practice is conditioned on having a strong faith and its virtue is pointed out. In other words, only those who know the value of having ablution and who really believe its rewards in the hereafter can pay attention to be in a state of ritual purity at all times.
Being in the state of ritual purşty at all times is one of the most important customs of the Messenger of Allah. As a matter of fact, it is narrated that the Messenger of Allah used to make ablution right after using the bathroom. (Ibn-i Sa’d, I, 369)
Preforming a fresh ablution while in the state of ritual purity is a meritorious act, and it is like doubling the divine light. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) used to perform ablution in each prayer time whether he was in the state of ritual purity or not. In order to encourage his followers to do this, he said:
“Allah records ten rewards for whoever performs ablution even though he was already in the state of ritual purity.” (Tirmidhi, Taharah, 44/58, 59)
Due to their importance the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) personally carried out two acts without assigning anyone else to do them on his behalf. One of them was to prepare the water for ablution when he woke up for the midnight prayer, and the second one was to give alms to the poor. He used to prepare his own water for ablution and give alms to the poor personally. (See Ibn Majah, Taharah, 30; Ibn Abi Shayba, I, 178; Ibn Sa’d, I, 369)
The following reports that prove the importance of ablution and preserving ablution at all times will be helpful in understanding this issue better:
One morning, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) called Bilal next to him and asked:
“O Bilal! What did you do to enter Paradise before me? Whenever I go to Paradise (in my dreams), I hear your footsteps before me. Last night, I went to Paradise and again I heard your footsteps before me…”
Bilal (r.a.) said:
“O Messenger of Allah! Whenever I hear the call to prayer (adhan), I perform two units (rakahs) of prayer. As soon as I break my ablution, I perform another one, and then I think that I am responsible to Allah to perform two units of prayer.
Upon that, the Messenger of Allah said:
“Indeed it is because of these two acts!” (Tirmidhi, Manaqib, 17/3689; Ahmad, V, 354)
Uqba b. Amir (r.a.) reported:
We were entrusted with the task of tending the camels. On my turn when I came back in the evening after grazing them in the pastures, I found Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) standing and addressing the people. I heard these words of his:
“If any Muslim performs ablution well, then stands and prays two rakahs (units of ritual prayer) setting about them with his heart as well as his face, Paradise will be guaranteed to him!”
When I heard that, I said:
“What a fine thing this is!”
And someone who was before me said:
“The first one was even better than this.”
When I cast a glance, I saw that it was Umar who continued as:
“I see that you have just come. A few minutes ago the Prophet (pbuh) said:
“If anyone amongst you performs the ablution, and then completes the ablution well and then says: I testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the servant of Allah and His Messenger, the eight gates of Paradise will be opened for him and he may enter by whichever of them he wishes.” (Muslim, Taharah, 17)