Qualities of Purification

  • It is equal in excellence to half the faith: The Prophet of Allah, ( s ) said in this regard: “Cleanliness is equal to half the faith and saying: “Praise be to Allah (Alhamdu Lillah) makes the scale of good works become hefty. The utterance of ‘Subhan Allah’ (Far removed is Allah from every imperfection) and ‘Alhamdu Lillah’ (Praise be to Allah) fill the space between the heavens and the earth (with blessings). Salah (prayer) is light, alms giving is a proof (of one’s faith) and the Holy Qur’an is a plea in your favour or against you. Everyone begins his morning ready to bargain with his soul as a stake and frees it or loses it.” (Muslim)
  • Purification is beloved and pleasing to God. Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, reported the Prophet ( s ) as saying: “The following verse was revealed concerning the people of Quba: “Wherein are men who love to purify themselves.” They used to cleanse themselves with water (after answering the call of nature), so this verse was revealed about them.” (Abu Daud & Tirmidhi)
  • It is one of the qualities of believers because it is a type of worship seen only by Allah. The Prophet ( s ) said: “You should know that prayer is the best of your deeds. Only a believer keeps observing wudu’ (ablution)(3).” (Ibn Majah, Darmi and Baihaqi)
  • Maintaining purification is an act that leads to acceptance of supplication. The Noble Prophet ( s ) said: “If a Muslim sleeps while he is pure (having performed ablution) then when he wakes up during night he mentions the name of Allah and asks Allah anything of the good things in this life and the Hereafter, Allah will surely give him what he asked.” (Ahmad & Tabrani)
  • It also raises one’s rank in the sight of God. The Prophet ( s ) said to Bilal at the time of the Fajr (Dawn) prayer: “O Bilal, Tell me the best deed you have done in Islam, for I heard the sound of your sandals in the Heavenly Gardens. Bilal answered: I haven’t done an act more hopeful to me than this: Whenever I perform ablution during daytime or night, after that I performed what I could of voluntary prayers.” (Bukhari & Muslim)
  • The act of maintaining purity removes the sins. The Prophet ( s ) said: “When the time of a prescribed prayer comes, if any Muslim performs excellently its ablution, humility and bowing, it will be an expiation for his past sins, so long as he has not committed a major sin, and this applies to all times.” “May I tell you something by which Allah obliterates the sins and elevates the ranks (of a man)? They said: “Yes, O Messenger of Allah.” He said: Performing the ablution thoroughly despite difficult circumstances, the steps taken towards the mosque, and waiting for the next prayer after observing a prayer. This is (as good as) Rabat (guarding the borders in the night in the cause of Allah).” (Muslim)
  • Abu Umamah reports from the Messenger of Allah about ablution that he ( s ) said: “Whoever stands up to perform his ablution, intending to offer prayer (salah), then cleans his hands, the sins of his two hands fall out with the first drop of water. Then, when he rinses his mouth, and draws water into his nose and expels it, the sins of his tongue and two lips fall out with the first drop of water. Then, as he cleans his face the sins of his hearing and seeing fall out with the first drop (of water). Then, when he cleans his two arms including the elbows and his two feet including the ankles, he becomes free of all his offenses and sins, just as he was the day his mother gave him birth.” (Muslim)
    (then) said: “When he stands for salah, Allah elevates his position and if he (merely) sits (without standing for salah) even then his sitting is free of sins.” (Musnad Ahmad)
  • It is one of the qualities of true nature. The Prophet ( s ) said : “Ten acts are consistent with the natural inclination that Allah created us upon, namely: clipping the mustache, letting the beard grow, brushing the teeth with the tooth brush/stick, snuffing up water in the nose, clipping the nails, washing the finger joints, plucking the hair under the armpits, shaving the pubes, and cleaning the private parts with water (after the call of nature) The narrator said: I have forgotten the tenth, but it may have been rinsing the mouth.” (Muslim)
  • It is one of the qualities of true nature. The Prophet ( s ) said: “Ten acts are consistent with the natural inclination that Allah created us upon, namely: clipping the mustache, letting the beard grow, brushing the teeth with the tooth brush/stick, snuffing up water in the nose, clipping the nails, washing the finger joints, plucking the hair under the armpits, shaving the pubes, and cleaning the private parts with water (after the call of nature) The narrator said: I have forgotten the tenth, but it may have been rinsing the mouth.” (Muslim)
  • One more feature of ablution is indicated in the tradition narrated by Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, that Allah’s Messenger ( s ) once visited the graveyard and said: “Peace be upon you! The abode of the believing people and we, if Allah so wills, are about to join you. I love to see my brothers. They (his Companion) said: ‘Aren’t we your brothers, Messenger of Allah?’ He said: ‘You are my Companions, and our brothers are those who have, so far, not come into the world.They said: Messenger of Allah, how would you recognize those persons of your Ummah who have not yet been born? He said: Supposing a man had horses with white blazes on foreheads and legs among horses which were all black, tell me, would he not recognize his own horses? They said: Certainly, Messenger of Allah. He said: They would come with white faces and arms and legs owing to ablution, and I would arrive at the Cistern (the basin from which the Prophet gives his followers fresh water to drink on the Day of Judgment) before them. Some people would be driven away from my Cistern as the stray camel is driven away. I would call out: Come, come. Then it would be said (to me): These people changed themselves after you, and I would say: Be off, be off.” (Ibn Majah, Darmi and Baihaqi)
    Maintaining purity and cleanliness is a major means of protection from infections. It is common knowledge that ‘prevention is better than the cure’. In the olden days, it was said: “A silver coin of prevention is better than a hundred weight of cure.”