Ibn alQayyim: Provisions for the Hereafter
Taught by Sheikh Sajid Umar
Season 2, Lesson 10- The virtues of wudu’ (continued)
Notes of a student
Session 10: 14th November 2015
Introduction
Assalaamu alaykum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuhu,
The Sheikh welcomes session 10 of the ‘Provisions for the Hereafter’ course. He begins by praising Allah and sending blessings upon the final messenger Muhammad (Khutbatul Haajah).
Part 1:
Cleanliness is an important part of a person’s life generally, but a Muslims life, specifically.
Why is Wudhu’ discussed before Salaah?
– Wudhu is key to Salah. There is no prayer without it.
-Wudhu is an act of worship. Our Jannahs become bigger as a result of it.
-Allah describes ‘belief’ as purity – the purity of the heart. So it’s a huge part of faith.
-Allah describes much good using the word purity.
The word for purity is tahaarah
-In Surah A‘raf, Allah says, the people of Lut were taught against being impure. The people of Lut who were engaged in wrong actions would call those who didn’t, ‘people of purity.
-A person is pure is if he stays away from sin aswell.
Some people ask, how do I increase khushu’ in Salaah?
– A great Wudhu’ helps a great salaah.
– The Wudhu is a means of our sins being removed. When any bad comes to us it’s because of our actions and sins. That’s why a means of coming kurt of difficulty, taught by Rasulullah (s), is through making istighfaar.
-When Wudhu removes our sins, we don’t have our sins plaguing our salaah.
“Purification is part of imaan…” (sahih muslim)
We must do Wudhu’ well. How?
- Not overwashing: Doing wudu well entails not going overboard based on wiswaas (whisperings of the shaitan), and trying one’s best to do it as the Prophet(s) did it. Doubting yourself starts from wudu and ends in all other forms of worship and daily activities. One advice from the scholars is that if you’re doubting yourself, forget about it and move on to the next part of wudu.’
- Not wasting water by opening the tap full blast. Wudhu is a means of purification of sins. Doing wudu’ well entails not wasting water. The Sunnah is 3 compulsory washes. Anything more than that is wasting water. We shouldn’t open the tap full blast. For the sake of reviving the sunnah, fill a cup with water and use that cup for doing wudu’.
Once the Prophet (peace be upon him) asked a person who was performing Wudhu: “Why are you wasting water?” The person enquired: “Is there Israaf (waste) even in Wudhu?” The Prophet (peace be upon him) replied: “Yes indeed, (do not waste) even if you are at the bank of a river.” [Ibn Majah]
- Wash every part completely. – Doing every part completely: For example, washing from the hands to the elbows, not the wrists to the elbows. Washing the hands after the mouth and nose is from cumpolsory parts of wudu’, whereas washing the hands in the beginning is not. We must ensure our wudu’ is complete.
- Remembering that Wudhu is a means of purification of sins.
`Uthman ibn `Affan (رضي الله عنه) reported: The Messenger of Allah (صلي الله عليه وسلم) said, “He who performs the Wudu’ perfectly (i.e., according to Sunnah), his sins will depart from his body, even from under his nails.” [Muslim]
- The better the wudu’, the better everything after the wudu’ is.
Some ask, “Shaikh, how do I build a habit of staying in the masjid?” Remember this hadith. The word “Salah” in this hadith refers to the time period between entering the masjid and leaving it, not just the prayer itself.
`Uthman ibn `Affan reported: I saw the Messenger of Allah (صلي الله عليه وسلم) performing Wudu’ the way I have just done it and said, “He who performs Wudu’ like this, his previous sins will be forgiven and his Salah (prayer) and walking to the masjid (mosque) will be considered as supererogatory act of worship.” [Muslim]
Narrated Uqbah bin Amir Al-Juhani “The Messenger of Allah (saw) said: ‘Whoever performs Wudu and does it well, then prays two Rakahs in which his heart and face are focused, Paradise will be his.‘” [Muslim]
Abu Huraira reported that the Messenger of Allah (صلي الله عليه وسلم) said, “Shall I not tell you something by which Allah effaces the sins and elevates ranks (in Jannah)?” The Companions said; “Certainly, O Messenger of Allah.” He (صلي الله عليه وسلم) said, “Performing the Wudu’ thoroughly in spite of difficult circumstances, walking with more paces to the mosque, and waiting for the next As-Salat (the prayer) after observing Salat; and that is Ar-Ribat, and that is Ar-Ribat.’‘ [Muslim]
-When we look at these narrations we realise how generous Allah is, and how can we lose hope in attaining Jannah?
- Some people are engineers in building their Jannah. Simple things become a great sadaqah jariyah for them.
- We should be engineers too! So we should strive to make perfect wudhu.
Regarding these two units of prayer mentioned in the hadith:
-If you don’t have a salah to pray, intend the prayer known as tahiyyatul wudu’, translated as “The greeting of wudu’ ”
-If you do have a salah to prayer, keep your intention comprehensive, so you can combine the intention for tahiyyatul masjid, and tahiyyatul wudu’.
– You can have two intentions.
`Umar ibn Al-Khattab reported: The Messenger of Allah (صلي الله عليه وسلم) said, “Whoever of you performs Wudu’ carefully and then affirms: `Ash-hadu an la ilaha illallahu Wahdahu la sharika Lahu, wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan `abduhu wa Rasuluhu [I testify that there so no true god except Allah Alone, Who has no partners and that Muhammad (صلي الله عليه وسلم) is His slave and Messenger],’ the eight gates of Jannah are opened for him. He may enter through whichever of these gates he desires (to enter).” [Muslim]
-In the narration in At-Tirmidhi, it is added: “Allahummaj-`alni minat-tawwabina, waj-`alni minal-mutatahhirin (O Allah make me among those who repent and purify themselves).”
-Another du’a for the end of wudu’ is the same one used for concluding a gathering:
Subhanaka Allahumma wa bihamdika, “ash-hadu “an la “ilaha “illa “Anta, ‘astaghfiruka wa ‘atubu ‘ilayk. Glory is to You, O Allah, and praise; I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but You. I seek Your forgiveness and turn to You in repentance. [Nasa’i]
-The point of this du’a at the end of a gathering, is if there was too much banter or we spoke wrong speech, it is a means of forgiveness for us, and the same for wudu’.
- All 8 doors of Jannah are opened for the one recites the duaa after wudhu,
- The Duaa is even more confirmed at the end of wudhu
-Wudhu is done with pure water. The water that Allah sent front he sky and allowed to settle on the earth is water allowed to be used for wudhu. Such as sea water, well water, water that comes to us pure.
-Water can’t be used for wudu’ if it is not considered pure water; e.g. if its smell, colour, or taste has not been altered.
“O you who believe! When you stand (intend) to offer the Salah, then wash your faces and your hands (forearms) up to the elbows, rub (by passing wet hands over) your heads, and (wash) your feet up to the ankles.”
-This ayah was revealed in Madinah, so the question is was salah prayed in Makkah without wudu’?
The answer is that the Prophet(s) never observed salah without wudu’, although it became obligatory in Madinah.
-Although all ummah’s had wudu’, the shining light on the day of judgement is specific to the ummah of Muhammad (s).
– However, scholars agree that the shining light on the limbs of wushu is something specific to the Ummah of Rasulullah (s).
From the etiquettes of wudu’
-Try remain upon wudu’ for as long as you can, without making it a difficulty. Imam Malik would not teach hadith unless he had wudu’, despite it not being a condition.
-The Prophet(s) would always sleep upon wudu’.
-The whole point of wudu’ is the worship of Allah, and the reward is entering jannah through whichever door we choose.
The book of Salah
-Something to note: How closely the companions watched the Prophet(s). This much information has not reached us of any individual in history.
-This highlights the importance of following the Prophet(s).
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