The Four main stages of Performing Wudu (1)

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The manner of performing wudu as explained below is based on the Qur’an and the authentic sunnah of the holy Prophet as narrated by his Ahlu ‘l-bayt and his most reliable companions. The relevant verse of the Qur’an and the ahadith will be discussed in section J.Wudu is done in the following four stages :

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1. Washing the face
After doing the niyyat [Intention], pour water over the face from the top. Then using the right hand, wipe the face from the top to bottom, in such a way that the water reaches all parts vertically from the hair­line to chin, and every place horizontally within the reach of the span of the hand from the middle-finger to the thumb.

It is not obligatory to wash the parts which do not come within the middle-finger and the thumb; however, there is no harm in including those parts to ensure that all the necessary parts have been washed.

It is not obligatory to wash the inside of the eyes, the lips, the mouth, the nose, and the eyelids. If one has beard or mustache, it is enough to wash the hair which are apparent; it is not necessary to make the water reach the inside of the hair or to the skin. However, if the hair are so sparse that they do not hide the skin, then one should make the water reach the skin.

Bald person or those with receding hair-line should wash their face as if the hair were growing normally. If someone’s face is larger, or smaller, than normal, then he should wash the part which comes within his middle­ finger and the thumb.

The Four main stages of Performing Wudu

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naghd11-large-lenzakThe manner of performing wudu as explained below is based on the Qur’an and the authentic sunnah of the holy Prophet as narrated by his Ahlu ‘l-bayt and his most reliable companions. The relevant verse of the Qur’an and the ahadith will be discussed in section J.Wudu is done in the following four stages :

IMG174904241. Washing the face
After doing the niyyat [Intention], pour water over the face from the top. Then using the right hand, wipe the face from the top to bottom, in such a way that the water reaches all parts vertically from the hair­line to chin, and every place horizontally within the reach of the span of the hand from the middle-finger to the thumb.

It is not obligatory to wash the parts which do not come within the middle-finger and the thumb; however, there is no harm in including those parts to ensure that all the necessary parts have been washed.

It is not obligatory to wash the inside of the eyes, the lips, the mouth, the nose, and the eyelids. If one has beard or mustache, it is enough to wash the hair which are apparent; it is not necessary to make the water reach the inside of the hair or to the skin. However, if the hair are so sparse that they do not hide the skin, then one should make the water reach the skin.

Bald person or those with receding hair-line should wash their face as if the hair were growing normally. If someone’s face is larger, or smaller, than normal, then he should wash the part which comes within his middle­ finger and the thumb.

naghd11-large-lenzak2. Washing the fore-arms
After washing the face,the right and then the left hand should be washed from the elbow down to the finger tips.

like the face ,they should also always be washed from top to the bottom and if washed from below to above the WUDU will be void.

Pour water over the right fore-arm from the elbow to the finger-tips; and using the left hand, wipe the water over the arm to ensure that all the necessary parts are washed. Then do the same with the left fore-arm. The washing must be done from the elbows to the finger-tips and not vice versa.

The water should be poured from a little above the elbow to ensure that the whole fore-arm is covered. It is necessary to wash the fore-arms in such a way that the water penetrates the hair, if any, and reaches the skin.

The right fore-arm should be washed before the left.

1391-2-3-20124229713578576748713. Rubbing the head
Wiping of the head means to wipe a wet finger of the right hand from the crown of the head to the hair-line. Wiping of the head can be performed on any part of the quarter of the head which is over the fore-head.

The act of wiping can be done with one finger only, but it is recommended to use three fingers together. The water must reach the root of the hair. However, if the hair are so short that they cannot be combed then it is enough to wipe the hair.

While wiping the head, your hand should not touch your fore-head; otherwise, the water of the fore-head will mix with the wetness of your hand, and this will render the act of wiping the right foot invalid. Why? Because the act of wiping must be done with the wetness of the hands only.

5_(1)4. Rubbing the feet
Again using the wetness of the hands, wipe the right foot with the right hand, and then the left foot with the left hand.
In wiping the feet, place the palm or the fingers of the hand on the finger-tips of the foot and then wipe to the base of the ankle. One can even wipe from the base of the ankle to the finger-tips. In wiping the feet, your palms should wipe your feet; it is not enough to move your feet against your palms.

How do we know who ahlul khibra are so that we may ask them about the a’lam mujtahid?

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Question: How do we know who ahlul khibra are so that we may ask them about the a’lam mujtahid? How do we reach them since we are far away from religious seminaries? Is there a way that can simplify for us the process of determining whom we should follow in taqlid?

Answer: The ahlul khibra are the mujtahids and those next in line in religious sciences, and they know quite well that one person in a limited group of mujtahids is the a’lam. And they have to consider the following three things to identify that a’lam:

First: His knowledge concerning the methods for providing the authenticity of the hadith, and that involves ‘ilmu ‘r-rijal (the science of narrators of hadith) and ‘ilmu ‘l-hadith (the science of hadith). On this subject, issues like familiarity with the books [of hadith] and the ahadith that have been tampered with; knowledge of causes for fabrication [of ahadith]; variance in the manuscripts and distinguishing the most correct one; and being aware of confusion which sometimes occurs between the text of a hadith and the explanation of the compilers, are of utmost importance.

Second: His ability to understand the meaning of the text by considering the general rules of speech, especially the style used by the Imams of Ahlul Bayt (a.s.) in describing the laws. The science of ‘usûlu ‘l-fiqh (Principles of Jurisprudence), Arabic grammar and literature, as well as familiarity with the views of the Sunni jurists who were contemporaries of the Imams play an important role in the understanding of the hadith texts. Third: Soundness of his view in deriving the rules from the sources.

And the method of getting acquainted with those in whom the status of a’lam is confined to having scholarly discussions with them or to referring to their books or to the transcripts of their lectures on Jurisprudence and the Principles of Jurisprudence.

If a person cannot know the ahlul khibra by himself, he can come to know them through the religious scholars and others whom he trusts. The geographical distance should not be a barrier to establishing communication with them in this era where many fast means of communication are easily available.

 

who is the a’lam(the most learned (a’lam) mujtahid)?

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Question: The jurists tell us that it is wajib to emulate the most learned (a’lam) mujtahid, and when we ask the religious scholars in our area, “Who is the a’lam?” we do not get a clear-cut answer so that we may follow his fatwa. When we ask them about their answer, they say that they are not ahlul khibra and they also say that:

“we have asked ahlul khibra and have been informed that identifying the a’lam mujtahid requires the study of the books of the mujtahids and that obviously is a time consuming and difficult task; so go and ask the others.

“If the problem of identifying the a’lam mujtahid is so difficult in religious circles, obviously the problem would be even more difficult in other countries like Europe and America. After a lot of difficulty when we convince the youths of these countries that it is necessary to abide by the shari’a laws, we reach to the question of who is the a’lam, and find ourselves lost for words. Is there a solution to this problem?

Answer: If there are some ahlul khibra who refuse to identify the a’lam for one reason or another, there are other ahlul khibra who readily identify him. It is possible to contact those ahlul khibra through the religious scholars and others who are reliable and have contacts with religious seminaries and with the scholars in other countries. So, although identifying the a’lam is not without difficulty, yet it is not a serious problem.

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A Code of Practice For Muslims in the West

What are the definition, place and necessity of Taqlid?

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 ‘aql or reason which is endorsed by the Shari’ah and associated with jurisprudence, is different from the manipulative intellect which we use in our lives. Although the intellect is also endorsed by divine legislator, it is to be noted that the power of intellect is limited to perceptions and that it is unable to perceive the minute characteristics and details of something. Hence, man stands in need of another cognitive source that could help him understand the characteristics and details and that is ‘revelation’. In Islam, the divine revelation becomes manifest through one of the following two things:
1. The Quran and Sunnah: In addition to the meaning of the Quran, the words of the Quran have also been revealed. It is wrong to believe or say that only the meanings of the Quranic verses, as some believe, are part of the revelation. In Islamic culture, the distinction between Hadith Qudsi (Sacred Hadith) and the Quranic verses is that Hadith Qudsi is the word of God repeated by Muhammad and recorded on the condition of an isnad. As for the Quran, both its words as well as it meanings are revealed and sent down by God upon the heart of the Prophet (pbuh).
2. Another manifestation of the revelation is the narrations (revayat) in the sense that the Prophet (pbuh) does not speak of his own whims and desires as the Quran says: “He does not speak of his own desire. It is only revelation which is revealed to him.” [1]
Also, it has also been reported that one of the narrators who was upset came over to the Prophet (pbuh). The Prophet (pbuh) asked: “Why are you upset?”
He said: “I write whatever you say but Quraish forbade me from doing so saying: ‘Why are you writing what the Prophet says? The Prophet is also a human being. He says something when he is angry and another thing when he is happy.’”
The Prophet (pbuh) said: “Write [what I say]. By Allah, in Whose hand is my soul, I never utter anything except the truth. [2] ”
The Ahlul-Bayt (a.s.) are those who know the interpretation of the Quran which says, “none knows its interpretation except Allah, and those who are firmly rooted in knowledge.” [3] Only the infallible Imams (a.s) are deeply rooted in knowledge and they are the ones who know how to interpret the Quran because they are acquainted the origin of the Quran, albeit through divine knowledge.
Given the foregoing explanation, if we want to know a special feature in a religious issue, we must turn to the Quran and hadith but we should also keep in mind that in order for us to understand the Quran, we need to know Arabic literature, the concepts and culture of the time of revelation and also the narrations because the narrations interpret the verses and some of them restrict and qualify the verses. Knowing the narrations also require us to know the various chains of transmissions of narrations. It is necessary to deal with every narration and make sure whether its chain of transmission is valid and reliable or not. Such inquiries need methodological discussions that are raised in legal theories. The entirety of this information is something which is described as “Ijtihad”. Thus, it is a specialization with which a person can refer to Islamic sources (i.e. the Book of God and the Sunnah of the Prophet and also reason) to discover and deduce Islamic laws.
Indeed, the intellect has a limited capacity and a Mujtahid (practitioner of Ijtihad) deduces most of the Islamic laws through the fundamentals and words of the Book and the Sunnah. There is no doubt that all people are not and cannot be Mujtahids because Ijtihad is a competence which is not easily achievable. One has to make a great deal of efforts to become competent enough to deduce legal laws. The Quran also states that it is not necessary for all to specialize in religion; rather a group of people must engage in studying and understanding the religion [4] and the Mujtahid should be a person from amongst them.
The Place of Reason in Deducing Shari’ah Law
Taqlid has two meanings: 1) A negative meaning which in Persian language implies following someone blindly, a meaning which is generally despised by the public. Balkhi Rumi says in his famous poem as such:
Khalq ra taqlid shan bar baad daad
Ay doosad la’nat bar ein taqlid baad. [5]
[The people were destroyed owing to their blind imitation. May a thousand curses be upon such an imitation.]
This poem refers to the negative imitation i.e. a blind and reasonless emulation. When something becomes a fashion and others follow without knowing the reason, it is an imitation which brings about the misery of the people.
2) Another meaning of Taqlid is associated with Islamic jurisprudence which means referring to and seeking the advice of an expert in a technical matter. Hence, unlike the first meaning which is unwanted and rejected, the second meaning of “Taqlid” is completely acceptable and rational. The most important reason for the permissibility of Taqlid in religious affairs rests in the very rational point that every layman or inexpert individual turns to an expert for advice on technical and specialized issues. For example, when a person becomes ill, he visits a doctor simply because the doctor specializes in this field. Hence, since all people cannot specialize in jurisprudence, it is necessary upon them to refer to a Mujtahid and an expert in religious affairs. This is quite rational as it signifies the positive meaning of Taqlid.
Read the follow articles to learn more about Taqlid:
1. Reason and the Extent of Its Activity, 1110 (site: 1888).
2. The Manipulative Intellect, Mind, Faith and Love 839 (stie:909)
3. Faith and Reason, 4910 (site: 5284)
4. The Philosophy of Taqlid and the Unexplained Proofs, 2441 (site:2991)
5. Acting upon One’s Own Research Rather than Following a Mujtahid, 9180 (site: 9179)
6. The Reasons behind the Necessity of Following Jurists (Maraje’) 975 (site: 1078).
7. Denunciation of Taqlid, 8165 (site: 8320).

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[1] – Al-Najm: 3-4 «وَ ما یَنْطِقُ عَنِ الْهَوى‏، إِنْ هُوَ إِلاَّ وَحْیٌ یُوحى»
[2] – Ahmad bin Hanbal, Al-Musnad, vol.2, pg.162, quoted by Subhani, Ja’far, “Encyclopedia of Jurists’ Categories”, vol.1, pg.179; Tantavi, Sayyid Muhammad, al-Tafsir al-Wasit Lil-Quran al-Karim, vol.14, pg.59.
[3] – Aal-e Imran: 7 – وَ ما یَعْلَمُ تَأْویلَهُ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَ الرَّاسِخُونَ فِی الْعِلْم
[4] – Al-Tawbah: 122.
[5] – Balkhi, Mawlana Jaluddin Muhammad, Mathnawi Ma’navi (Spiritual Couplets), second copy, pg.204, Bulaq Publication, 1835.