The Book of Prayer

Physical Purity for Salah

The Book of Dhihar

Glossary

Physical Purity for Salah

Fourth: Physical purity211 of the body, garment, and place of prayer, except for

الشَّرْطُ الرَّابِعُ: الطَّهَارَةُ مِنَ النَّجَاسَةِ فِيْ بَدَنِهِ، وَثَوْبِهِ،

211. Physical Purity
It was reported with a sound chain that the Prophet (SA) removed his sandals during prayer, and the Companions behind him did likewise. Upon finishing the prayer, he asked them, “Why did you remove your sandals?” They replied, “We saw you remove yours.” He said:

“Jibreel (as) came to me and informed me that there was some filth on them. Thus, when one of you comes to the mosque, he should turn his sandals over and examine them. If one finds any filth on them, he should rub them against the ground and pray with them on.” (Kh – from Abu Sa‘eed al-Khudri)

«إِنَّ جِبْرِيلَ أتاني فأخبرني أن بِهِمَا خَبَثاً فإذا جاء أَحَدُكُمُ الْمَسْجِدَ فَلْيَقْلِبْ نعله فَلْيَنْظُرْ فيها فإن رَأَى بها خَبَثاً فليمسه بِالأَرْضِ ثُمَّ لِيُصَلِّ فِيهِمَا».

This hadith, along with other proofs (such as his command to pour water on the urine of the Bedouin man and his command to a woman to wash the menstrual blood off her garment), indicated to the vast majority the necessity of physical purity during the prayer. According to (A), if one cannot attain it, he must still pray before the time is over, and he will have to repeat his prayer thereafter. Some scholars consider physical purity to be obligatory but not a condition of validity. According to them, one who prays with impurities on their body, garment, or place of prayer will earn a sin, but the prayer is valid. This opinion was chosen by Imam ash-Shawkâni in his Nayl al-Awṭâr, and he stated that it is the older opinion of ash-Shâfi‘i and one of the two opinions of (M). According to the verifying Mâlikis, one who knowingly prays with impurity on him must repeat the prayer. Some Mâlikis, like al-Ajhouri (d. 1066), argued that the removal of the impurity is only recommended. Ibn Rushd in Bidâyat al-Mujtahid reported this as one of two opinions in the Mâliki school. Many of the latter Mâlikis reject this position and deny that it is a valid position in their madh-hab.

the impurity that is exempted, such as a little blood or the like.212 If he prays with impurity on him that he is unaware of, or that he knew of but then forgot, then his prayer is valid. 213 If he knows of it while in the prayer, he must remove it and carry on with his prayer. 214

وَمَوْضِعِ صَلاَتِهِ، إِلاَّ النَّجَاسَةَ الْمَعْفُوَّ عَنْهَا، كَيَسِيْرِ الدَّمِ وَنَحْوِهِ. وَإِنْ صَلَّى وَعَلَيْهِ نَجَاسَةٌ لَمْ يَكُنْ عَلِمَ بِهَا، أَوْ عَلِمَ بِهَا، ثُمَّ نَسِيَهَا، فَصَلاَتُهُ صَحِيْحَةٌ. وَإِنْ عَلِمَ بِهَا فِي الصَّلاَةِ، أَزَالَهَا، وَبَنَى عَلَى صَلاَتِهِ.

[The Places Where Ṣalat Is Invalid]215 The entire earth is a place of prayer in which prayer is valid, except the

وَالأَرْضُ كُلُّهَا مَسْجِدٌ تَصِحُّ الصَّلاَةُ فِيْهَا، إِلاَّ الْمَقْبَرَةَ، وَالْحَمَّامَ، والْحُشَّ، وَأَعْطَانَ

212. (A): Urine and feces are not exempt in any amount. The trivial amounts of blood and pus are exempt. (H): Any najâsah is exempt as long as it is less than the size of the concavity of the hand, which is about 3 inches in diameter. This position is valuable for people who suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

213. (A/SM) (+H, +S): His prayer is invalid, and he must repeat it. The position chosen by Imam Ibn Qudâmah above is the position of (A2) + (-M, -s, -t). This position is valuable for people who suffer from OCD.

214.. As the Prophet (SA) did in the previous hadith (in which Jibreel informed him that he had some filth on him).

215. For the Prophet (SA) said:

graveyard, bath house,216 lavatory,217 camel's stables218 and middle of the road. 219

الإِبِلِ، وقَارِعَةَ الطَّريقِ.

“I have been given 5 things that were not given to any of the Prophets before me. I have been given victory by means of awe [by Allah frightening my enemies] for a distance traveled in one month; the earth has been made a masjid (place of prostration) for me and a means of purification – therefore, anyone of my Ummah can pray whenever the time for prayer is due for him; the spoils of war have been made permissible for me; each Prophet was sent only to his own people, but I have been sent to all of humankind; and I have been given (the right of) intercession.” (Ag – from Jâbir)

أُعْطِيتُ خَمْسًا لَمْ يُعْطَهُنَّ أَحَدٌ مِنْ الأَنْبِيَاءِ قَبْلِي نُصِرْتُ بِالرُّعْبِ مَسِيرَةَ شَهْرٍ وَجُعِلَتْ لِي الأَرْضُ مَسْجِدًا وَطَهُورًا وَأَيُّمَا رَجُلٍ مِنْ أُمَّتِي أَدْرَكَتْهُ الصَّلاةُ فَلْيُصَلِّ وَأُحِلَّتْ لِي الْغَنَائِمُ وَكَانَ النَّبِيُّ يُبْعَثُ إِلَى قَوْمِهِ خَاصَّةً وَبُعِثْتُ إِلَى النَّاسِ كَافَّةً وَأُعْطِيتُ الشَّفَاعَةَ.

216. For it was narrated that the Prophet (SA) said:

“All of the earth is a place of prayer except for the graveyard and the bathroom.” (T – from Abu Sa‘eed al-Khudri. Controversial authenticity)

الْأَرْضُ كُلُّهَا مَسْجِدٌ إلا الْمَقْبَرَةَ وَالْحَمَّامَ .

That does not apply to the funeral prayer, which may be prayed in the graveyard, as the Prophet (SA) did when he missed the funeral prayer of the black woman who used to clean the masjid.

217. The following weak hadith was reported from the Prophet (SA).

Ibn ‘Umar narrated, “The Prophet prohibited the performance of prayer in 7 places: landfills, slaughterhouses, graveyards, the middle of the road, bath houses, camels’ stables, and above the House of Allah (Kaaba).” (T, who said its chain is not strong.)

عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ نَهَى أَنْ يُصَلَّى فِي سَبْعَةِ مَوَاطِنَ فِي الْمَزْبَلَةِ وَالْمَجْزَرَةِ وَالْمَقْبُرَةِ وَقَارِعَةِ الطَّرِيقِ وَفِي الْحَمَّامِ وَفِي مَعَاطِنِ الإِبِلِ وَفَوْقَ ظَهْرِ بَيْتِ اللَّهِ.

The hadith is acted upon in the madh-hab, but there are other reports for the prohibition of praying in graveyards, bathrooms, and the stables of camels. There are also rational reasons for the prohibition of the rest. For example, the outhouses are filthier than the bath houses and the camel’s stables. Imam Ibn Taymiyah said that the prohibition of praying in them was too clear to the Muslims to need proof. In our times, there could be places (or rooms) in slaughterhouses that are completely clean. It is hoped that praying in such areas would be acceptable.

218. Someone asked the Prophet (SA) whether he could pray in the camels’ stables, and the Prophet (SA) said no. (M – from Jâbir ibn Samurah)

219. See above the weak hadith concerning this. The rational proof on the prohibition is that it would inconvenience the passersby or cause the person praying too much distraction.

Physical Purity for Salah

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