Fundamentals of Purity and Prayer

1. Fundamentals of Purity and Prayer Lecture 7 March 9, 2014

2. Purification from Impurities

3. Light and Heavy Impurities Physical impurities fall into 2 categories: light and heavy • Light impurity: • Urine of halal animals • Droppings of predatory birds (eagle, falcon, hawk, etc.) • Droppings of non-predatory birds that fly (sparrow, pigeon, dove, etc.) are pure • Droppings of non-predatory birds that do not fly (ducks, chickens, geese, turkeys and hens ) are considered heavy impurities • Heavy impurity: • Alcohol • Pig (all its parts and derivatives) • Saliva of dogs and predatory animals • Urine of humans (and babies) and all haram animals • Feces of all animals and humans • Those substances which cause wudu to break (i.e. blood that has flowed, puss, vomit, sperm, etc.)

4. Effect of Impurities • Liquid heavy impurity which is equal to the size of a dirham (about 5 cm) or more must be removed before praying • Solid heavy impurity which is equal to the weight of a dirham (about 3.5 g) or more must be removed before praying • Light impurity which soils ¼ or more of something must be removed before praying • Prayer will not be considered valid with amounts equal to or greater than any of these impurities

5. Means of Purification • Washing with water • If an impurity comes onto an absorbent material (fabric, carpet, etc.), that area must be washed such that no trace remains • If impurity cannot be seen, should be washed and wrung 3 times under running water • If object cannot be wrung, pour water over it 3 times • Rubbing off • If an impurity with thickness (feces, blood, etc.) falls onto a semi-porous article (leather or human skin), the impurity can be rubbed off without water until no trace remains • Thickness: that which remains and can be seen on outer surface after drying • If impurity is liquid, must be washed off

6. Means of Purification • Wiping off • Impurity on a non-porous item (glass, metal, ceramic, etc.) can simply be wiped away until no trace remains • Removal • If any impurity falls into a semi-solid (butter, dough, honey), the affected area should be removed and separated • Molecular change • If an impurity undergoes a total molecular change (i.e. wine to vinegar), it becomes pure • Drying up • The ground or natural earth can be purified by drying as long as no trace remains • Cannot be used for tayammum

7. Means of Purification • Tanning • The hides of all animals, except pig, will become pure through the process of tanning

8. Istinja

9. Istinja • Istinja refers to cleansing those areas of the body that become physically impure after relieving oneself • Istinja can be performed with anything pure, able to remove impurity, and not valued or respected • One should use only left hand of istinja • Makruhtahrim to face or have one’s back toward Qiblah during istinja

10. Istinja Urination • After one has urinated they should ensure all drops of urine have passed • Clean area with toilet paper, water or both (optimal) • If urine does not spread past the exit hole • Istinja will be sunnahmuakkadah • Doubt about urine drops should be ignored • Unless proof to contrary Defecation • If impurity does not spread past the exit hole • Istinja with toilet paper is sunnahmakkadah • If spreads beyond exit hole • Istinja with water is necessary

11. Chronic Excuse

12. Chronic Excuse • For a person with a chronic excuse toward maintaining purity (i.e. continuous bleeding, constant gas, urinary incontinence, etc.) • The person would perform a wudu at the beginning of each prayer time, and would be considered to have maintained purity throughout that time • Conditions: • The excuse must continue for the duration of an entire prayer time, such that a person is unable to make wudu and pray without the act which would normally nullify wudu occurring • Would extend to each prayer time in which the excuse occurs • Once an entire prayer time passes without the excuse occurring, the person will be no longer considered excused

13. Questions?