www.scmuslim.com The Prequisites of salat

(All images contained in this document are

designed in a manner that is not intended

to recreate the creation of Allah!)

PREREQUISITES FOR SALAT:

Islam An individual does not have to be a Muslim in

order to participate in a congregational salat; however, the

non-Muslim in question will only be regarded as one who is

emulating the actions of the Muslims performing salat, and not

considered as literally performing the actual salat in question.

The reason being, one must have the intention to perform salat

in order to receive the reward for it. Furthermore, one

intending to perform salat also has the intention to say the

shahada (declaration of faith) during the first tashahud

(Tashahud: At-tahiy-yatu lil-lahi was sala-watu wat-tay yibatu

As-salamu 'alayka ay-yuhan-nabiy-yu wa rahma tullahi wa bara-

katuhu As-salamu 'alayna wa'ala 'ibadil-la his-sali-heen Ash

hadu al-la ilaha il-lal lahu wa ash hadu an-na Muhammadan 'ab-

duhu wa rasuluh; which translates into English as "All worships

are for Allah. Allah's peace be upon you, O Prophet, and His

mercy and blessings. Peace be on us and on all righteous

servants of Allah. I bear witness that there is none worthy of

worship except Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His

servant and messenger."), which would make one a Muslim; which

does not apply to the non-Muslim in this scanerio; because, the

individual does not believe in Allah or Mohammed as Allah's

messenger, according to the standards set by Allah. The evidence

that the individual in question will only be regarded as one who

is simply imitating the Muslims and will not receive the reward

of actually performing salat as a form of worship is a hadith

collected by Bukhari wherein Umar Ibn Al-Khattab narrated: "I

heard Allah's Apostle (P.B.U.H.) saying, 'Deeds (their

correctness and rewards) depend upon intentions, and every

person gets but what he has intended. So whoever emigrated for

worldly benefits, or for a woman to marry, his emigration is for

what he emigrated for."

With this being said, despite the fact that the Muslim

this hadith is referring to migrated with the Muhajirun, who

left all that they had for the sake of Allah and are regarded as

the best of the Muaslim ummah, he will not share the honor of

being counted among them; because, his true intention was to

migrate to be with a woman he desired to marry. What is more,

since the non-Muslim in the scenario is intending to perform the

salat without having the desire to believe in Allah and his

final messenger Mohammed (P.B.U.H.), the individual cannot

receive the reward for performing salat; because, Muslims are

the only worshipers who perform salat, due to the fact that the

first two pillars of Islam are exhibited during the actual

salat; i.e., testifying during the tashahud that there is no god

but Allah and that Muhammad (P.B.U.H.) is His Messenger, and

performing the obligatory salat as a form of submission to

Allah. The evidence for this position is a hadith collected by

Bukhari wherein Abu 'Abd al-Rahman 'Abdullah bin 'Umar bin al-

Khattab, narrated: "I heard the Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H.)

say, 'Islam has been built upon five things - on testifying that

there is no god save Allah, and that Muhammad is His Messenger;

on performing salat; on giving the zakah; on Hajj to the House;

and on fasting during Ramadan.'"

Time The Time of a particular salat must be in in order for a

Muslim to be able to perform it. The evidence for this ruling is found

in Surah 4:103 (Al-Nisa) of the Quran which reads: "Fa-itha qadaytumu

alssalatafaothkuroo Allaha qiyaman waquAAoodanwaAAala junoobikum fa-

itha itma/nantumfaaqeemoo alssalata inna alssalatakanat AAala

almu/mineena kitaban mawqootan; which translates into English as:

"When ye pass (Congregational) prayers, celebrate Allah's praises,

standing, sitting down, or lying down on your sides; but when ye are

free from danger, set up Regular Prayers: For such prayers are

enjoined on believers at stated times."

The time when each of the five obligatory (fard)

salat begins and ends:

According to Sunan at-Tirmidhi Hadith no: 151 which was

narrated by Abu Huraira who reported that Allah's Messenge

(P.B.U.H.) said: "There is for every Salah, its initial and

final time. The initial time for Zuhr is when the sun declines

and its final time is when Asr commences. The initial time of

Asr is when it sets in till when the sun turns yellow. The

initial time of Maghrib is with sunset and its last is when

redness on the horizons disappears. The initial time of Isha is

from then and its final time is at midnight. The initial time of

Fajr is from true dawn till sunrise." Also, a hadith collected by

Bukhari that was narrated by Jaber bin Abdullah reports: "The angel

Jibrael came to Prophet Mohammed (P.B.U.H.) and said to him, 'Stand up

and pray Thuhr.' So Allah's Messenger (P.B.U.H.) prayed Thuhr when the

sun had declined from its zenith. Then the angel Jibrael came again at

the time of Asr and said 'Stand up and pray Asr.' Then Prophet

Muhammad (P.B.U.H.) prayed Asr when the shadow of everything was equal

to itself. Then Jibrael came the next day to Prophet Muhammad

(P.B.U.H.) and said, (after praying 10 Salat with Prophet Muhammad

(P.B.U.H.) in two consecutive days) 'The time of Salat (prayer) is in

between these two times.'" A more detailed narration is found in the

collection of Abu Dawud wherein Ibn Abbas narrated: "The Prophet

(PBUH) said, 'Jibril led me in (in Salat) twice at the House (the

Kaaba). So he prayed Zuhr the first time when the shadow was similar

to (the length of) the strap of a sandal. Then he prayed Asr when

everything was similar (to the length of) its shadow. Then he prayed

Maghrib when the sun had set and the fasting person breaks fast. Then

he prayed Isha when the twilight had vanished. Then he prayed Fajr

when fajr (the dawn) began, and when eating is prohibited for the

fasting person. The second time he prayed Zuhr when the shadow of

everything was similar to (the length of) it, at the time of Asr the

day before. Then he prayed Asr when the shadow of everything was about

twice as long as it. Then he prayed Maghrib at the same time as he did

the first time. Then he prayed Isha, the later one, when a third of

the night had gone. Then he prayed Subh (Fajr) when the land glowed.

Then Jibril turned towards me and said: 'O Muhammad (PBUH)! These are

the times of the Prophets before you, and the time is what is between

these two times.'" This hadith explicitly shows the Angel Jabril

directing the Prophet (P.B.U.H.) in salat at the earliest and latest

possible times to observe each of the obligatory five daily salat.

Further evidence is found in a hadith collected by Imam

Muslim wherein Abdullah bin Amr reported that Allah's Messenger

(P.B.U.H.) said: "The time of Zuhr prayer remains till the sun

declines and the shadow of a man becomes double his length and

so long as the Asr prayer does not come; and the time of Asr

prayer remains so long as the sun does not become yellow; and

the time of Maghrib prayer remains so long as the red hue does

not disappear; and the time for Isha prayers remains up to the

midnight; and the time for Fajr prayer runs from the appearance

of dawn till the sun does not rise; but when the sun rises, keep

away from prayer; because, it rises between two horns of the

devil." Another hadith in the collection of Bukhari, narrated by

Salama reports: "We used to pray the Maghrib prayer with the

Prophet (P.B.U.H.) when the sun disappeared from the horizon."

Lastly, a hadith collected by Bukhari narrated by Abu Al-Minhal

reports: "Abu Barza said, the Prophet (P.B.U.H.) used to offer

the Fajr (prayer) when one could recognize the person sitting by

him (after the prayer) and he used to recite between 60 to 100

Ayat (verses) of the Qur'an. He used to offer the Zuhr prayer as

soon as the sun declined (at noon) and the 'Asr at a time when a

man might go and return from the farthest place in Medina and

find the sun still hot. (The sub-narrator forgot what was said

about the Maghrib). He did not mind delaying the 'Isha prayer to

one third of the night or the middle of the night."

Fajr: The initial time of Fajr is from true dawn till

sunrise." The Quran further states in Surah Baqarah (2:187):

"...Eat and drink until the white thread becomes distinct to you

from the black thread of dawn...." Therefore, it is clear that

the initial time for fajr is when one can clearly distinguish a

distinct white horizontal line separating the darkness of the

sky.

True dawn (horizontal white light):

Further evidence supporting the fact that Fajr salat begins

with the "true dawn" which appears horizontally (right to left)

across the sky is a hadith in the collection of Abu Dawud

wherein the Prophet (P.B.U.H.) reportedly said: "Do not let the

adhan of Bilal stop you from eating suhoor, or the vertical dawn

(false dawn), but the dawn which appears along the horizon (true

dawn)."

In light of this evidence, one intending to perform Fajr

salat should actually base the time of Fajr on a clear

observation of true dawn (white line across the horizon which

separates the sky) and not on astronomical calculations or on

timetables whose authors are often not knowledgeable with regard

to discerning the true time of Fajr from the false dawn.

True dawn (horizontal white light):

False dawn (zodiacal light - vertical white light):

False dawn: (vertical white light)

False dawn: (vertical white light)

Lastly, it is important to note from the images above that

the images of the false dawn clearly show a vertical white line

ascending into the sky instead of a clear white horizontal line

which appears at true dawn.

The latest one can perform salatul Fajr:

According to a hadith collected by Bukhari that was

narrated by Hisham's father: "Ibn 'Umar reportedly said,

'Allah's Apostle (P.B.U.H.) said, 'Do not pray at the time of

sunrise and at the time of sunset.' Ibn 'Umar said, Allah's

Apostle (P.B.U.H.) said, 'If the edge of the sun appears (above

the horizon) delay the prayer till it becomes high, and if the

edge of the sun disappears, delay the prayer till it sets

(disappears completely).'" However, if one is able to perform

one rakah before the sun rises, they are permitted to complete

the entire salat and they will receive the full reward of the

salat in question. The evidence for this position is a hadith

collected by Bukhari wherein Abu Huraira reported: "Allah's

Apostle (P.B.U.H.) said, '...If any of you can get one Rak'a of

the Fajr prayer before sunrise, he should complete his prayer.'"

Zuhr: The time of Zuhr prayer begins when the sun declines

past midday when one's shadow is very small, until the shadow of

a man becomes equal its size; with the latest possible time of

zuhr being when the shadow of a man is double his length and so

long as the Asr prayer does not begin. The evidence for this

ruling is a hadith in the collection of Abu Dawud wherein Ibn

Abbas narrated: "The Prophet (PBUH) said, 'Jibril led me in (in

Salat) twice at the House (the Kaaba). So he prayed Zuhr the

first time when the shadow was similar to (the length of) the

strap of a sandal... The second time he prayed Zuhr when the

shadow of everything was similar to (the length of) it, at the

time of Asr the day before...."

Beginning time of Zuhr:

At midday, when the sun reaches its zenith, which is an

unlawful time for a Muslim to perform any salat, the sun is at

its highest point. Therefore, the sun's rays fall vertically on

one's body; consequently, one's shadow will appear very short. A

convenient technique used for determining when the zenith of the

sun has been passed and the actual time for Zuhr has commenced

is to insert a stick or pole in an open area; so that when the

sun rises from the East, the shadow of the object will descend

towards the West.

Theoretically, the higher the sun rises, the shorter the

shadow of an object will appear. Therefore, so long as the

shadow of the object keeps growing shorter, the sun has yet to

reach its zenith. The shadow of the object will continue to grow

shorter until the sun reaches its zenith and could appear not to

even cast a shadow. Then, after the sun exceeds its zenith and

descends westward, the shadow of an object will slowly start to

increase, falling towards the East; known as the time of zawal.

Finally, once the shadow of an object begins to increase by even

a small amount, after the sun exceeds its zenith at the time of

zawal, the time for Zuhr has begun. The evidense for this ruling

is a hadith in the collection of Tirmidhi wherein Hasan ibn Ali

Halwani reported that Abdur Razzaq reported to him and Mu'mar to

him and Zuhri to him: "Sayyidina Anas ibn Malik told me that

Allah's Messenger (P.B.U.H.) offered the Salah of zuhr when it

was time of zawal (declination of the sun)."

Regarding the explicit statements from ahadith pertaining

to the time when the Prophet (P.B.U.H.) and Sahaba observed the

Zuhr salat, a hadith in the collection of Abu Dawud reports that

Ibn Abbas narrated: "The Prophet (PBUH) said, 'Jibril led me in

(in Salat) twice at the House (the Kaaba). So he prayed Zuhr the

first time when the shadow was similar to (the length of) the

strap of a sandal... The second time he prayed Zuhr when the

shadow of everything was similar to (the length of) it (at the

end time of Zuhr), at the time of Asr the day before...." What

is more, the Muwatta of Imam Malik- Book 1, Number 1.1.6 reports

that Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi from the mawla of

Abdullah ibn Umar that Umar ibn al-Khattab wrote to his

governors, saying:"...Pray Dhuhr any time from when the

afternoon shade is the length of your forearm until the length

of your shadow matches your height. Pray Asr when the sun is

still pure white, so that a rider can travel two or three

farsakhs before the sun sets..." In another hadith collected by

Abu Dawud Abdullah ibn Mas'ud narrated:"The extent of the shadow

when the Apostle of Allah (P.B.U.H.) prayed (the noon prayer)

was three to five feet in summer and five to seven feet in

winter."

Based on the preponderance of the evidence from the

ahadith pertaining to the time of Zuhr salat, the actual prayer

should be observed when one's shadow is small; particularly,

waiting until one's shadow is the size of the thong of a sandal

(in order to be certain that the sun has passed its zenith),

until one's shadow becomes equal to their actual height or if

using another object, until the height of this object becomes

equal to the height of its shadow for the prayer in question.

Furthermore, regarding the hadith of Ahmed and Abu Dawud

wherein: "Ibn Abbas, reported that the Prophet (P.B.U.H.) said,

'Jibril led me in Salah twice near Bayt Allah. The first time,

we offered the Salah of Zuhr when the shadow was like the thong

of a shoe. Then, we offered Asr when the shadow of everything

was equal to it, and maghrib after sunset when the fasting man

takes iftar (breaks his fast), and Isha when the twilight

disappeared, and fair when one who fasts is forbidden food and

drink. The second time, we offered Zuhr when the shadow of

everything was like it in length at the time of Asr on the

previous day (Asr when the shadow of everything was equal to

it.). Then we offered the Asr when the shadow of everything was

twice as long. We prayed Maghrib at the same time as the

previous day; we prayed Isha when one-third of the night was

over and Fajr when the earth was well-lit. Then Jibril turned to

me and said; 'O Muhammad! This was the time observed by Prophets

(SAW) before you, and the time (of five Salah) is between these

two times;'" it is therefore clear that the height of one's

shadow at the time of Zuhr is equal to one's actual height.

However, there is a hadith in the collection of Imam Muslim

narrated by Hadrat Abdullah bin Amr wherein it is reported that

Allah's Messenger (P.B.U.H.) said: "The time of Zuhr prayer

remains till the sun declines and the shadow of a man becomes

double his length and so long as the Asr prayer does not come,

and the time of Asr prayer remains so long as the sun does not

become yellow: and the time of Maghrib prayer remains so long as

the red hue does not disappear; and the time for Isha prayers

remains up to the midnight, and the time for Fajr prayer runs

from the appearance of dawn till the sun does not rise, but when

the sun rises, keep away from prayer because it rises between

two horns of the devil." Thus, this hadith clearly shows that

the shadow of an individual at the time of Zuhr salat can

actually grow as tall as one's shadow generally appears during

the time of Asr salat (twice its usual height); however, caution

is advised to those who postpone their Zuhr prayer to the latest

possible time allowed to perform this act of worship not to

allow the actual Asr prayer to commence; since, one's shadow

generally grows to twice its actual size during the Asr salat.

The evidence that one's shadow during the Zuhr salat can

actually appear taller at different seasons of a particular year

is the hadith of Abu Dawud wherein Abdullah ibn Mas'ud narrated:

"The extent of the shadow when the Apostle of Allah (P.B.U.H.)

prayed (the noon prayer) was three to five feet in summer and

five to seven feet in winter." Now, in view of this hadith it is

important to note that Prophet Mohammed (P.B.U.H.) was described

as being average height (around 5' 10" - 6 feet tall), yet the

above hadith of Abu Dawud describes his shadow as being 7 feet

tall in the winter. The hadith of Tirmidhi narrated by Baraa bin

Aazib confirms that the Prophet (P.B.U.H.) was of average height

when it says: "I never saw someone more handsome than

Rasullullah (P.B.U.H.). His hair reached his shoulders. The

portion between his two shoulders was wide. He was neither very

tall nor very short." Lastly, it is also important to note that

the sun is lower in the sky during the winter months, which

results in one having a taller shadow. Moreover, during the

summer the sun is higher in the sky, and in the spring and

autumn, the sun is right in the middle.

Middle and general ending time of Zuhr:

As the sun travels from its highest point towards its

setting course, one's shadow should begins to appear as a larger

image as the sun descends and begins to set in the West. As a

result, during the middle timeframe of Zuhr one's shadow will

appear to be approximately half their actual height.

The last possible time of Zuhr:

At the latest possible time to perform zuhr salat, which is

moments prior to the commencement of the Asr prayer; one's

shadow, which should generally be to equal their actual height,

can at certain times of the year appear to be approximately

twice the size of their actual height. Therefore, if an

individual's shadow is 6 feet tall, and their actual height is 6

feet tall, the time for Zuhr will have ended according to the

norm. Furthermore, in rare instances, once one's 6 feet tall

shadow becomes approximately 12 feet tall, the time for

performing Zuhr salat will have expired.

With this being said, a simple method to use for

determining when the time for Zuhr salat has expired is to use

the height of an object, such as a 6 feet tall man or a stick

(about 3 feet long), and position the object in question in an

open area prior to the sun reaching its zenith (or document the

size of the object's shadow prior to the time of Zuhr). If using

a stick, no mark is necessary; because, the base of the stick

will serve as the measuring point. If using one's body (Height)

as a measuring tool, simply use a stick that is long enough to

enable you to mark the ground at the base of your foot and at

the top of your head on your shadow. Use the stick and lay it on

the ground between the foot and head marks of your shadow.

Starting from the foot mark, lift the stick beginning at the

foot mark, ensuring that the other end remains on the ground and

flip it over in order to place the foot end of the stick on the

ground closer to the head of the shadow. Flip the other end

until the full length of the shadow is covered. Document how

many times you had to flip the stick in order to measure the

entire length of the shadow.

As the sun approaches its zenith, the shadow will shrink

as it travels from the East towards the zenith (shadow should be

facing West). After the sun passes its zenith and descends

westward towards its destination of setting in the West, as the

sun travels this course, one will notice that their shadow will

appear to increase in size from the East. Once this happens,

Zuhr prayer will have begun. The shadow of the object will

continue to increase, declining towards the East until the

length of the shadow is equal to the length of the object

itself, i.e., it will be 6 feet long; equal to the height of the

6 feet tall individual, starting from the point marked at the

zenith (The base of the object being measured). Moreover, when

you decide to check the height of your shadow at the time you

consider to be the end of Zuhr, simply use your stick and place

it at the foot mark and measure up to the head of your shadow.

At this point if the shadow is at least equal to one's height,

the time for Zuhr has expired and the time for Asr will have

commenced.

It is also important to note that the Maliki, Shafii, and

Hanbali schools of thought and even some Hanafis' such as

Muhamamd b. Hasan, Abu Yusuf, Zafar, and al-Tahawi all share the

opinion that the time of Zuhr ends when an object's shadow is

equal to its length. Lastly, to reiterate the importance of

ascertaining the official end of Zuhr and start of Asr, one

should generally pray Zuhr prior to their shadow becoming equal

to their actual height; because, one's shadow will rarely grow

to twice the size of their actual height at the end time of

Zuhr; which is the opinion of Abu Hanifah and is the official

position of the Hanafi school of thought.

ASR: The time of the Asr salat commences immediately after

the Zuhr salat ends.

Beginning time of Asr salat:

Regarding the time of the Asr salat, the consensus among the

Maliki, Shafii, and Hanbali schools is that Asr commences at a

time when the length of an object's shadow equals the length of

the object itself plus the length of that object's shadow at

noon (which is either impossible to detect or really small).

Therefore, the Zuhr salat will generally be deemed expired once

one is certain that an objects shadow is at least equal to its

actual height.

However, the dominant opinion of the Hanafi school is that Asr

begins when the length of an object's shadow is twice the length

of the object plus the length of that object's shadow at noon.

Both opinions are based on ahadith. However, it should be noted

that a hadith collected by Bukhari that was narrated by Abu

Dharr, adds clarity to this matter when it reported: "The

Muadhdhin (call-maker) of the Prophet (P.B.U.H.) pronounced the

Adhan (call) for the Zuhr prayer but the Prophet said, 'Let it

be cooler, let it be cooler.' Or said, 'Wait, wait, because the

severity of heat is from the raging of the Hell-fire. In severe

hot weather, pray when it becomes (a bit) cooler and the shadows

of hillocks appear.'"

From this hadith of Bukhari, it is clear that the time

for Zuhr was established; yet, the Prophet (P.B.U.H.) ordered

the believers to delay the salat until it was cooler. Now, at

this cooler time of the day the sun was lower in the sky; thus,

the shadows of the hillocks became noticeable; meaning the salat

was delayed until a time in which the shadow of an object would

appear significantly larger that it would typically be at the

time of Zuhr. Furthermore, other versions of this hadith depict

the believers as being on a journey during this incident.

Therefore, they were likely faced with even greater exposure to

the sun, due to absence of their usual masjid rooftop; i.e.,

justifying their delay of praying the salat. Allah know best!

In view of these facts, it is important to note that once

one can clearly establish that the time of Asr salat has

commenced due to the sighting of a shadow that is equal to their

actual height, which is generally the norm, there is more reward

to be earned by performing the salat at this time versus

intentionally postponing it until one's shadow becomes twice the

size of their actual height. The evidence for this

recommendation is a hadith in the collection of Bukhari wherein

Abu Al-Mahh reports: "We were with Buraida in a battle on a

cloudy day and he said, 'Offer the Asr prayer early as the

Prophet (P.B.U.H.) said, 'Whoever leaves the Asr prayer, all his

(good) deeds will be annulled.'" Also, a hadith in the

collection of Abu Dawud that was narrated by Umm Farwah reports:

"The Apostle of Allah (P.B.U.H.) was asked: Which of the actions

is best? He replied: 'Observing prayer early in its

period.'...." Lastly, and most importantly, Surah Al-Baqarah of

the Quran (2:238) says: "Guard strictly your (habit of) prayers,

especially the Middle Prayer and stand before Allah in a devout

(frame of mind)."

It is also worth mentioning that one is not sinful for

observing the ending of Zuhr and commencement of Asr when their

shadow is twice its normal size; however, the problem arises

whenever one says that another is deviant for engaging in a

practice which is documented in a hadith of the Prophet

(P.B.U.H.); i.e., electing to make their salat at its earlier

stages versus postponing the salat until its latest stages of

time. Therefore, if one prefers to delay the Asr salat until

their shadow increases to twice its normal size, even when it is

clear that Zuhr prayer actually ended when their shadow was

equal to their actual height, they may do so. The fact that some

of the companions of the Prophet (P.B.U.H.) observed their Zuhr

and Asr salat at different times of the permissible timeframe is

a hadith in the collection of Sunan An-Nasai, narrated by Abu

Salamah who reported: "We prayed at the time of Umar bin Abdul-

Aziz, then we went to Anas bin Malik and found him praying. When

he finished he said to us: 'Have you prayed?' We said: 'We

prayed Zuhr.' He said: 'I prayed Asr.' They said: 'You have

prayed early.' He said: 'Rather I prayed as I saw my companions

pray.'"

With this being said, one must be aware that the reward

of the salat will be less when observed at the delayed time. It

is no different than one performing salat on time standing while

another does it sitting in a chair, even though both methods are

detailed in ahadith, the preponderance of the evidence shows

that the one performing the act standing will receive twice the

reward of the person sitting.

In summary, the point intended is to advise the Muslim

ummah to reap the full benefits of slat and avoid delaying the

obligatory act of worship to an extent that the actual salat

might either be missed or expire due to forgetfulness. The

seriousness of the matter is detailed in a hadith collected by

Bukhari wherein Ibn Umar narrated: "Allah’s Apostle (P.B.U.H.)

said, 'Whoever misses the Asr prayer (intentionally), then it is

as if he lost his family and property.'"

We Muslims should also observe the advice of the Prophet

(P.B.U.H.) and not become divided; as evident from the hadith of

Al-Hakim wherein he reported that the Prophet (P.B.U.H.) said:

"Allah will never let my Ummah agree upon misguidance, and the

hand of Allah is over the group (Jama'ah), so follow the great

mass of believers (Sawad ul-'Azam), and whoever dissents from

them departs to hell." Therefore, it is only practical that we

should not become divided over a matter which is documented in

ahadith of the Prophet (P.B.U.H.); wherein both methods are

supported. The reason being, the instruction of the Messenger of

Allah (P.B.U.H.) is to refer a matter to the Quran and sunnah

whenever we disagree. Thus, since both methods are supported in

the sunnah, we Muslims must refrain from becoming so emotional

that we resort to insulting the Imams of the four schools' of

thought; may Allah reward them all with the highest level of

Paradise (Jannah Al-Firdous).

Middle and general ending time of Asr:

The first of the two times for Asr salat, referred to as

the preferred time, is when the sun is clear and white until it

turns yellow.

This fact is evident from the hadith in the collection of Abu

Dawud wherein Ali ibn Shayban narrated: "We came upon the

Apostle of Allah (P.B.U.H.) in Medina. He would postpone the

afternoon (Asr) prayer as long as the sun remained white and

clear." Therefore, once the sun becomes yellow, the time for Asr

salat is generally considered expired. The evidence for this

ruling is the hadith of Imam Muslim wherein the Prophet

(P.B.U.H.) reportedly said: "The time for Asr is so long as the

sun has not turned yellow."

It is also important to note that it is a disliked act to

intentionally delay Asr until the second of the two times for

which it is permitted, known as the time of necessity, which is

right up until the time of sunset. The evidence for this ruling

is a hadith in the collection of Abu dawud wherein Al-Ala

narrated that he entered upon Anas bin Malik in his house in Al-

Basrah, when he had finished Zuhr, and his house was beside the

Masjid: "When we entered upon him, he said: 'Have you prayed

Asr?' We said: 'No, we have just finished Zuhr.' He said: 'Pray

Asr.' So we got up and prayed, and when we finished he said: 'I

heard the Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H.) say: 'That is the prayer

of the hypocrite: he sits and delays Asr prayer until (the sun)

is between the horns of the Shaitan, then he gets up and pecks

four (Rakahs) in which he only remembers Allah a little.'"

Furthermore, a hadith in the collection of Bukhari that was

narrated by Anas bin Malik provides clear evidence that the

commencement of Asr is at an early enough stage of the afternoon

that one can travel four miles with the sun high in the sky and

reach their destination before the sun turns yellow. The hadith

in question reads: "Allah's Apostle (P.B.U.H.) used to offer the

'Asr prayer at a time when the sun was still hot and high and if

a person went to Al-'Awali (a place) of Medina, he would reach

there when the sun was still high. Some of Al-'Awali of Medina

were about four miles or so from the town." Another hadith in

the Muwatta of Imam Malik (1.1.6 in the book of the Times of

Prayer)that was narrated by Yahya reported: ".... a rider could

travel a distance of 2 or 3 farsakhs during the Asr salat....."

In view of the above mentioned hadith, the time of

necessity which would exempt one from being regarded as a

hypocrite for intentionally delaying their Asr salat pertains to

an individual with some essential and unavoidable work, such as

a doctor performing a surgery who is unable to pray before the

sun turns yellow due to the severity of the operation. In this

instance, the individual in question is permitted to pray the

Asr salat during the time of necessity just prior to sunset, and

will be deemed as one who has prayed on time and has not sinned;

because, this is the time of necessity. The evidence for the

permissibility of praying during the time of necessity is a

hadith in the collection of Bukhari, wherein Abu Huraira

narrated: "Allah's Apostle (P.B.U.H.) said, 'If anyone of you

can get one rakah of the Asr prayer before sunset, he should

complete his prayer. If any of you can get one Rak'a of the Fajr

prayer before sunrise, he should complete his prayer.'"

According to Islamtoday.net: Al-Nawawi's comments on the

hadith under discussion in his commentary on Sahih Muslim

(2/394), is reported to have said: "Our scholars have determined

that the overall timeframe for `Asr prayer can be divided into

five time periods:

1. Ideal time.

2. Preferential time.

3. Permitted time.

4. Disliked postponed time.

5. Time only for those who has a serious excuse.

The ideal time for offering the `Asr prayer is as soon as

soon as the prayer comes in. The preferential time continues on

up until the shadow of an object reaches double the object’s

height. The permitted time continues on until the Sun turns a

yellow color. It is disliked to postpone offering the `Asr

prayer until after the Sun turns yellow but before the Sun sets.

As for the time for those who have a serious excuse, that

is the time of the Zuhr prayer. It is for those who have the

right to offer the Zuhr and `Asr prayer together at the time of

Zuhr, like during a journey or because of rain.

At all of these times, the person offering the `Asr

prayer is considered as offering the prayer on time. The prayer

is only considered as being made up if it its time elapses by

the occurrence of sunset. And Allah knows best."

In summary, "The ideal time for offering the `Asr prayer

is as soon as soon as the prayer comes in. The preferential time

continues on up until the shadow of an object reaches double the

object’s height. The permitted time continues on until the Sun

turns a yellow color. It is disliked to postpone offering the

`Asr prayer until after the Sun turns yellow but before the Sun

sets."

The end time of Asr:

The end time of Asr is when the sun begins to set. The

evidence for this ruling is found in Surah TaHa of the Quran

(20:130) which reads: "... and celebrate (constantly) the

praises of thy Lord, before the rising of the sun, and before

its setting ..." Also, a hadith in the collection of Bukhari

narrated by Ibn Umar reports: "Allah's Apostle (P.B.U.H.) said,

'None of you should try to pray at sunrise or sunset.'"

Maghrib: The time for Maghrib salat officially begins

after the sun completely sets. The evidence for this position is

a hadith in the collection of Imam Muslim wherein Uqbah ibn Amir

narrated: "There were three times at which Allah's Messenger

(P.B.U.H.) forbade us to pray, or bury our dead: When the sun

begins to rise till it is fully up, when the sun is at its

height at midday till it passes over the meridian, and when the

sun draws near to setting till it sets."

Beginning time of Maghrib salat:

The Maghrib salat commences once one is absolutely

certain that the sun has completely set; because, Islam strictly

forbids one from praying while the sun is setting; in addition

to when the sun is rising and at its zenith. The evidence for

this ruling is a hadith in the collection of Bukhari wherein

Salama narrated: "We used to pray the Maghrib prayer with the

Prophet (P.B.U.H.) when the sun disappeared from the horizon."

Furthermore, another hadith collected by Bukhari, narrated by

Rafi' bin Khadij maintains that the Maghrib salat was performed

at a time when the sun had completely set; yet, there was still

enough visibility for one to recognize objects at a distance.

The hadith in question reads: "We used to offer the Maghrib

prayer with the Prophet (P.B.U.H.) and after finishing the

prayer one of us may go away and could still see as far as the

spots where one's arrow might reach when shot by a bow."

Middle time of Maghrib salat:

The timeframe between the Maghrib and Isha salat is very

short in comparison to other prayers; which is evident from the

hadith of Bukhari wherein Anas bin Malik narrated: "When the

Mu'adhdhin pronounced the Adhan, some of the companions of the

Prophet (P.B.U.H.) would proceed to the pillars of the mosque

(for the prayer) till the Prophet (P.B.U.H.) arrived and in this

way they used to pray two Rakat before the Maghrib prayer. There

used to be a little time between the Adhan and the Iqama. Shu'ba

said, 'There used to be a very short interval between the two

(Adhan and Iqama).'" What is more, the actual duration of the

Maghrib salat can be as long as it takes one to recite a long

Surah such as Al A'raf of the Quran, which consists of 206 ayat

(verses). This fact is evident from the hadith of Bukhari

wherein Marwan bin Al-Hakam narrated: "Zaid bin Thabit said to

me, 'Why do you recite very short Surahs in the Maghrib prayer

while I heard the Prophet (P.B.U.H.) reciting the longer of the

two long Surahs?'" Furthermore, a hadith in the Muwatta of Imam

Malik reads: "Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab

from Ubaydullah ibn Abdullah ibn Utba ibn Masud from Abdullah

ibn Abbas that Umm al-Fadl bint al-Harith heard him reciting al

Mursalat (sura 77) and she said to him, 'My son, you have

reminded me by reciting this Surah that it was what I last heard

the Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H.) recite in the Maghrib

prayer.'"

It is also important to note that according to Shaykh

Muhammad S Al-Munajjid's Fatwa No. 135415 taken from Islamqa.com

(http://islamqa.info/en/ref/135415), Shaykh al-‘Uthaymeen in a

Majmoo‘ Fataawa 7/338, declared: "... The time between sunset

and the beginning of Isha (duration of Maghrib) may in fact be

one and a quarter hours, one hour and 20 minutes, one hour and

25 minutes, and occasionally one hour and 30 minutes. The

timeframe for Maghrib varies, and as a result, cannot possibly

be the same in every season."

The midpoint of Maghrib remains as long as there are

remnants of twilight in the atmosphere in the form of colors,

wherein the sky neither appears completely light nor dark; and

the stars do not become bright and visible.

The evidence for this ruling is a hadith in the collection of

Imam Muslim wherein 'Abd-Allah ibn 'Amr ibn al-'Aas narrated

that the Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H.) reportedly said: "... The

time for Maghrib lasts until the twilight has faded...."

The end time of Maghrib salat:

The Maghrib salat ends once all color leaves the sky

giving it a black appearance wherein one can clearly see the

stars in the sky.

The evidence for this ruling is a hadith in the collection of

Bukhari that was narrated by Abu Ayyub wherein he reported:

"Marthad ibn Abdullah said: 'When Abu Ayyub came upon us to

fight the infidels and in those days Uqbah ibn Amir was the

Governor of Egypt, he (Uqbah) delayed the sunset prayer.' Hence

Abu Ayyub stood and said: 'What kind of prayer is this, Uqbah?'

He said: 'We were busy.' He said: 'Did you not hear the Apostle

of Allah (P.B.U.H.) say: 'My community will remain well, or he

said: will remain on its natural condition, so long as it would

not delay the evening prayer until the stars shine brightly just

like a network.'"

It is also important to note that according to Imam Abu

Haneefa, the time for Maghrib ends when the whiteness

disappears. (Maghrib does not end when the redness ends.)

Whereas, Imam Shafi'i in his old madhhab, which was established

in Iraq, declared that Maghrib lasted until the disappearance of

the red twilight; which is the official relied upon opinion of

the Shafi'i school of thought. Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal of the

Hanbali school of thought is also aligned with this position.

Therefore, the length of Maghrib should vary from place to

place, with the Maghrib salat lasting about an hour in most

locations, for most of the year. Furthermore, according to the

new Shafi'i madhab which was established in Egypt, Maghrib only

lasts the amount of time it takes for one to purify themselves,

cover their awrah, call the azan and iqamah, and pray the five

rakahs of the Maghrib salat (3 fard and 2 sunnah). Imam Malik is

also aligned with this opinion. Therefore, according to this

position, Maghrib lasts about one-half hour. With this being

said, regardless of which opinion one decides to follow, the

consensus of the shafi'i madhab is that the Maghrib salat will

always remain until the beginning of Isha (with the

disappearance of the red twilight and appearance of the stars).

Determining the times of salat in areas wherein

night and day does not occur within a twenty-

four hour timeframe:

In a Majmoo‘ Fataawa (12/197, 198) pertaining to places

in which the night and day does not occur within twenty-four

hours, either throughout the year or only for a few days, Shaykh

Uthaymeen reportedly said: "If it is only for a few days, such

as if it is a place in which night and day occur within twenty-

four hours throughout the seasons of the year, but during some

periods there may be twenty-four hours or more of either night

or day, in that case if there is a phenomenon on the horizon by

means of which you can work out the time, such as if the light

starts to increase or when it disappears completely, then

deciding the time may be connected to this phenomenon; or if

there is no such phenomenon, one can work out the times of salat

as they were on the last day before the phenomenon of night/day

lasting for an entire twenty-four hour or more period. However,

if the phenomenon in question occurs in a place wherein night

and day does not occur within twenty-four hours throughout the

year or for an entire season, then the times for salat should be

carefully worked out; which is evident from the hadith narrated

by Imam Muslim wherein an-Nawwaas ibn Sam‘aan reported: 'The

Prophet (P.B.U.H.) mentioned the Dajjaal will appear at the end

of time.' They asked him how long he would stay on earth and he

said: 'Forty days: one day like a year, one day like a month,

one day like a week, and the rest of his days will be like your

days.' They said: O Messenger of Allah, on that day which will

be like a year, will the prayers of one day be sufficient for

us? He said: 'No, work it out....'"

So it is apparent that the day which will be like a year

should not be regarded as one day in which only five prayers

will be sufficient; rather, one must offer the five daily

prayers within twenty-four hour intervals. With this being said,

how then does one work out the times for salat without the aid

of the occurrence of night and day? Shaykh Uthaymeen declared,

"...Some scholars believe that the matter should be worked out

according to the average timeframe of a complete day. Therefore,

the night is to be estimated as being twelve hours, and the same

applies for the day; because, whenever it is not possible to

work out the times of salat while residing in a particular

country, it should be worked out on the basis of a place where

night and day are equal. A similar scenario applies to the case

of a woman who is suffering istihaadah (prolonged non-menstrual

vaginal bleeding) and does not have a period as such and cannot

distinguish between menstrual and non-menstrual bleeding." She

will therefore distinguish her actual menstrual cycle based on

the trend it followed during earlier months of the year. Thus,

if her period usually lasts for seven days, then any bleeding

after that period would be regarded as being non-menstrual.

Furthermore, regarding the matter of determining the

times of salat in the absence of night and day, others maintain

that it should be worked out in accordance with the nearest land

wherein night and day is still occurring throughout the year;

because when it is not possible to work it out with regard to

the land itself, then it should be worked out in accordance with

the land that most closely resembles it; which is the nearest

land to it in which night and day occur within twenty-four

hours. With this being said, this view is deemed more correct;

because, it is based on a stronger argument and is more

practical.

Islam q&a provides the following summary:

In countries where night and day occur in twenty-four

hours, it is obligatory to pray at the times prescribed in

shariah, no matter how long or short the night.

In countries where night and day do not occur in twenty-

four hours, it is obligatory to follow the times of prayer

in the closest land in which there is night and day.

In countries where the twilight overlaps with the dawn, or

it disappears but there is not sufficient time to pray

‘Isha’, it is obligatory to follow the closest place where

there is enough time to offer the prayer.

It is permissible for people who have legitimate excuses to

put together Maghrib and ‘Isha’ if they are unable to wait

until the time of ‘Isha’.

Isha:

The beginning time of Isha salat:

Isha salat commences after twilight has disappeared and

the stars clearly appear in the sky at night. This position is

based on the hadith of Bukhari wherein Ibn Shihab narrated from

Urwa: "Aisha said, 'Once Allah's Apostle (P.B.U.H.) delayed the

Isha prayer till Umar reminded him by saying, The prayer! The

women and children have slept.' Then the Prophet (P.B.U.H.) came

out and said, 'None amongst the dwellers of the earth has been

waiting for it (the prayer) except you.' Urwa said, 'Nowhere

except in Medina the prayer used to be offered (in those days).'

He further said, 'The Prophet (P.B.U.H.) used to offer the Isha

prayer in the period between the disappearance of the twilight

and the end of the first third of the night.'"

According to www.as-sidq.org, "The beginning of Isha time

begins when Shafaq (twilight) is set in. All Islamic scholars

agree on this point. Two different interpretations are

expressed in describing the word shafaq in the books of hadith.

These are commonly referred to as Shafaqe Ahmar and Shafaqe

Abyadh. Both these phenomena occur one after the other and

represent two distinct levels of illumination in the western

sky. Shafaqe Ahmar occurs before Shafaqe Abyadh.

1. Shafaqe Ahmar: under clear-sky, when disappearance (sun’s

red afterglow) of redness in the western sky.(Shafaqe Ahmar

– roughly correspondence to Nautical twilight)

It is believed that this method was accepted by Syedna Ibn

Abbas, Umar bin khatab, Ali Talib, Ibadah Bin Thamit, Moosa

Ashari and Ibn Umar (Radiallahu Anhum) including Imam Malik,

Imam Shafi‘i, and Imam Ahmad and Sahibayn -Imam Mohammed and

Imam Abu Yusuf (Rahmatullah Alaihi) well respected students of

Imam Abu Hanifah. This phenomena (i.e. disappearance of redness

roughly correspondence to nautical twilight between 12°and 15°)

is difficult to identify, quantify, and may fluctuates through

the seasons, latitudes and atmospheric conditions, furthermore,

lately the artificial light pollution is a major problem.

2. Shafaqe Abyadh: under clear sky, when western sky begins

to darkens into one colour and when almost darkness occurs

or there is no trace of light left in the sky (Shafaqe

Abyad - roughly correspondence to Astronomical twilight).

It is believed that this method was accepted by Syedna Abu Bakr,

Muadh Bin Jabal, Ubay Ibn Kab, Abdullah Bin Zubair, Anas, Abu

Hurairah, and Aisha (Radiallahu Anhum) also leading jurist Imam

Abu Hanifah (Rahmatullah Alaihi). It is generally estimated

when sun approaches 17.5° to 18° below the horizon. Generally

there are no significant time differences between two phenomena

(10 to 15 minutes) in most cases. As a matter of convenience

most Islamic prayer tables use Isha timing when complete

darkness (shafaqe Abyadh) occurs. The difference in time could

be significant in summer and could be as much as 45 to 120

minutes in northern regions."

www.as-sidq.org further adds, "It is worth noting that

the the Islamic scholars of Hanfi school of jurisprudence

strictly fix Isha after Shafaqe Abyadh , but in certain

circumstances, it is permitted, (based on rulings of the

Sahibayn) to offer Isha after Shafaqe Ahmar where the

circumstances in which the Isha is so late e.g. in some

northern regions especially in summer months and if Muslims

likely to encounter considerable hardship. No Hanafi scholar

however is likely to permit Isha any earlier than Shafaqe Ahmar

except in extreme northern regions."

Lastly, www.as-sidq.org states, "Globally the beginning

of Isha time (based on Shafaqe Abyadh complete darkness) is

fixed by leading Islamic organizations, such as, Umm Al-Qura of

Saudi Arabia - 90 minutes after sunset which approximate 20°

throughout the year, University of Islamic Sciences, Karachi

18°, Egyptian General Authority of Survey 17.5°, and Muslim

World League 17° and several Islamic groups in the west 15°. The

higher degree correspondences (i.e. 18°) to slightly late Isha

and lower number (i.e. 14°) correspondences to slightly early

Isha."

The middle time of Isha salat:

In an article taken from

https://theauthenticbase.wordpress.com/tag/isha/, titled, "Time

Limit For The ‘Isha’ Prayer" it is reported: "There is the

opinion deduced from taking the apparent (dhahir) meaning of

the hadith about the middle of the night that was held by Ibn

Hazm, ash-Shawkani, al-Albani, and others that the permissible

time is till the middle of the night, beyond which it is

forbidden to delay 'Isha'. Consider also what the major scholars

of the four madhahib said: 'Ibn Qudamah al-Maqdisi (Hambali)

said in ‘al-Mughni': "What is more befitting – if Allah Wills –

is that one does not delay it past the first third of the night.

If he delays it past the middle of the night, this is

permissible. What is beyond this is allowed only for necessity,

and its ruling is the same as praying Asr in the time of

necessity (in the last portion of its allotted time)...beyond

this, the time of 'Isha' extends till the emergence of the

second (true) Fajr.'"

The article further stated, "Al-Kasani (Hanafi) said

in ‘Bada'i' as-Sana'i: 'As for the last time for 'Isha', it is

when the true time of Fajr comes in, according to us.' Muhammad

'Alish (Maliki) said in 'Manh al-Jalil': 'And the preferred time

to pray 'Isha' ends with the first third of the night.' An-

Nawawi (Shafi’i) said in 'Al-Majmu: 'What is preferred is to

pray by the first third of the night. If this preferred time

passes, we are left with the permissible time, which is till the

time of the second (true) Fajr. This is the madhhab that has

been narrated from ash-Shafi'i, and it is what has been clear-

cut from our companions, past and present.' At-Tahawi (Hanafi)

said in 'Mushkil al-Athar': 'So, the authenticity of these

narrations has been established: that the time in which one can

pray 'Isha' is from when the Sun sets, till the end of the

night. However, this is divided into three categories:

a) from when it enters, to the first third of the night, and

this is the best time in which to pray it,

b) as for what is beyond this – till the middle of the night –

this is less preferable than the first choice, and

c) as for what is beyond the middle of the night, this is less

preferable than the times before it.'

So, the four madhahib interpreted the relevant ahadith to mean

that the time in which it is permissible to pray 'Isha' is till

the time of Fajr, with the strong discouragement from delaying

it past the first third of the night, let alone the middle of

the night, unless one has a good excuse (such as illness,

preoccupation with a task, etc.).'"

The article concludes by maintaining: "There is a

difference of opinion as to whether the time limit is a matter

of strict forbiddance, or merely one of preference. In any case,

the safest thing to do is to not delay it past the middle of the

night, as much as you are able. And Allah Knows best."

The end time of Isha salat:

The end time for Isha salat is generally when a third or

at most a half of the night has elapsed. The evidence for this

ruling is a hadith in the collection of Tirmidhi wherein Abu

Hurairah reported: "The Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H.) said, 'If

it were not to be a hardship on the Ummah, I would have ordered

them to delay the Isha Salah until a third or half of the night

had passed." Furthermore, in a hadith collected by Bukhari, that

was narrated by Anas: "The Prophet (P.B.U.H.) delayed the Isha

prayer till midnight and then he offered the prayer and said,

'The people prayed and slept but you have been in prayer as long

as you have been waiting for it (the prayer).' Anas added: 'As

if I am looking now at the glitter of the ring of the Prophet on

that night.'" Therefore, to be specific, the Isha salat can

generally be delayed until the middle point of the night; which

is calculated by taking the time of sunset and sunrise of a

particular day and dividing them in half. The halfway point in

between those two times constitutes the end time for praying the

Isha salat.

Sanity Sanity is a perquisite for salat because in

order to perform salat one must be in a position wherein they

are able fully aware of their actions or deeds. The evidence for

this ruling is a hadith recorded by Ahmad wherein Aisha

reported: "The Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H.) said, 'The pen is

raised for three (meaning: there is no obligation upon three):

one who is sleeping until he wakens, the child until he becomes

an adult, and one who is insane until he becomes sane.'"

Qibla The Muslim performing salat should stand in the

direction of the Qibla, which is Northeast for South Carolina

residents.

The proof for this practice is found in Surah Al-Baqara (2:144)

of the Quran which reads: "We see the turning of thy face (for

guidance to the heavens: now Shall We turn thee to a Qibla that

shall please thee. Turn then Thy face in the direction of the

sacred Mosque (Makkah): Wherever ye are, turn your faces in that

direction..."

Make the Niyyah (intention) to make salat:

The proof for this practice is the hadith of Imam Muslim,

wherein the Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H.) reportedly said,

"Verily the actions are by intention and there is for everyone

only what he intended..."

SUTRA The evidence for this ruling is a hadith in the

collection of Ahmad wherein Abu Hurairah related that the Prophet

(P.B.U.H.) said: "When one of you prays, he should place something in

front of him..."

The Sutra of the one who performs salat:

A hadith in the collection of Abu Dawud narrated by Abū

Sa‘īd Al-Khudrī reports: "Allāh’s Messenger (P.B.U.H.) said,

'When you do your Salāt, do it towards a Sutrah and come close

to it. And never let any one pass between you and your Sutra,

even if you have to fight him for the Devil is with him.'"

The objects one can use as a sutra must be equal

to the size of a camel's saddle (about 12 inches

high - give or take a few inches):

The evidence for this ruling is a hadith in the collection of

Imam Muslim wherein Musa b. Talha reported on the authority of

his father: "We used to say prayer and the animals moved in

front of us. We mentioned it to the Messenger of Allah

(P.B.U.H.) and he said: 'If anything equal to the back of a

saddle is in front of you, then what walks in front, no harm

would come to him. Ibn Numair said: No harm would come whosoever

walks in front.'"

The Imam, the Imam's sutra, or the row of

Muslims performing congregational salat in front

of an individual is sufficient as a sutra:

The evidence for this ruling is a hadith in the collection

of Imam Muslim wherein Ibn Umar reported: "When the Messenger of

Allah (P.B.U.H.) went out on the 'Id day, he ordered to carry a

spear-and it was fixed in front of him (sutra for the Imam), and

he said prayer towards its (direction), and the people were

behind him (he served as their sutra). And he did it in the

journey, and that is the reason why the Amirs carried it."

A spear (short or long) is sufficient for a

sutra:

The evidence for this ruling is a hadith in the collection

of Bukhari wherein it is related from 'Awn ibn Abi Juhayfa who

reportedly said: "I heard my father say, 'The Messenger of Allah

(P.B.U.H.) came out to us at midday and was brought wudu' water

and did wudu'. Then he led us in the Dhuhr and 'Asr prayers with

a short spear in set up front of him. Women and donkeys were

passing behind it.'"

The evidence for this ruling is a hadith in the collection

of Bukhari wherein It is related from 'Abdullah: "The Prophet

(P.B.U.H.) used to have a spear set up for him and would pray

facing it."

The use of an arrow as a sutra:

The evidence for this ruling is a hadith in the collection

of Ahmad wherein It is related from Sabrah ibn Mu'abid who

reported: "The Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H.) reportedly said:

'When one of you prays, he should make a partition for his

salah, even if it is an arrow.'"

The use of a bed as a sutra:

The evidence for this ruling is a hadith in the collection

of Bukhari wherein it is related from Aiesha: "...The Prophet

(P.B.U.H.) would come and pray facing the middle of the bed...."

The use of a pillar as a sutra:

The evidence for this ruling is a hadith in the collection

of Bukhari wherein it is related from 'Umar who said: "Those who

are praying are more entitled to the pillars than those

conversing." 'Umar saw a man praying between two pillars and

moved him up to a pillar and said, "Pray towards it."

Furthermore, it is related in another hadith collected by

Bukhari that Yazid ibn 'Ubayd said: "I used to come with Salama

ibn al-Akwa' and he would pray behind the pillar where the

Qur'an was kept. I said, 'Abu Muslim, I see that you are keen to

pray by this pillar.' He said, 'I saw that the Prophet(P.B.U.H.)

was keen to pray there.'"

The use of a camel as a sutra:

The evidence for this ruling is a hadith in the collection

of Bukhari wherein it is related from Nafi: "I saw Ibn 'Umar

praying while taking his camel as a Sutra in front of him and he

said, 'I saw the Prophet (P.B.U.H.) doing the same.'"

The use of a bed as a sutra with someone asleep

atop of it (even if they are menstruating):

The evidence for this ruling is a hadith in the collection

of Bukhari wherein it is related from 'A'isha who reportedly

said: "Do you equate us with dogs and donkeys? I once found

myself lying on the bed when the Prophet (P.B.U.H.) came and

faced the middle of the bed and started praying. I disliked

being in front of him, so I eased myself down towards the foot

of the bed until I had slipped out from under my bedcover."

Furthermore, in a hadith collected by Bukhari it is related

that Maymuna reportedly said: "The Prophet (P.B.U.H.) used to

pray with me sleeping beside him. When he prostrated, his

garment touched me and I was menstruating."

The use of a line on the ground as a sutra:

The evidence for this ruling is a hadith in the collection

of Abu Dawud wherein Abu Hurairah related that the Prophet

(P.B.U.H.) said: "When one of you prays, he should place

something in front of him. If he cannot find anything, he should

prop up his staff (in front of him). If he does not have a

staff, he should draw a line (on the ground in front of him),

then nothing that passes in front of him will harm him."

The preferred distance between the person

intending to perform salat and their sutra:

The evidence for this ruling is a hadith in the collection

of Bukhari wherein it is related from Nafi': "Whenever 'Abdullah

entered the Kaaba, he would walk straight ahead with the door

directly behind him. He walked on until there was about three

cubits (54 inches or 4 1/2 feet) between him and the wall in

front of him where he prayed, seeking the place where Bilal told

him that the Prophet (P.B.U.H.) had prayed. He said, 'There is

no harm in anyone praying in any part of the House he likes.'"

The distance the sutra should be from the place

of prostration (where the forehead of the person

performing salat comes into contact with the

ground surface):

It is related in a hadith collected by Bukhari wherein

Sahl reportedly said: "Between the place where the Messenger of

Allah (P.B.U.H.) prayed and the wall (sutra), there was room for

a sheep to walk past (about 18 - 24 inches)."

The adequate distance one should stand away from

another's sutra in a Masjid, and the etiquette

of one intending to make sunnah

(voluntary/supererogatory) salat to find a

location wherein others will not violate their

sutra by walking in front of them:

The evidence for this ruling is a hadith in the collection

of Bukhari wherein 'Uthman reportedly said: "I disliked facing

another man when he was praying if that distracted him. However,

if he is not distracted by it, Zayd ibn Thabit said, 'It does

not matter. The man does not invalidate the other man's

prayer.'"

Awrah It is a prerequisite of salat for a Muslim to

cover their awrah; which includes the area between the navel and

the knees for a man and the entire body, except the face and

hands for a woman.

The evidence for this ruling is found in Surah Al-Araf (7:31) of

the Quran which reads: " O Children of Adam! wear your beautiful

apparel at every time and place of prayer..." Furthermore, a

hadith in the collection of Imam Muslim that was narrated by Abu

Sa’eed al-Khudri declares: "The Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H.)

said: 'No man should look at the awrah of another man and no

woman should look at the awrah of another woman. No man should

be with another man under one cover and no woman should be with

another woman under one cover.'" Thus, indicating that the

garment being worn must cover the entire awrah.

Regarding what constitutes the awrah of a man, a hadith

of Ahmad reports: "The Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H.) said, 'What

is between navel and knee is Awrah.'" Thus indicating that the

male garment must at least cover the area between the navel and

knees. This fact is further supported by a hadith of Bukhari

wherein Said bin Al Harith narrated: "I asked Jabir bin

'Abdullah about praying in a single garment. He said, 'I

traveled with the Prophet (P.B.U.H.) during some of his

journeys, and I came to him at night for some purpose and I

found him praying. At that time, I was wearing a single garment

with which I covered my shoulders and prayed by his side. When

he finished the prayer, he asked, 'O Jabir! What has brought you

here?' I told him what I wanted. When I finished, he asked, 'O

Jabir! What is this garment which I have seen and with which you

covered your shoulders?' I replied, 'It is a (tight) garment.'

He said, 'If the garment is large enough, wrap it round the body

(covering the shoulders) and if it is tight (too short) then use

it as an Izar (to be tied around one's waist, which hangs down

below the knees).'"

Regarding the awrah of a woman, the Quran in Suran Al-Ahzab

(33:59) reads "O Prophet! Tell thy wives and daughters, and the

believing women, that they should cast their outer garments over

their persons (when abroad): that is most convenient, that they

should be known (as such) and not molested. And Allah is Oft-

Forgiving, Most Merciful." More explicit details are also found

in a hadith in the collection of Abu Dawud wherein Aisha,

declared: "The Prophet (P.B.U.H.) said: 'Allah does not accept

the prayer of a woman who has reached puberty unless she wears a

khimar (headscarf covering the hair, ears neck and bosom)."

Furthermore, another hadith in the collection of Abu Dawud that

was narrated by Aisha serves as evidence that only the face and

hands are permitted to be exposed. The hadith in question

maintains: "Asma, daughter of AbuBakr, entered upon the Apostle

of Allah (P.B.U.H.) wearing thin clothes. The Apostle of Allah

(P.B.U.H.) turned his attention from her. He said: 'O Asma, when

a woman reaches the age of menstruation, it is not fitting that

any part of her should be seen except this,' and he pointed to

her face and hands.'"

Thus, it becomes clear that the awrah of a woman consists

of everything except her face and hands. It is also important to

note that the garments covering the awrah must not be form-

fitting or transparent. These points are verified by the

following hadith: Abu Hurayrah reported in a hadith collected by

Imam Muslim that the Prophet (P.B.U.H.) said: "There are two

types of people of Hell that I have never seen; people with

whips like the tails of cattle, with which they strike the

people, and women who are dressed but appear naked, walking with

an enticing gait, with their heads looking like the humps of

camels, leaning to one side. They will never enter Paradise, nor

even smell its fragrance, although its fragrance can be

discerned from such and such a distance."

Taharah (purity of body, clothes, and

location)Purity constitutes another prerequisite of salat.

One must ensure that their body, garments, and prayer area are

free from all impurities. The evidence for this ruling is a

hadith in the collection of Abu Dawud wherein Abu Sa'eed al-

Khudri reportedly said: "The Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H.)

prayed with us one day. Whilst he was engaged in the prayer he

took off his shoes and placed them on his left. When the people

saw this, they took off their shoes. When he finished his prayer

he said, Why did you take your shoes off? They said, 'We saw you

taking your shoes off, so we took our shoes off.' He said,

'Verily Jibreel came to me and informed me that there was dirt -

or he said: something harmful - (in another narration: filth) on

my shoes, so I took them off. Therefore, when one of you goes to

the mosque, he should look at his shoes; if he sees in them dirt

- or he said: something harmful - (in another narration: filth)

he should wipe them and pray in them.'"

In instances wherein one is unable to perform salat due to

minor impurities, then wudu should be made as a means of

purification. However, is one is impure due to major impurities,

as in the case of post sexual intercourse, then a complete ghusl

(ritual bath/shower) must be performed.

THE STEPS OF WUDU

(ABLUTION)

Entering a wudu station that contains a toilet;

i.e., bathroom, left foot first and say: In the

name of Allah. O Allah! I seek refuge in you

from male and female noxious beings (devils).

It is a recommended practice that one enters the bathroom with

their left foot and exits with the right; i.e., contrary to the way

one enters the masjid; as evident from the hadith of Bukhari which

reads: "Ibn Umar put his right foot first, and then when he left, he

put his left foot first." Moreover, the evidence for saying: "In the

name of Allah and seeking protection against the male and female

devils," is found in the hadith of Bukhari, wherein Anas reported

"Whenever the Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H.) entered the privy he would

say, 'Bismillah; Allah-humma inni a'udhu bika minal khubuthi wal

khaba'ith; i.e., In the name of Allah. O Allah, I seek Refuge with You

from the male and female unclean spirits (devils).'"

Remove all impurities from one’s clothes and

body:

One should purify themselves if an impure substance falls

upon them such as semen, feces, urine, or vomit by washing

themselves and their garment with water until the impurity is no

longer present. If the stain is difficult to remove despite

repetitive cleaning, then it may be overlooked. If the impurity

is not visible, then one washing is sufficient. The bottom of

one’s clothes is also cleaned by default whenever one walks

across the dirt of the ground. A hadith narrated by Abū Hurairah

reported: "If one of you steps in some filth while wearing

shoes, the dirt will purify them." Also, a hadith in the

collection of Imam Muslim narrated by Ayesha reports: "I used to

scratch the sperm from the Messenger’s clothes if it was dry,

and washed if off if it was still wet, then he would pray in

those clothes." However, it is important to note that the urine

of a male baby that has not been weaned can be overlooked and

pardoned. It is sufficient just to sprinkle water over this

urine. The evidence for this ruling is the hadith in the

collection of Bukhari, narrated by Umm Qais; wherein it was

reported: "She came to the Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H.) with

her un-weaned son. After a while, the baby urinated on the

Messenger of Allah’s (P.B.U.H.) lap. The Messenger of Allah

(P.B.U.H.) called for some water, which he sprinkled over his

clothes, and did not give them a complete washing." Moreover,

the hadith of Abu Dawud reports: "Ali narrated that the

Messenger of Allah said, 'The urine of a baby boy should have

water sprinkled upon it. The urine of a baby girl is to be

washed off.' Qatadah says: 'This refers to a male baby that has

not yet begun to eat. If he already eats, then the garment is to

be washed.'" Lastly, a hadith collected by Abu Dawud reports: "A

woman came to the Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H.) and said 'O

Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H.), I do not have but one outfit and

I have my monthly period when I am wearing it, and sometimes I

see blood on it. What should I do?' The Messenger of Allah

(P.B.U.H.) replied: 'After the menstrual cycle is over, wash the

blood stained area and then you can pray with it.' The woman

said 'O Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H.), what if the blood traces

don’t come out?' He replied: 'It suffices for you to clean it

with water, and the traces of blood will not harm you.' If the

impurity is not visible, such as urine, it is sufficient to wash

it once."

Make the Niyyah (intention) to make wudu:

The proof for this practice is the hadith of Imam Muslim, wherein

the Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H.) reportedly said, "Verily the actions

are by intention and there is for everyone only what he intended..."

Call upon Allah at the start of Wudu by saying

Bismillah (silently or aloud):

The proof for this practice is the hadith of Abu Dawud,

wherein the Prophet (P.B.U.H.) reportedly said, "There is no

wudu for him who does not mention Allah's name upon it."

Use one Mudd to perform wudu:

The proof for this practice is the hadith of Imam Muslim, wherein

Anas reportedly said: "The Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H.) used to make

wudu with a mudd (of water) and make ghusl with a saa' (four Mudds) or

up to five mudds."

For the purpose of conveinence, a 25 ounce container can be

purchased in order to ensure that one uses the correct amount of water

to perform wudu.

Each foot can also be placed into a large bowl during the washing

process to ensure that water covers the entire foot.

Begin the wudu process on the right-side of

one’s body:

The evidence for this practice is the hadith collected by Bukhari

wherein Ayesha related: "The Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H.) used to

like to start with the right side when putting on his sandals, combing

his hair, engaging in his ritual purifications, and in all of his

activities."

STEP 1: Wash the hands 1 to 3 times up to the

wrists with water, allowing water to run between

the fingers:

The proof for this practice is the hadith of Bukhari,

wherein Humran narrated: "Uthman called for water to make wudu

and washed his hands three times... then said, 'I saw the

Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H.) make wudu just as I have made

wudu.'" It is also important to note that the obligation (fard)

of wudu is to wash each part at least once, but not more than

three times in order to comply with the sunnah of the prophet

(P.B.U.H.). The proof for this ruling is the hadith of Bukhari

wherein Ibn Abbas reportedly said, "The Messenger of Allah

(P.B.U.H.) performed wudu washing each part once only." In

addition, a hadith from Bukhari narrated by Abdullah ibn Zayd

reported: "The Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H.) performed wudu

washing each of the parts twice."

STEP 2: Rinse the mouth and nose with a single

handful of water, three times (once is fard):

The proof for this instruction is the hadith collected by Bukhari

wherein Abd Allah b. Zayd, while describing the Prophet's (P.B.U.H.)

wudu, related: "...the Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H.) would rinse his

mouth and nose with a single handful of water, and he would do so

thrice."

SPECIFIC DETAILS: Pour water into right hand and

suck water into the mouth and sniff it into the

nose using the same handful of water. Then spit

water out of mouth and pinch nostrils with the

left thumb and index finger in order to blow the

water out of the nose.

The proof for this practice is the hadith of Bukhari,

wherein the Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H.) reportedly said, "When

one of you makes wudu then let him enter water into his nose,

then expel it." In addition, a hadith in the collection of Sunan

al-Darimi, narrated by Abd Khair, adds further detail regarding

cleaning the mouth and nose, wherein it related: "We were

sitting, looking towards Ali as he made Wudu, and he entered

into his mouth a handful of water with his right hand and washed

his mouth and nose, then expelled it from his nose with his left

hand. He did that three times, then said, 'whoever would like to

see the way of purification of the Messenger of Allah

(P.B.U.H.), then this is his purification.'"

STEP 3: Pour water into right hand. then join

both hands together and wash the entire face 1

to 3 times, including running the fingers of the

right hand through the beard.

The proof for this practice is the hadith of Bukhari,

wherein Humran ibn Abaan narrated that Uthman called for water

to make wudu and so mentioned the way in which the Messenger of

Allah (P.B.U.H.) made wudu. Humran said, "Then he, the Messenger

of Allah (P.B.U.H.) washed his face three times."

In addition, it is related that Ibn Abbas in another hadith

collected by Bukhari narrated: "The Prophet (P.B.U.H.) performed

wudu', washing each part once only." Lastly, Bukhari presented a

hadith narrated by Abdullah ibn Zayd wherein it was reported:

"The Prophet (P.B.U.H.) performed wudu washing the parts twice.”

SPECIFIC DETAILS: Run water through the beard

with the fingers of the right hand.

Take a handful of water into the right hand and enter it

below the chin and rub it through the beard making sure to get

all the way down to the roots of the hair. The proof for this

practice is the hadith of Abu Dawud, wherein Anas narrated: "The

Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H.), when he made wudu, used to take a

handful of water and enter it below his chin and rub it through

his beard and said, 'This is what my Lord, the Great and

Exalted, has ordered me to do.'"

STEP 4: Pour water into the right hand and raise

the hand with the palm facing upward so that the

water runs down the length of the forearm. Then

use the left hand and wash the right forearm 3

times, from the wrists up to the elbow. Then

pour water into the left hand and raise the hand

with the palm facing upward so that the water

runs down the length of the forearm. Next use

the right hand and wash the left forearm 1 to 3

times, from the wrists up to the elbow.

The proof for this practice is the hadith of Imam Muslim

wherein Nu'aim ibn Mijmar reportedly said, "I saw Abu Hurairah

make wudu. He washed his face and completed the wudu, then

washed his right hand until he reached the upper arm, then his

left hand till he reached the upper arm." Then in the end of the

Hadith he said: "...this is how I saw the Messenger of Allah

(P.B.U.H.) make wudu.'" In addition, Yahya Al-Mazini narrated in

a hadith in the collection of Bukhari: "A person asked Abdullah

bin Zaid who was the grandfather of Amr bin Yahya, 'Can you show

me how Allah's Apostle used to perform ablution?' Abdullah bin

Zaid replied in the affirmative and asked for water...he washed

his forearms up to the elbows twice ..." Lastly, Humran (the

freed slave of 'Uthman bin 'Affan) narrated in another hadith of

Bukhari: "I saw 'Uthman bin 'Affan asking (for a tumbler of

water) to perform ablution (and when it was brought) he poured

water from it over his hands and washed...forearms up to the

elbows thrice,...'"

STEP 5: Wet both hands and pass them once over

the head; beginning at the forehead (front of

the hairline) and ending at the nape of the neck

(back of the hairline), and from there back to

the forehead where the process began.

The proof for this practice is the hadith of Imam Muslim

wherein, "The Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H.) wiped his head with

his two hands, moving them forwards and backwards; beginning

with the front of the head and (wiping) them up to his nape, and

then he returned them to the place from which he began."

STEP 6: Using the same wet hands from the head,

wipe the earlobes/inner ear with the index

fingers cleaning the inside of the ears and use

the thumbs to clean the external section of the

ears by starting at the back of the earlobes,

dragging the tip of the thumbs forward.

The proof for this practice is the hadith of Abu Dawud,

wherein the Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H.) reportedly said, "The

two ears are a part of the head." Therefore, they are to be

wiped with the same wet hands immediately after wiping the hair

(without applying additional water); which is evident from

another hadith of Abu Dawud wherein "Ar-Rabee bint Mu'awwidh

reported that the Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H.), Wiped his head

with water remaining in his hand." Moreover, a third hadith by

Abu Dawud, regarding the method of performing wudu, Abdullah ibn

Amr reportedly said, "Then he, the Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H.)

wiped his head and entered his two forefingers into his ears and

wiped the backs of his ears with his thumbs."

STEP 7: Beginning with the right foot, use the

left hand to wash both feet up to the ankles

three times, ensuring to wipe between the toes.

One should avoid wiping between the toes with

their right hand.

The proof for this practice is the hadith of Abu Dawud wherein

Hafsah reported, "The Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H.) reserved his right

hand for eating, drinking, putting on his clothes, taking and giving.

He used his left hand for other actions." Another hadith in the

collection of Abu Dawud narrated by Ayesha reports: "The Messenger of

Allah (P.B.U.H.) used his right hand for purification and eating, and

his left for the lavatory and whatever was offensive." Thus, the more

practical method of wiping between the toes should be to use one’s

left hand instead of the right since the left hand, unlike the right

is reserved for the lavatory (toilet) and whatever is deemed offensive

in the eyes of the Prophet (P.B.U.H.).

The proof for this practice is the hadith of Imam Muslim, wherein

Humran, the freed slave of Uthman reportedly said: "Uthman b. Affan

called for ablution water and this is how he performed the ablution.

He...washed his right foot up to the ankle three times, then washed

his left foot like that, and then said: 'I saw the Messenger of Allah

(P.B.U.H.) perform ablution like this ablution of mine ...'" In

addition, a hadith collected by Tirmidhi reported: "Ibn Abbas

reportedly said that when the Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H.) performed

ablution, he would run his fingers through his fingers and toes."

Lastly, a hadith collected by Imam Muslim reported: "Umar bin Al-

Khattab said that a man once performed wudu and left a dry spot the

size of a fingernail on his foot. The Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H.)

saw that and he said to him, 'go back and perform proper Wudu.'"

Wiping over Khuffain (leather socks) can be

performed instead of removing them to wash the

Feet.

If one were to put on socks, shoes, or sandals (only those that

cover most of the foot) while still in wudu, it is not necessary to

remove them if the need arose to renew a wudu. One is permitted to

leave on the socks, shoes, or sandals and simply wipe the top of the

footwear once with wet hands in place of washing the entire foot. One

is also permitted to wipe over the footwear for a period twenty-four

hours or for three consecutive days if one meets the criteria of being

deemed a traveler. The proofs for these practices are found in a

number of ahadith. Firstly, in a hadith of Bukhari, it is related from

Urwa ibn al-Mughira that his father said, "I was with the Prophet

(P.B.U.H.) on a journey and I went to remove his leather socks then he

said, 'Leave them. I was in a state of purity when I put them on.’

Then he wiped them.'" Also, a hadith in the collection of Abu Dawud

narrated by Abu Said Al-Khudri reported: "While the Apostle of Allah

(P.B.U.H.) was leading his Companions in prayer, he took off his

sandals and laid them on his left side; so when the people saw this,

they removed their sandals. When the Apostle of Allah (P.B.U.H.)

finished his prayer, he asked: 'What made you remove your sandals?'

They replied: 'We saw you remove your sandals, so we removed our

sandals.' The Apostle of Allah (P.B.U.H.) then said: 'Gabriel came to

me and informed me that there was filth on them. When any of you comes

to the mosque, he should see if he finds filth on his sandals; if so,

he should wipe it off and pray in them.'" Thus, indicating that it is

not acceptable to wear footwear that has some impurities on them;

i.e., because when the wiper wipes over the filth on their footwear it

nullifies their state of purity. In addition, a hadith in the

collection of Tirmidhi narrated by Said Safwan ibn Assal reported:

"We were ordered (by the Prophet) to wipe over the socks if we were in

a state of purity when we put them on, for three days if we were

travelers, and for one day and night if we were residents. We did not

remove them unless we were in post-sex impurity." Thus, it is clear

that the condition for wiping pertains only to minor impurities.

After completing the wudu process recite: "Ash-

hadu an la ilaha illallahu wahdahu la sharika

lahu wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan abduhu wa

Rasuluhu (I bear witness that none has the right

to be worshipped but Allah alone, Who has no

partner; and I bear witness that Muhammad is His

slave and His Messenger)."

The proof for this practice is the hadith of Imam Muslim wherein

Umar reported: "The Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H.) said, 'If one

completes (and perfects) the ablution and then says, I testify that

there is no god except Allah, the One Who has no partner, and that

Muhammad (P.B.U.H.) is His slave and Messenger, the eight gates of

paradise will be opened for him and he may enter any of them that he

wishes."

Acts that nullify ablution:

Passing urine, feces, or gas

Sexual discharge from the penis or vagina

Deep sleep that makes a person completely unaware of his

surroundings

Loss of consciousness

Touching the sexual organ with the bare hand

The evidence for this belief includes the following Quranic verses and

ahadith:

Ablution is nullified by urinating and defecating because Surah

Al-Ma’idah of the Quran states: "...But if ye are ill, or on a

journey, or one of you cometh from offices of nature (urinating and

defecating), or ye have been in contact with women, and ye find no

water, then take for yourselves clean sand or earth, and rub therewith

your faces and hands ..." Moreover, the evidence supporting the need

to perform wudu after releasing gas from the anus is the hadith of

Bukhari that was narrated by Abu Hurairah wherein he reported: "The

Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H.) said, 'Allah does not accept the prayer

of a person who has released gas until he makes a new ablution.' A

person from Hazhramaut asked Abu Hurairah, 'What does releasing gas

mean?' He answered, Wind with or without sound."

The fact that ablution is nullified by Sexual discharge from the

penis or vagina is also evident from verse 5:6 of Surah Al-Ma’idah of

the Quran which states: "...or ye have been in contact with women, and

ye find no water, then take for yourselves clean sand or earth, and

rub therewith your faces and hands ..." Also, regarding semen or mani,

Sunan Al-Baihaqi cites Ibn 'Abbas as having said: "Semen or mani

requires ghusl (because it ceremonially impurifies the body) and madhi

and wadi (a thick white secretion discharged by some people after

urination) requires one to wash their sex organs and perform wudu."

The fact that ablution is nullified by deep sleep (lying down for

the purpose of sleeping) that renders one completely unaware of his

surroundings is the hadith of Imam Muslim wherein Anas narrated, "The

Companions of the Prophet (P.B.U.H.) were waiting for the late night

Prayer until their heads began nodding up and down (from drowsiness

and sleep). They would then pray without performing ablution (they did

not lose consciousness from intentionally lying in a manner that

accommodates sleeping)."

The fact that ablution is nullified by Loss of consciousness due

to being in a state of insanity, fainting, drunkenness, medicated,

etc., is due to the consensus of the scholars; which Fiqh-us Sunnah

1:36 Loss of Consciousness states, "This nullifies the ablution

regardless of whether it was owing to insanity, fainting, drunkenness,

or some medicine. It also does not matter if one was unconscious for a

short or long period of time, or if one was sitting, or fell to the

earth, and so on. The aspect of unawareness here is greater than that

of sleeping. The scholars are agreed on this point."

Lastly, the fact that ablution is nullified by touching the

sexual organ with one’s bare hand is the hadith of Bukhari wherein

Busrah bint Safwan narrated that the Prophet (P.B.U.H.) reportedly

said, "Whoever touches his sexual organ cannot pray until he performs

ablution." However, it is important to note that according to the

Hanifi scholars, touching one’s sexual organ does not nullify their

ablution. Their opinion is based on the hadith of Bukhari wherein: "A

man asked the Prophet (P.B.U.H.) if touching the penis necessitates

performing ablution. The Prophet (P.B.U.H.) said: ‘No, it is just a

part of you.'" According to Fiqh-us Sunnah, this hadith is reported by

"the five scholars of Hadith." Moreover, Ibn Hibban classified it as

sahih, and Ibn al-Madini reportedly said, "It is better than the

Hadith of Busrah."

It is advantageous to make two rakats after

performing wudu.

The evidence for this recommendation is the hadith of Abu

Hurairah in the collection of Bukhari, wherein it was reported: "The

Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H.) reportedly said: 'O Bilal, tell me what

good deed you have done in Islam that I hear the sound of your

footsteps in Paradise?' Bilal said, 'That after I purify myself during

the day or night, I pray with that purification as much as Allah has

destined for me.'" Also, in a hadith collected by Imam Muslim, Uqbah

ibn Aamr related: "The Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H.) said, 'If one

performs and perfects his ablution and prays two rakats with his heart

and face (completely on his prayer), Paradise becomes his.'"

Practices such as protecting the

eyes and wrinkles, removing any

rings, wiping the neck, and so

on have not been addressed;

because, the validly regarding

these matters is questionable!

THE MATERIALS REQUIRED

FOR PERFORMING A GHUSL

THE TWO TYPES OF GHUSL

There are two types of ghusl that one is permitted to perform. The

first type involves the act of simply immersing one’s entire body,

including the mouth and nose, into water. The second type however,

involves the sunnah method; i.e., performing ghusl as instructed by

the Messenger of Allah; primarily for one in a state of janaba (major

impurity).

FATWA PERTAINING TO THE

TWO TYPES OF GHUSL

Type #1: Type one involves performing only the obligatory parts of

ghusl; namely, ensuring that water reaches every part of the body

(full shower or bath), including rinsing the mouth and nose.

Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Uthaymeen is reported to have said, "If a person

makes the water reach all parts of his body, by whatever means, then

he has removed the major impurity and purified himself properly,

because Allah says in Surah Al-Ma'idah (5:6) [interpretation of the

meaning]: "If ye are in a state of ceremonial impurity, bathe your

whole body."

Ibn ‘Abd al-Birr reportedly said: "The one who does ghusl to purify

himself from janabah, if he does not do wudu but he makes water reach

every part of his body, he has done what is required of him, because

Allah has enjoined upon the one who is in a state of janabah to do

ghusl, not wudu; when He says, "… if you are in a state of janabah

(i.e., had a sexual discharge), purify yourself (bathe your whole

body)." [Al-Ma’idah 5:6]. This is the consensus of the scholars and

there is no dispute among them; they are agreed that it is mustahab to

do wudu before doing ghusl, in emulation of the Messenger of Allah

(P.B.U.H.) and because this reinforces and perfects ghusl."

There is a consensus among all Imams that it is a must to wet the

whole body thoroughly.

Type #2: The second type two of ghusl according to Fatawa Arkan al-

Islam, p. 248: The complete way, "Involves performing ghusl as the

Prophet (P.B.U.H.) did. When he wanted to do ghusl in the case of

janabah, he would wash his hands; then wash his private parts and

anywhere else that the impurity had reached, then he would do complete

wudu; then he would wash his head three times with water, then he

would wash the rest of his body. This is how complete ghusl is done."

MINIMUM ACTS REQUIRED FOR GHUSL:

BEGINNING THE GHUSL PROCESS:

Upon entering a washroom for ghusl that contains a toilet; i.e.,

bathroom, enter with the left foot first and say: "In the name of

Allah. O Allah! I seek refuge in you from male and female noxious

beings (devils among the Jinn)."

It is also recommended that one intending to perform ghusl in a shower

or bathtub positioned inside a bathroom should enter with their left

foot and exits with the right; i.e., contrary to the way one enters

the masjid; as evident from the hadith of Bukhari which reads: "Ibn

Umar put his right foot first (upon entering the masjid), and then

when he exited, he put his left foot first." Moreover, the evidence

for saying: "In the name of Allah and seeking protection against the

male and female devils," is found in the hadith of Bukhari, wherein

Anas reported "Whenever the Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H.) entered the

privy he would say, 'Bismillah; Allah-humma inni a'udhu bika minal

khubuthi wal khaba'ith; i.e., In the name of Allah. O Allah, I seek

Refuge with You from the male and female unclean spirits (devils).'"

REMOVE ALL CLOTHING AND ENTER SHOWER/BATHTUB.

HOWEVER, IF IN A PUBLIC AREA ENSURE THAT ONE'S

AWRAH REMAINS COVERED.

The proof for this practice is the hadith of Abu Salama,

collected by Bukhari, wherein Abu Salama reportedly said: "I and the

brother of Ayesha went to visit her. Her brother asked her about the

ghusl of the Prophet (P.B.U.H.). She called for a vessel containing

about a sa'. She washed and poured it over her head. There was a

curtain between her and us."

TASMIYYAH (SAYING BISMILLAH) IS NOT OBLIGATORY.

It is important to note that there is no text concerning ghusl

which states that saying bismillah (Tasmiyyah) is required in order to

make the act valid in the eyes of Allah.

FATWA PERTAINING TO SAYING BISMILLAH

(TASMIYYAH) UPON PERFORMING GHUSL

www.Islam-qa.com cites Sheikh Ibn Uthaymeen as issuing the following

fatwa: "The opinion which is deemed to be the most correct is that

saying ‘Bismillah’ upon performing both Ghusl and ablution is not

obligatory. Rather it is recommended."

"During the course of performing Ghusl in the bathroom, a person

should say 'In the Name of Allah' in his heart and should not to utter

it aloud. So if you are in a similar situation, you have to follow

this rule."

Step 1: MAKE THE NIYYAH (INTENTION) TO PERFORM

GHUSL TO PURIFY ONE'S BODY

The proof for this practice is the hadith of Imam Muslim, wherein

the Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H.) reportedly said, "Verily the actions

are by intention and there is for everyone only what he intended..."

Step 2: COLLECT ONE SA'A OF WATER TO PERFORM

GHUSL

The proof for this practice is the hadith of Bukhari, wherein

Aisha narrated: "The Prophet and I used to take a bath from a single

pot called 'Faraq'." Also in another hadith collected by Bukhari,

narrated by Abu Salama: "Aisha's brother and I went to Aisha and he

asked her about the bath of the Prophet. She brought a pot containing

about a Sa' of water and took a bath and poured it over her head and

at that time there was a screen between her and us." What is more,

another hadith collected by Bukhari, narrated by Abu Ja'far reports:

"While I and my father were with Jabir bin Abdullah, some People asked

him about taking a bath He replied, 'A Sa' of water is sufficient for

you.' A man said, 'A Sa' is not sufficient for me.' Jabir said, 'A Sa

was sufficient for one who had more hair than you and was better than

you (meaning the Prophet).' And then Jabir (put on) his garment and

led the prayer."

Step 3: WASH BOTH HANDS THREE TIMES BEGINNING

WITH THE RIGHT

The evidence for this instruction is a hadith collected by

Bukhari, wherein Maymuna reportedly said, "I poured water for ghusl

for the Prophet (P.B.U.H.). He poured water onto his left hand with

his right hand and washed them both." What is more, another hadith

from Bukhari narrated by Maymuna reported: "I placed water for the

bath of the Prophet (P.B.U.H.). He washed his hands twice or thrice

and then poured water on his left hand and washed his private parts.

He rubbed his hands over the earth (and cleaned them), rinsed his

mouth, washed his nose by putting water in it and blowing it out,

washed his face and both forearms and then poured water over his body.

Then he withdrew from that place and washed his feet."

STEP 4: POUR WATER IN LEFT HAND AND WASH THE

PRIVATE PARTS, INCLUDING THE ANUS AND BUTTUCKS.

The proof for this practice is a hadith collected by Bukhari

wherein Maymuna narrated: "I placed water for the bath of the Prophet

(P.B.U.H.). He washed his hands twice or thrice and then poured water

on his left hand and washed his private parts..."

STEP 5: RUB THE HANDS OVER THE EATH TO CLEAN

THEM OR SIMPLY WASH THEM IF INSIDE A WASHROOM.

The proof for this practice is the hadith of Bukhari wherein it

was related that Maymuna reportedly said, "I poured water for ghusl

for the Prophet (P.B.U.H.). He poured water onto his left hand with

his right hand and washed them both. Then he washed his private parts

and then he rubbed the earth with his hands, and then washed them."

Additional proof for this practice is a hadith collected by Bukhari

wherein Maimuna narrated: "The Prophet (P.B.U.H.) did a ghusl for

janaba. He cleaned his private parts with his hand, then rubbed it on

the wall and then washed it...."

STEP 6: PERFORM WUDU AFTER THE HANDS AND PRIVATE

PARTS HAVE BEEN WASHED (REWASH THE HANDS AFTER

THE LEFT HAND HAS THOROUGHLY CLEANED THE FRONT

AND REAR OF THE PRIVATE PARTS).

The proof for this practice is a hadith collected by Bukhari

wherein Maimuna narrated: "The Prophet (P.B.U.H.) did a ghusl for

janaba. He cleaned his private parts with his hand, then rubbed it on

the wall and then washed it. Then he did wudu as he did for the

prayer...."

WASH BOTH HANDS THREE TIMES UP TO THE WRIST BEGINNING

WITH THE RIGHT HAND.

POUR WATER INTO RIGHT HAND AND SUCK WATER INTO THE

MOUTH AND SNIFF IT INTO THE NOSE USING THE SAME HANDFUL

OF WATER. THEN SPIT WATER OUT OF MOUTH AND PINCH

NOSTRILS WITH THE LEFT THUMB AND INDEX FINGER IN ORDER

TO BLOW THE WATER OUT OF THE NOSE.

POUR WATER INTO RIGHT HAND. THEN JOIN BOTH HANDS

TOGETHER AND WASH THE ENTIRE FACE 3 TIMES, INCLUDING

RUNNING THE FINGERS OF THE RIGHT HAND THROUGH THE

BEARD.

RUNNING THE FINGERS OF THE RIGHT HAND THROUGH THE

BEARD!

POUR WATER INTO THE RIGHT HAND AND RAISE THE HAND WITH

THE PALM FACING UPWARD SO THAT THE WATER RUNS DOWN THE

LENGTH OF THE FOREARM. THEN USE THE LEFT HAND AND WASH

THE RIGHT FOREARM 3 TIMES, FROM THE WRISTS UP TO THE

ELBOW. THEN POUR WATER INTO THE LEFT HAND AND RAISE THE

HAND WITH THE PALM FACING UPWARD SO THAT THE WATER RUNS

DOWN THE LENGTH OF THE FOREARM. THEN USE THE RIGHT HAND

AND WASH THE LEFT FOREARM 3 TIMES, FROM THE WRISTS UP

TO THE ELBOW.

WET BOTH HANDS AND JOIN THEM TOGETHER. THEN PASS THEM

OVER THE HEAD, BEGINNING AT THE FOREHEAD (FRONT OF THE

HAIRLINE) AND ENDING AT THE NAPE OF THE NECK (BASE OF

THE HAIRLINE), AND FROM THERE BACK TO THE FOREHEAD

WHERE THE PROCESS BEGAN. THEN WIPE THE EARLOBES/INNER

EAR WITH THE INDEX FINGERS CLEANING THE INSIDE OF THE

EARS WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY USEING THE THUMBS TO CLEAN

THE EXTERNAL SECTION OF THE EARS BY STARTING AT THE

BACK OF THE EARLOBES, DRAGGING THE TIP OF THE THUMBS

FORWARD.

The evidence for how one should perform each phase of the wudu

(ablution) process during ghusl can be obtained from the following

ahadith:

WASH BOTH HANDS THREE TIMES UP TO THE WRIST BEGINNING

WITH THE RIGHT HAND.

The proof for this practice is the hadith of Bukhari wherein

Maymuna narrated: "I placed water for the bath of the Prophet

(P.B.U.H.) and he poured water with his right hand on his left and

washed them..." What is more, another hadith in the collection of

Bukhari that was narrated by Maymuna reports: "I placed water for the

bath of Allah's Apostle (P.B.U.H.) and he poured water over his hands

and washed them twice or thrice...?" Therefore, one is permitted to

either wash the hands once, twice, or three times.

POUR WATER INTO RIGHT HAND AND SUCK WATER INTO THE

MOUTH AND SNIFF IT INTO THE NOSE USING THE SAME HANDFUL

OF WATER. THEN SPIT WATER OUT OF MOUTH AND PINCH

NOSTRILS WITH THE LEFT THUMB AND INDEX FINGER IN ORDER

TO BLOW THE WATER OUT OF THE NOSE.

The proof for this practice is the hadith of Bukhari wherein

Maymuna narrated: "...I placed water for the bath of Allah's Apostle

(P.B.U.H.)... He rinsed his mouth and washed his nose by putting water

in it and blowing it out." Moreover, another hadith collected by

Bukhari wherein Abd Allah b. Zayd, while describing the Prophet's

(P.B.U.H.) wudu, related: "... the Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H.) would

rinse his mouth and nose with a single handful of water, and he would

do so thrice." Lastly, a hadith in the collection of Sunan al-Darimi,

narrated by Abd Khair, adds further detail regarding cleaning the

mouth and nose, wherein he related: "We were sitting looking towards

Ali, as he made Wudu, and he entered into his mouth a handful of water

with his right hand and washed his mouth and nose, then expelled it

from his nose with his left hand. He did that three times, then said,

'whoever would like to see the way of purification of the Messenger of

Allah (P.B.U.H.), then this is his purification.'"

POUR WATER INTO RIGHT HAND. THEN JOIN BOTH HANDS

TOGETHER AND WASH THE ENTIRE FACE 3 TIMES, INCLUDING

RUNNING THE FINGERS OF THE RIGHT HAND THROUGH THE

BEARD.

The proof for this practice is a hadith collected by Bukhari

wherein Maimuna narrated: "I placed water for the bath of the Prophet

(P.B.U.H.)... washed his face...." What is more, the evidence

supporting the number of times the Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H.)

washed his face is the hadith of Bukhari, wherein Humran ibn Abaan

narrated that Uthman called for water to make wudu and so mentioned

the way in which the Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H.) made wudu. Humran

reportedly said, "Then he, the Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H.) washed

his face three times." Lastly, the proof for the practice of running

the fingers through the beard during ablution is the hadith of Abu

Dawud, wherein Anas narrated: "The Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H.), when

he made wudu, used to take a handful of water and enter it below his

chin and rubbed it through his beard and said, 'This is what my Lord,

the Great and Exalted, has ordered me to do.'"

POUR WATER INTO THE RIGHT HAND AND RAISE THE HAND WITH

THE PALM FACING UPWARD SO THAT THE WATER RUNS DOWN THE

LENGTH OF THE FOREARM. THEN USE THE LEFT HAND AND WASH

THE RIGHT FOREARM 3 TIMES, FROM THE WRISTS UP TO THE

ELBOW. THEN POUR WATER INTO THE LEFT HAND AND RAISE THE

HAND WITH THE PALM FACING UPWARD SO THAT THE WATER RUNS

DOWN THE LENGTH OF THE FOREARM. THEN USE THE RIGHT HAND

AND WASH THE LEFT FOREARM 3 TIMES, FROM THE WRISTS UP

TO THE ELBOW.

The proof for this practice is a hadith collected by Bukhari

wherein Maimuna narrated: "I placed water for the bath of the Prophet

(P.B.U.H.). He washed his hands twice or thrice and then poured water

on his left hand and washed his private parts. He rubbed his hands

over the earth (and cleaned them), rinsed his mouth, washed his nose

by putting water in it and blowing it out, washed his face and both

forearms...." What is more, the proof for the practice of washing the

arms up to the elbows three times is the hadith of Imam Muslim which

reports: Uthman called for water for wudu and mentioned the Prophet's

(P.B.U.H.) way of making wudu; then he washed his right arm including

the elbow three times, then the left in the same way." Lastly, another

hadith of Imam Muslim narrated by Nu'aim ibn Mijmar reports, "I saw

Abu Hurairah make wudu...then washed his right hand until he reached

the upper arm, then his left hand till he reached the upper arm..."

WET BOTH HANDS AND JOIN THEM TOGETHER. THEN PASS THEM

OVER THE HEAD, BEGINNING AT THE FOREHEAD (FRONT OF THE

HAIRLINE) AND ENDING AT THE NAPE OF THE NECK (BASE OF

THE HAIRLINE), AND FROM THERE BACK TO THE FOREHEAD

WHERE THE PROCESS BEGAN. THEN WIPE THE EARLOBES/INNER

EAR WITH THE INDEX FINGERS CLEANING THE INSIDE OF THE

EARS WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY USEING THE THUMBS TO CLEAN

THE EXTERNAL SECTION OF THE EARS BY STARTING AT THE

BACK OF THE EARLOBES, DRAGGING THE TIP OF THE THUMBS

FORWARD.

The proof for the practice of wiping the head by pouring three

double-handfuls of water is the hadith of Bukhari that was narrated by

Aisha wherein she said: "Whenever any one of us was Junub, she poured

water over her head thrice with both her hands and then rubbed the

right side of her head with one hand and rubbed the left side of the

head with the other hand." Moreover, another hadith in the collection

of Bukhari reports: "The Prophet (P.B.U.H.) wiped his head with his

two hands, moving them forwards and backwards - beginning with the

front of the head and (wiping) with them up to his nape..." Therefore,

wiping the head with either one or two double-handfuls of water is

also acceptable. Lastly, it is important to note that the two ears are

considered a part of the head, and as such, they should be wiped with

the same wet hands that passed over the head; i.e., adding additional

water to the hands is not required to clean the ears. The proof for

this practice is the hadith of Abu Dawud, wherein the Messenger of

Allah (P.B.U.H.) reportedly said, "The two ears are a part of the

head." Therefore, they are to be wiped with the same wet hands

immediately after wiping the hair (without applying additional water);

which is evident from another hadith of Abu Dawud wherein Ar-Rabee

bint Mu'awwidh reported: "The Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H.), Wiped his

head; i.e., the ears in this instance, with water remaining in his

hand." The ears are being referred to when the word "head" is

mentioned in this hadith; because, the statement "with water remaining

in his hand" cannot apply to the initial wiping of the head which must

be performed by initially wetting the hands. Furthermore, a third

hadith by Abu Dawud, regarding the method of performing wudu,

maintains that Abdullah ibn Amr reportedly said, "Then he, the

Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H.) wiped his head and entered his two

forefingers into his ears and wiped the backs of his ears with his

thumbs."

Important note: The wiping of both feet during the final step

of wudu can either be performed at this time or delayed until the very

end of the ghusl process; because, ahadith support both methods as

being the sunnah of the prophet (P.B.U.H.). The evidence for wiping

the feet during the wudu phase of the ghusl process is a hadith in the

collection of Bukhari wherein Aisha reportedly said: "When the

Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H.) did ghusl in the case of janabah, he

would start by washing his hands, then he would pour water with his

right hand into his left and wash his private part. He would then

perform wudu as for prayer. Next he would take water and make it reach

the roots of his hair, using his fingers. When he saw that it was

thoroughly wetted, he would pour three handfuls of water over his

head. Then he would pour water over the rest of his body." Thus

according to this hadith, there is no mentioning of wiping the feet at

the end of the process. However, another hadith by Bukhari clearly

shows that the Prophet (P.B.U.H.) waited until the very end of the

ghusl process to wipe his feet with water. This fact can be seen from

the hadith of Bukhari wherein Maimuna narrated: "Allah's Apostle

(P.B.U.H.) [while performing ghusl] performed ablution like that for

the prayer but did not wash his feet. He washed off the discharge from

his private parts and then poured water over his body. He withdrew his

feet from that place (the place where he took the bath) and then

washed them. And that was his way of taking the bath of Janabah."

Thus, immediately after wiping the head, instead of proceeding with

wiping the feet, the individual performing ghusl can choose to delay

the wiping of the feet with water and proceed with pouring three

handfuls of water onto their head and scrubbing the scalp and hair

with the fingers of both hands.

STEP 7: POUR WATER INTO THE RIGHT HAND. THEN

JOIN BOTH HANDS TOGETHER IN ORDER TO WET THE

HAIR AND SCALP OF THE HEAD. NEXT, PROCEED BY

SCRUBBING THE HAIR AND SCALP WITH THE WET

FINGERS UNTIL THE ROOTS OF THE HAIR AND SCALP

BECOMES WET FROM THE WATER.

The proof for the practice scrubbing the scalp with the

fingertips at the conclusion of the wudu phase of ghusl is a hadith in

the collection of Bukhari in which Aisha narrated: "Whenever the

Prophet (P.B.U.H.) took a bath after Janaba he started by washing his

hands and then performed ablution like that for the prayer. After that

he would put his fingers in water and move the roots of his hair with

them..."

STEP 8: POUR 3 HANDFULLS OF WATER OVER THE HEAD.

The proof for this practice is the hadith of Bukhari, wherein

Aisha reported: "When the Prophet (P.B.U.H.) used to take a bath while

Junub, he would start by washing both hands, then with his right hand

he would pour water into his (cupped) left hand and wash his private

parts, then he would perform Wudu, like the Wudu of Salat, then he

would take water and run his fingers through the roots of his hair

until the water had reached the scalp, he would then scoop water up

with both hands and pour it over his head three times..."

STEP 9: POUR WATER OVER THE HEAD AND THE ENTIRE

BODY BEGINNING WITH THE RIGHT SIDE.

The proof for this practice is the hadith of Bukhari, wherein

Maimuna narrated: "I placed water for the bath of Allah's Apostle and

he poured water over his hands and washed them twice or thrice; then

he poured water with his right hand over his left and washed his

private parts (with his left hand). He rubbed his hand over the earth

and rinsed his mouth and washed his nose by putting water in it and

blowing it out. After that he washed his face, both forearms and head

thrice and then poured water over his body..." Also, the evidence for

beginning with the right side of the body first is the hadith

collected by Bukhari wherein Ayesha related: "The Messenger of Allah

(P.B.U.H.) used to like to start with the right side when putting on

his sandals, combing his hair, engaging in his ritual purifications,

and in all of his activities."

STEP 10: WASH THE FEET (INCLUDING BETWEEN THE

TOES) UP TO THE ANKLES, BEGINNING WITH THE RIGHT

The proof for this practice is a hadith collected by Bukhari

wherein Maimuna narrated: "I placed water for the bath of the Prophet

(P.B.U.H.). He washed his hands twice or thrice and then poured water

on his left hand and washed his private parts. He rubbed his hands

over the earth (and cleaned them), rinsed his mouth, washed his nose

by putting water in it and blowing it out, washed his face and both

forearms and then poured water over his body. Then he withdrew from

that place and washed his feet." What is more, another hadith

collected by Bukhari reports that Maymuna bint al-Harith reportedly

said, "I put down water for the Prophet (P.B.U.H.) to perform ghusl

and screened him. He poured water onto his hands and washed them. Then

he poured water onto his left hand with his right hand and washed his

private parts. Then he struck his hand on the earth and wiped it and

then washed it. Then he rinsed out his mouth and cleaned his nose by

sniffing up and blowing out and washed his face and arms. Then he

poured water over his head and poured it over his body. Then he moved

to one side and washed his feet. He left shaking the water from his

hands."

The evidence for beginning with the right foot and washing

between the toes is the hadith of Imam Muslim, wherein Humran, the

freed slave of Uthman reportedly said: "Uthman b. Affan called for

ablution water and this is how he performed the ablution. He ...

washed his right foot up to the ankle three times, then washed his

left foot like that, and then said: 'I saw the Messenger of Allah

(P.B.U.H.) perform ablution like this ablution of mine...'" In

addition, a hadith collected by Tirmidhi reports: "Ibn Abbas

reportedly said that when the Messenger of Allah performed ablution,

he would run his fingers through his fingers and toes..."

THE COMPLETION OF GHUSL

After one has completed their ghusl, they are permitted to apply

soap, shampoo, or any other cleaning agent to their body and hair. One

can also use a towel because they are now basically taking a

traditional shower. However, to reiterate, nothing is required to

perform ghusl except one sa’a of water.