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The Importance of Cleanliness in Hajj
Author : Dr. Safwan Odaybat
Date Added : 30-09-2024

 

 

All perfect praise be to Allah the Lord of the Worlds. May His peace and blessings be upon Prophet Mohammad and upon all his family and companions.

When we read Allah's Words (What means): "O children of Adam, take your adornment at every masjid." [Al-A'raf/31], we understand Islam's emphasis on cleanliness for the Muslim at every act of worship. The verse instructs the believer to adorn themselves before every prayer. Why before every prayer? Because prayer is a meeting between the servant and their Lord, and it is not befitting for a Muslim, who intends to meet Allah, to be negligent in their external and internal cleanliness. Furthermore, praying in the mosque is a communal gathering for the worship of Allah, so if one person neglects their body or clothing's cleanliness, they may harm others around them.

Hajj is one of the greatest acts of worship in Islam. A Muslim exerts effort in preparing themselves to perform this obligation, and they may travel from faraway places, bearing the difficulties of travel with a good spirit, hoping to reach the sacred lands. Their heart is filled with hope to perform the Tawaf around the Kaaba, the Sa’i between Safa and Marwah, to pray in the two holy mosques, stand in Arafat, stay in Mina and Muzdalifah, and throw the pebbles — all while imploring Allah for acceptance and His pleasure. However, is it befitting for such a Muslim, who strives for inner purity, to neglect their outer cleanliness?

Islam is the religion of cleanliness and purity, and Allah the Almighty loves those who purify themselves, as He Says in His Book (What means): "Indeed, Allah loves those who are constantly repentant and loves those who purify themselves" [Al-Baqarah/222]. Purity includes the purity of the heart, body, and environment. A Muslim's heart is pure from hatred and malice, their body is pure from dirt and impurities, and their environment is kept clean, whether in their home, mosque, or on the street — and certainly, in the holiest of places: Mecca, Medina, and the sites of Hajj, where people gather from all over the world.

Cleanliness is part of faith. It brings joy to the hearts of believers and brings ease to the spirits of Muslims. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Cleanliness invites towards faith, and faith accompanies its companion to Paradise." [Al-Tabarani in Al-Awsat). Cleanliness is also a form of Da’wah (Inviting people to the religion of Islam), inviting the world to see: "We are the most refined of nations; look at our cleanliness during Hajj despite the millions of people." Muslims returning from Hajj share with others stories of the cleanliness of the pilgrims of the Sacred House, showing how Muslims stand out among the people. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "You are coming to meet your brothers, so improve your gear and clothing so that you stand out like a beauty spot among people, for Allah does not like vulgarity or indecency" [Abu Dawood].

Yes: "so that you stand out like a beauty spot among people". A beauty spot is a distinct, aesthetically pleasing feature on the body. Similarly, a true Muslim is distinguished in everything — in cleanliness, in their walk, in their speech, and in their actions. This way, they stand out like a beauty spot among the people.

Once, someone criticized Abu Al-Hasan Al-Shadhili for his beautiful appearance while that person was dressed in shabby clothing. Abu Al-Hasan responded: "My appearance says 'Alhamdulillah,' while your appearance says 'Give me from your worldly possessions.'"

Let us make the Hajj season a school where we learn cleanliness in all its meanings: cleanliness of the heart, cleanliness of the body, and cleanliness of the environment. Let us be role models for others in this regard, so that the whole world may learn from us the meaning of cleanliness when they witness and hear about the cleanliness of Muslims during Hajj. This is a great door of invitation to Allah.

When we return from Hajj, we should be the cleanest of people, reflecting that cleanliness in our homes, streets, and environments. This way, we take steps towards Islamic advancement and civilizational progress. Praise be to Allah for His bounty and peace and blessings be upon the purest of all creation, our Master Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him.

 

The published article reflects the opinion of its author

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Summarized Fatawaa

What is the ruling on performing the night prayer (*qiyām al-layl*) between the first and second adhān of Fajr? And which is better: delaying the prayer until shortly before the Fajr adhān, or performing it earlier than that?

 

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
The time for night prayer (qiyām al-layl) begins after the Maghrib prayer and lasts until the second adhān of Fajr. The best time for it is the last third of the night, and best of all are the fourth and fifth sixths of the night. If the night is divided into two halves, the latter half is better.
Whoever intends to pray at night is encouraged to delay the Witr until he has prayed the night prayer. If he knows that he will not wake up, it is better for him to pray and perform Witr before sleeping, so that he does not miss both the night prayer and the Witr.
It is stated in Mughnī al-Muḥtāj (Vpl.1/p.462): “I say: The voluntary prayer of the night, that is, the absolute voluntary prayer (al-nafl al-muṭlaq), is better than the absolute voluntary prayer of the day, because of the report in Muslim: ‘The best prayer after the obligatory prayer is the night prayer.’ In another narration of his: ‘In the night there is an hour that no Muslim man meets while asking Allah for any good of this world and the next except that He gives it to him, and that is every night.’ It is also because the night is a time of heedlessness. I restricted the voluntary prayer to the absolute kind following the commentator, although what the ḥadīth and the underlying meaning require is that the night rawātib be preferred over the day rawātib, since the jurists preferred the two rakʿahs of Fajr over everything except Witr. The middle of the night is better than its two ends if it is divided into thirds, because heedlessness is greatest then and worship is hardest. If he wishes to pray during some third, the best is the fourth and fifth sixths, based on the ḥadīth in the two Ṣaḥīḥs: ‘The most beloved prayer to Allah the Exalted is the prayer of Dāwūd: he would sleep half the night, stand for a third of it, and sleep for a sixth.’ Then the latter part is better than the first if he divides it into two halves, because of the saying of Allah the Exalted: ‘And in the hours before dawn they would ask forgiveness’ [al-Dhāriyāt: 18], and the report of the two Shaykhs: ‘Our Lord, Blessed and Exalted, descends,’ meaning His command descends, ‘to the lowest heaven when the last third of the night remains, and says: Who calls upon Me, that I may answer him? Who asks of Me, that I may give him? Who seeks My forgiveness, that I may forgive him?’”
It is also stated in ʿUmdat al-Sālik (p. 60): “It is better to perform it [the Witr] immediately after the sunnah of ʿIshāʾ, unless he has tahajjud, in which case it is better to delay it so that he performs Witr after it. If he performs Witr and then wishes to pray tahajjud, he prays two rakʿahs at a time and does not repeat the Witr, nor does he need to cancel it with a single rakʿah before the tahajjud. It is recommended that he not deliberately pray after it.”
Qiyām al-layl is a term applied to any prayer performed at night. Tahajjud, on the other hand, refers to the night prayer that follows sleep, whether it is prayed after Maghrib or after ʿIshāʾ, or the prayer performed after ʿIshāʾ without sleep. On this basis, the Witr is also called tahajjud, since it is only prayed after ʿIshāʾ.
It is stated in al-Majmūʿ (Vol.4/p.84): “The sound position, as stated in al-Umm and al-Mukhtaṣar, is that the Witr is called tahajjud.”
It is stated in Nihāyat al-Zayn (Vol.1/p.114): “Among the absolute voluntary prayers is qiyām al-layl. If it is performed after sleep, even during the time of Maghrib and after having prayed ʿIshāʾ early (taqdīman), it is called tahajjud.”
And it is stated in Ḥāshiyat al-Bujayrimī ʿalā al-Khaṭīb (Vol.1/p.418): “His statement: ‘(the night prayer)’: the genitive construction (iḍāfah) carries the sense of fī, meaning a prayer in the night. His statement: ‘(it would be more fitting)’: the reason it is more fitting is that the night prayer includes both tahajjud and other prayers.” And Allah Almighty knows best.

How many Rak`ahs (unit of prayer) are offered in Witr prayer?

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of The Worlds                                                                                                                                                                  Witr (an odd number prayer performed between Isha`a and Fajr) is offered with a minimum of one Rak`ah, and a maximum of eleven, but offering three Rak`ahs is the minimum of its complete form. And Allah Knows Best.

What are the conditions for a valid Udhiyah?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
First: The age of the animal must meet the Sharia requirements. These requirements vary depending on the type of sacrifice:
 
Camels: Must have completed five years and entered their sixth.
 
Cows: Must have completed two years and entered their third.
 
Goats: Must have completed two years and entered their third. As for Sheep, they must have completed one year and entered their second.
 
Some scholars have permitted goats that have completed one year and entered their second.
 
The Hanafi school, along with an opinion in the Maliki school, permits sacrificing sheep that are at least six months old, provided they are healthy and physically substantial. According to the Shafi’i school, it is permissible if the sheep sheds its front teeth (ajdha') before reaching one year [Al-Iqna’, by Al-Shirbini (Vol.2/P.588)].
 
Second: Soundness and freedom from defects. The animal must be free from any defect that causes a decrease in its meat or market value. This is based on the hadith narrated by Al-Bara' bin 'Azib, that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
 
"Four [defects] are not permissible in sacrifices: A one-eyed animal whose blindness is evident, a sick animal whose illness is evident, a lame animal whose lameness is evident, and an emaciated animal that has no marrow in its bones." [Reported by Abu Dawood and Al-Tirmidhi, who graded it as authentic].
 
These defects are detailed as follows:
 
Evident Lameness: It is not permissible to sacrifice a lame animal if the lameness is severe enough to prevent it from walking to the pasture or seeking food, as this leads to a decrease in its meat. However, slight lameness that does not hinder its grazing is overlooked.
 
Evident Blindness (One-eyed): It is not permissible to sacrifice a sheep, cow, or camel that has a white film over its eye blocking light, or one that has lost an eye entirely. Weak vision that does not affect its ability to eat does not prevent the sacrifice from being valid.
 
Evident Illness: An animal with a clear sickness that prevents it from eating or moving is not valid. This includes severe mange (Jarab) that spoils the meat.
 
Extreme Emaciation: An animal so thin that there is no marrow left in its bones is invalid. The standard for emaciation that invalidates the sacrifice is that which spoils the quality of the meat to the point that people would find it undesirable even in times of plenty.
 
Additional Considerations:
These are the defects mentioned in the Prophetic tradition, and any defect that causes emaciation or reduces the meat or value is compared to them by analogy. This includes animals that are mentally unstable (diseased), those with mange, or those with a missing ear. In contrast, a slit or pierced ear does not affect the validity of the sacrifice. And Allah the Almighty knows best.

What is the amount of food to be given to a needy person for fidyah and kaffarah?

The amount of food to be given to a needy person is 600 grams of wheat or rice.
According to the Hanafi school, it is permissible to give the monetary equivalent instead, and this is the ruling issued by the General Iftaa` Department.

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