Basic Islam Guide
How to perform Ghusl Bath in Islam
NOTE : ALL YOUR PRAYERS ARE INVALID IF YOUR GHUSL IS NOT CORRECT.
Ghusl means bath..
Method Of Ghusal(Bath)
Before making Ghusl one should make Niyyah (intention) thus: - "I am performing Ghusl so as to become Paak." Without Niyyah, there is no Thawaab (reward) although Ghusl will be valid. Ghusl should be made in a place of total privacy and one should not face towards the Kiblah while making Ghusl. Ghusl may be performed standing or seated, preferably seated. Use sufficient water, don't skimp nor be wasteful. One should abstain from speaking while performing Ghusl. It is better not to read any Kalimah or Aayah while bathing. Be aware of these rules whilst making Ghusl.
Procedure for performing ghusl
Wash both hands up to and including wrists.
Wash the private parts. The hands and private parts should be washed even if one is not in the state of Janaabat or Najaasat.
If there is Najaasat elsewhere on the body, it should now be washed off.
Perform Wudhu (Read separate pamphlet for Wudhu according to Sunnah). If making Ghusl on a stool or platform where water will rapidly flow away, and then perform the complete Wudhu. If there is fear of the feet being immersed in wastewater during the Ghusl then postpone the washing of the feet to the end of the Ghusl.
Ensure that the mouth and nostrils are thoroughly rinsed thrice.
After performing Wudhu, pour water over the head thrice;
Then pour thrice over right shoulder and;
Thrice again over left shoulder.
Now pour water over entire body and rub.
If the hair of the head is not plaited, it is compulsory to wet all the hair up to the very base. If a single hair is left dry, Ghusl will not be valid. If the hair of a woman is plaited, she is excused from loosening her plaited hair, but it is compulsory for her to wet the base of each and every hair. If one fails to do this then the Ghusl will not be valid. As for men who grow long hair and plait them, they are NOT excused from leaving their hair dry. If a woman experiences difficulty or is unable to wet the very bottom of her plaited hair, then it is necessary for her to unplaite her hair and wash her entire head.
It is Mustahab (preferable) to clean the body by rubbing it.
All parts of the body should be rubbed with the hand so as to ensure that water has reached all parts of the body, and that no portion is left dry.
Rings and earrings, etc. should be moved so as to ensure that no portion covered by them is left dry. Ensure that the navel and the ears are all wetted. If they are not wet Ghusl will be incomplete.
On completion one should confine oneself to a clean place. If, while performing Wudhu, the feet had been washed, it is not necessary to wash them again.
Dry the body with a clean towel, and dress as hastily as possible.
If, after Ghusl, one recalls that a certain portion of the body is left dry, it is not necessary to repeat the Ghusl, but merely wash the dry portion. It is not sufficient to pass a wet hand over the dry place. If one has forgotten to rinse the mouth or the nostrils, these too could be rinsed when recalled after Ghusl has been performed.
he three Faraa'ids (compulsory acts) of Ghusl are:
To rinse the mouth in such a manner that water reaches the entire mouth.
To rinse the nostrils up to the ending of the fleshy part.
To completely wet the whole body. When one performs these Faraa'id intentionally or unintentionally Ghusl will be valid
Kalimas In Islam
There are SIX kalimas in Islam...
The Kalimahs came into existence to facilitate the easy memorising and learning of Aqeedah (beliefs). It has no Shar’ee compulsion as far as its memorising is concerned. When they came into existence is not known.
A true Muslim is someone who is completely aware of the meaning of the Kalima, proclaims it with sincerity and devotion, and acts and lives in accordance to its requirements.
Kalima-e-Tayyabah (Word of Purity)
Pronunciation: Laaa Ilaaha Illa-llaahu Muhammadur-Rasoolu-llaah
Translation: There is none worthy of worship except Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.
Kalima-e-Shahaadat (Word of Testimony)
Pronunciation: Ash-hadu Al-laaa Ilaaha Illa-llaahu Wahdahoo Laa Shareeka Lahoo Wa-Ash-hadu Anna Muhammadan 'Abduhoo Wa Rasooluhu.
Translation: I bear witness that none is worthy of worship but Allah, the One alone, without partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger.
Kalima-e-Tamjeed (Word of Glorification)
Pronunciation: Subhaana-llaahi Walhamdu Lillaahi Walaaa Ilaaha Illa-llaahu Wallaahu Akbar. Walaa Hawla Walaa Quwwata Illaa Billaahi-l 'Aliyyil 'Azeem.
Translation: Glory be to Allah and praise to Allah and there is none worthy of worship but Allah, and Allah is the Greatest. And there is no might or power except with Allah, the Exalted, the Great One.
Kalima-e-Tauhid (Word of Unification)
Pronunciation: Laaa Ilaaha Illa-llaahu Wahdahoo Laa Shareeka-lahoo Lahu-l Mulku Walahu-l Hamdu Yuhyee Wayumeetu Wahuwa Hayyu-l Laa Yamootu Abadan Abada. Dhu-l Jalaali Wal Ikraam. Biyadihil Khair. Wahuwa Alaa Kulli Shai-'in Qadeer.
Translation: There is none worthy of worship except Allah. He is alone and has no partner. To Him belongs the Kingdom and for Him is all praise. He gives life and causes death. In His hand is all good and He has power over everything.
Kalima-e-Astaghfar (Word of Penitence)
Pronunciation: Astaghfiru-llaaha Rabbi Min Kulli Dhambin Adhnabtuhoo 'Amadan Aw Khata-an Sirran Aw 'Alaaniyata-wn Wa-atoobu Ilaihi Min-adh Dhambi-l Ladhee A'lamu Wamina-dh Dhambi-l Ladhi Laaa A'lamu Innaka Anta 'Allaamu-l Ghuyoobi Wasattaaru-l 'Uyoobi Wa Ghaffaaru-dh Dhunubi Walaa Hawla Walaa Quwwata Illaa Billaahi-l 'Aliyyil 'Azeem.
Translation: I seek forgiveness from Allah, who is my Creator and Cheriser, from every sin I committed knowingly or unknowingly, secretly or openly. I also seek His forgiveness for all sins which I am aware of or am not aware of. Certainly You (O Allah!), are the Knower of the hidden and the Concealer of mistakes and the Forgiver of sins. And there is no power and no strength except with Allah, the Most High, the Most Great.
Kalima-e-Rud-e-Kuffr (Word of Rejection of Disbelief)
Pronunciation: Allaa-humma Inneee A'udhu-bika Min An Ushrika Bika Shay-awn Wa-ana A'lamu Bihee Wa-astaghfiruka Limaa Laaa A'lamu Bihee Tubtu 'Anhu Wata-barraatu Mina-l Kufri Wash-shirki Wal-kidhbi Wal-gheebati Wal-bid'ati Wan-nameemati Wal-fawahishi Wal-buhtaani Wal-m'aasi Kulli-haa Wa-Aslamtu Wa-aqoolu Laaa Ilaaha Illa-llaahu Muhammadu-r Rasoolu-llah.
Translation: O Allah! Certainly I seek protection with You from, that I associate partner with You anything and I know it. And I seek forgiveness from You for that I do not know it. I repended from it and I made myself free from disbelief and polytheism and the falsehood and the back-biting and the innovation and the tell-tales and the bad deeds and the blame and the disobedience, all of them. And I submit and I say (there is) none worthy of worship except Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) Is Our Perfect Role Model
The Perfect Fit !
All praise belongs to Allah, Creator of the Heavens and the Earth, Knower of the seen and unseen, Sustainer of the perfect balance of the Universe and all its inhabitants. He Alone we worship and His Aid Alone do we seek. He Alone turns in kindness to the servant who has as many sins as there are grains of sand on any beach and drops of water in any ocean. His Mercy outweighs His Wrath and His Justice will always prevail. Entirely dependent are we on His Everlasting Grace and forever do we yearn in this life to attain His Pleasure and earn His Love. Such is the Supreme Achievement.
May the most perfect peace and blessings be upon His Beloved Emissary, the Seal of the Prophets, a Mercy to the Worlds. His birth will be forever marked in the history of the Earth as its happiest moment, and his death will be marked as its most mournful. He is the perfect example, and any who strive with might and main to align their life in accordance with his sunnah will reap the benefit of this struggle, by the Will of Allah, both in this life and the Next. On the Day when our every sin and shameful deed will be displayed before all of creation and its Creator, it will be his intercession that we will yearn for, and he –out of his overwhelming mercy and love for his nation- will refuse the sweetness of Jannah until every member of his ummah is removed from the Hell they placed themselves in. It is due to the barakah of his beloved presence on this Earth that any of us weep for the sake of Allah and that imaan has entered any of our unworthy hearts.
Amma ba’d.
Imagine the following scenario: You have a shirt which you simply love. It fits you perfectly, looks great, falls just right, it’s your favourite colour and is made out of your favourite material. No other shirt you own comes close to this one. You decide that you want another made, so you give it to a tailor and tell him, “Here’s my favourite shirt. I want you to make me the exact same one.” When you return to retrieve it he gives you a shirt that’s the wrong colour, too short and made of polyester. You don’t like polyester. Naturally you’re not going to be pleased. You’ll probably tell the tailor, “I’m not paying you for this. It’s nothing like my favourite shirt. Take it back and make it again.”
Such will be the case on the Day of Judgment. Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala created His favourite being, His perfect creation, His beloved Messenger Muhammad ibn ‘Abdallah salAllahu ‘alayhi wasallim, and He commanded us to follow in his blessed example. He is the perfect mold, the perfect design for us to shape our lives after. Everything about him salAllahu ‘alayhi wasallim, from the way he wore his hair to the way he made du’a to the way he sat while he ate, each aspect of his internal and external self was made to perfection by Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala earning him the title of Habibullah, the beloved of Allah.
When we stand before Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala on that fateful Day, we will be measured and judged against the model of our beloved Prophet salAllahu ‘alayhi wasallim. Allah subhaanahu wa ta’aala will show us our heart, point out the spot of envy on it and ask us about it. Such a spot was never found on the heart of the Messenger salAllahu ‘alayhi wasallim. He subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala will look at our limbs and see how often we made wudu. If they are shining with nur like the limbs of our beloved Prophet salAllahu ‘alayhi wasallim He will be pleased with us, by His Grace and Mercy. But if our limbs are dark and dry, devoid of the barakah of wudu, then He is Most Just and may well carry out His Justice.
Now imagine- if you would refuse to pay a few dollars to the tailor who messed up your shirt, why should Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala pay us Jannah for a body and soul soiled with anything other than sunnah? It’s no different, except in one way: the tailor may say he wasn’t given enough time and may thus receive a second chance at making the shirt, but we will not be given such an opportunity. We were given a lifetime, which is nothing but time, and told to groom ourselves in accordance with the perfect example. If we want Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala to purchase our souls for Jannah, then we should eat, drink, sleep, walk, talk, breath and live the sunnah of our beloved Prophet salAllahu ‘alayhi wasallim.
We know now, as we did before, that following the sunnah of the beloved Messenger salAllahu ‘alayhi wasallim is of utmost importance. Now how do we turn that knowledge into action? One of the biggest and most powerful driving factors in any action has been, still is and always will be love. Clichéd as it may sound, the proof is all around us. Anyone who is married or has seen a sibling or close friend get married has witnessed the power of love. An ordinary man becomes completely lost in his woman. He wants nothing more than to be by her side every moment of everyday. Should she desire something, he is ready to swim the seven seas to bring it for her. Should she dislike something, he wants nothing to do with it. She fills his mind and heart, as he thinks about her morning and night, and desires no human’s company more than hers.
Such should be the love every Muslim pours upon our beloved Prophet salAllahu ‘alayhi wasallim. How can we help it? How can we not be obsessive in our love for the Messenger of Allah, salAllahu ‘alayhi wasallim? The rest of creation understands who he is. The tree from which he used to deliver khutbahs wept in agony over separation from the beloved of Allah, salAllahu ‘alayhi wasallim. The clouds above couldn’t resist keeping their course in line with that of the beloved Prophet salAllahu ‘alayhi sallim, moving when he moved, stopping when he stopped, to shade him from the heat of the burning sun. Each drop of water that fell from his blessed skin while he made wudu cries out in bitter longing for reconnection with that sweet taste. Should all the beauty in the world be gathered together it would cower in shame before the beauty and perfection of our Prophet, Muhammad salAllahu ‘alayhi wasallim.
As if his perfection and status before Allah subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala is not enough to make us deeply in love with him salAllahu ‘alayhi wasallim, we have his love for us as another inspiration. He salAllahu ‘alayhi wasallim used to worry about us. He would fear for us and our deen. Thoughts of you and I would fill his blessed mind with concern and compassion. So much so, that he salAllahu ‘alayhi wasallim would raise his perfect hands before Allah ‘azza wa jal and would weep to Him, would cry to Him… he would beg Allah and plead with Allah to keep us firm on the Path to Him. He who is most beloved to Allah, who would be gifted the very heavens had he asked for them, cried to Allah saying, “Ummati! Ummati!” He cried for disobedient, neglectful servants like you and I, so that we would stay on the path of Islam and hold fast to the message he brought to us from our True Beloved subhaanahu wa ta ‘aala. Tears of worry would stream down his beautiful face and fill his beard out of concern that we might stray from the perfection of Laa ilaaha ilAllah Muhammad Rasul Allah.
As servants of Allah, we now plead to Him that He grant us the ability to hold firmly onto the rope of sunnah and to continue climbing to Him no matter what we may face in this temporary world. Oh Allah, please let us not disgrace our beloved Messenger salAllahu ‘alayhi wasallim on that Day. Let us not be a cause for his having to delay entrance into Jannah. Ya Allah, please fill our limbs and hearts with the nur of sunnah, so that we may become more beloved to You. Ya Allah, let us be among those who weep to you in the predawn hours, as it is so beloved to You that You made it fard upon our Prophet salAllahu ‘alayhi wasallim. Ya Razzaaq, we have strayed from the sunnah of Your Messenger. We have abandoned that which so many ‘ulema spent their lives protecting and spreading. We have become the distant servants Your beloved Messenger feared we would become. Ya Allah, please rectify our condition. Ya Muqallib al quloob, empty our hearts of the love of this world and fill them with love for You, Your Messenger, his companions and all the rightly guided who ever lived and will ever live until the Day of Judgment. Ya muqallib al quloob, make firm our hearts on Your Deen. Ya Dhal Jalaali w’al Ikraam, we are helpless creatures. Our lives and souls lie in Your Beloved Hands. If You do not help us and save us from ourselves, we will truly be lost. Ya Samee’u Ya Tawwaab, we ask You, we beg You, we plead to You that You grant us the gift of sunnah… that You fill our every cell, from the follicles of our hair to the blood running through our veins, from the corners of our souls to the depths of our hearts with the sunnah of Your beloved Messenger salAllahu ‘alayhi wasallim, so that You may have reason to smile upon us on that Day, and purchase our longing souls for Jannat al-Firdous, so we may spend our Eternity in Your Beloved Company. Allahumma salli ‘alaa sayyidinaa Muhammad, wa ‘alaa aali sayyidina Muhammad, wa barik wasallim. Wa aakhiru da’waana anilhamdulillahi Rabbil ‘aalameen
Prophet Muhammad's Last Sermon
Date delivered: 632 A.C., 9th day of Dhul al Hijjah, 10 A.H.
Where: Uranah valley of Mount Arafat.
After praising, and thanking God, he said: "O People, listen well to my words, for I do not know whether, after this year, I shall ever be amongst you again. Therefore listen to what I am saying to you very carefully and TAKE THESE WORDS TO THOSE WHO COULD NOT BE PRESENT HERE TODAY.
O People, just as you regard this month, this day, this city as Sacred, so regard the life and property of every Muslim as a sacred trust. Return the goods entrusted to you to their rightful owners. Treat others justly so that no one would be unjust to you. Remember that you will indeed meet your LORD, and that HE will indeed reckon your deeds. God has forbidden you to take usury (riba), therefore all riba obligation shall henceforth be waived. Your capital , however, is yours to keep. You will neither inflict nor suffer inequity. God has judged that there shall be no riba and that all the riba due to `Abbas ibn `Abd al Muttalib shall henceforth be waived.
Every right arising out of homicide in pre-Islamic days is henceforth waived and the first such right that I waive is that arising from the murder of Rabi`ah ibn al Harith ibn `Abd al Muttalib.
O Men, the Unbelievers indulge in tampering with the calendar in order to make permissible that which God forbade, and to forbid that which God has made permissible. With God the months are twelve in number. Four of them are sacred, three of these are successive and one occurs singly between the months of Jumada and Sha`ban. Beware of the devil, for the safety of your religion. He has lost all hope that he will ever be able to lead you astray in big things, so beware of following him in small things.
O People, it is true that you have certain rights over your women, but they also have rights over you. Remember that you have taken them as your wives only under God's trust and with His permission. If they abide by your right then to them belongs the right to be fed and clothed in kindness. Treat your women well and be kind to them, for they are your partners and committed helpers. It is your right and they do not make friends with anyone of whom you do not approve, as well as never to be unchaste...
O People, listen to me in earnest, worship God (The One Creator of the Universe), perform your five daily prayers (Salah), fast during the month of Ramadan, and give your financial obligation (zakah) of your wealth. Perform Hajj if you can afford to.
All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over a black nor a black has any superiority over white except by piety and good action. Learn that every Muslim is a brother to every Muslim and that the Muslims constitute one brotherhood. Nothing shall be legitimate to a Muslim which belongs to a fellow Muslim unless it was given freely and willingly. Do not, therefore, do injustice to yourselves.
Remember, one day you will appear before God (The Creator) and you will answer for your deeds. So beware, do not stray from the path of righteousness after I am gone.
O People, NO PROPHET OR MESSENGER WILL COME AFTER ME AND NO NEW FAITH WILL BE BORN. Reason well, therefore, O People, and understand words which I convey to you. I am leaving you with the Book of God (the QUR'AN*) and my SUNNAH (the life style and the behavioral mode of the Prophet), if you follow them you will never go astray.
All those who listen to me shall pass on my words to others and those to others again; and may the last ones understand my words better than those who listen to me directly. Be my witness O God, that I have conveyed your message to your people.
The Qur'an: Revealed to Prophet Muhammad during the period from 610-632 AC. The first five verses revealed are: (1) Read in the name of your Lord, Who created. (2) Created man out of a clot that clings (in the womb). (3) Read and your Lord is the Most Bountiful. (4) Who taught by the pen. (5) Taught man that which he knew not.
