In the Name of Allâh, the Rahmân, the Merciful
All praise belongs to Allâh, Lord of the worlds
Peace and blessings upon you, Apostle of Allâh
Allah, Holy and Exalted is He, says:
یٰۤاَیُّہَا الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا لَا تَقۡرَبُوا الصَّلٰوۃَ وَاَنۡتُمۡ سُکٰرٰی حَتّٰی تَعۡلَمُوۡا مَا تَقُوۡلُوۡنَ وَلَا جُنُبًا اِلَّا عَابِرِیۡ سَبِیۡلٍ حَتّٰی تَغۡتَسِلُوۡا
O you who believe! Approach not the Prayer if you are intoxicated until you know what you are saying. Nor when you are unclean, except when travelling on the road, until you have bathed
(Surah 4, Ayah 43)
یٰۤاَیُّہَا الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡۤا اِذَا قُمۡتُمۡ اِلَی الصَّلٰوۃِ فَاغۡسِلُوۡا وُجُوۡہَکُمۡ وَاَیۡدِیَکُمۡ اِلَی الۡمَرَافِقِ وَامۡسَحُوۡا بِرُءُوۡسِکُمۡ وَاَرۡجُلَکُمۡ اِلَی الۡکَعۡبَیۡنِ ؕ وَاِنۡ کُنۡتُمۡ جُنُبًا فَاطَّہَّرُوۡا
O you who believe! When you stand up for the Prayer, wash your faces, your hands up to your elbows, wipe your heads and (wash) your feet to the ankles. And if you are unclean then make purification
(Surah 5, Ayah 6)
These are the two Verses in the Holy Quran which ordain the practice of Wudu (ablution) and Ghusl (full-body ritual purification). Similar practices of ablution and full body ritual bathing were also ordained in the Mosaic Law, particularly for the Priests. Judaism preserves the practice of netilat yadayim (hand washing) and tebilah (full body immersion in a mikveh). In modern Judaism, a male is no required to immerse himself in a mikveh after a seminal discharge, because of sexual activity or otherwise in which he becomes ba’al keri, in order to recite the Shema, read from the Torah or offer prayers. This is in stark contrast to Islam, which does require men to perform Ghusl after a seminal discharge, due to sexual activity or a nocturnal emission in which he becomes junub, in order to offer the Prayer and recite or touch the Holy Quran. According to the Christian New Testament, Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for following the “tradition of the elders” in washing their hands before eating, and washing their utensils: “Then came together unto him the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes, which came from Jerusalem. And when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say, with unwashen, hands, they found fault. For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders. And when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, brasen vessels, and of tables. Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands? He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.” (Mark 7:1-8, KJV)
Other versions of the Christian Bible omit mention from Jesus of washing of pots and cups: “You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.” (Mark 7:8, NIV)
Ritual washing for purification is an integral part of true Religion and of the Islamic Shari’a. That Christianity has done away with it is an indication of its falsehood. In Islam, to study the matter of purity is beloved and necessary. Our books of Hadith and Law usually begin with the topic of purity, for instance, which water is purifying, what are the unclean substances which should be washed away if there are traces of it on the body, clothing, and how utensils and vessels are to be purified if they come into contact with something or someone unclean, etc. It is worship of God for a Believer to carefully study these matters and observe them scrupulously. The dangerous heresies of antinomianism and esotericism which have done away with observance of the Shari’a and have abandoned the Islamic method of worship, including the regulations about washing and purification, ought to be opposed harshly.