Purification

عن أبي مالكٍ الأشعريِّ رضي الله عنه قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: «الطُّهُورُ شَطْرُ الْإِيمَانِ، وَالْحَمْدُ لِلهِ تَمْلَأُ الْمِيزَانَ، وَسُبْحَانَ اللهِ وَالْحَمْدُ لِلهِ تَمْلَآنِ -أَوْ تَمْلَأُ- مَا بَيْنَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ، وَالصَّلَاةُ نُورٌ، وَالصَّدَقَةُ بُرْهَانٌ، وَالصَّبْرُ ضِيَاءٌ، وَالْقُرْآنُ حُجَّةٌ لَكَ أَوْ عَلَيْكَ، كُلُّ النَّاسِ يَغْدُو، فَبَايِعٌ نَفْسَهُ فَمُعْتِقُهَا أَوْ مُوبِقُهَا».

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) says that outward purification is attained by ablution and washing up, and it is required for prayer. And saying "al-hamdulillāh" fills the Scale. This is to praise Allah and ascribe the attributes of perfection to Him. This will be weighed on the Day of Judgment and fill the Scale of deeds. Saying "subhān Allah wa al-hamdulillāh" - which exalts Allah far above all deficiencies and ascribes to Him the complete perfection that befits His majesty, along with loving and extolling Him - fills what is between the heavens and the earth. "Prayer is light" for a person within his heart, on his face, in his grave, and on the Day of Judgment. "Charity is proof" and evidence for the sincerity of a believer's faith and it sets him apart from the hypocrite, who refrains from giving charity because he does not believe in the reward promised in return for it. "Patience is radiance," by refraining from exasperation and indignation, is radiance, which is light that comes with heat and burning, like the light of the sun. This is because patience is difficult and requires self-struggle and restraining oneself from one's desires. So, a patient person continues to have light and adhere to guidance and the right path. Patience is shown in observing Allah's commands, avoiding His prohibitions, and enduring afflictions and different forms of hardships in this world. And "the Qur’an is proof either for you," by reciting and acting upon it, or "against you," for abandoning it, without application or recitation. Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) mentioned that all people work and go about, and they get up from their sleep and go out for their different activities. Some of them hold onto obedience to Allah and thus save themselves from Hellfire. And some others deviate from that and commit sins, which ruin them by leading them to Hellfire.

• Purity is of two kinds: outward purity, which is attained by ablution and washing up, and inward purity, which is attained by Tawhīd (monotheism), faith, and righteous deeds.
• It points out the significance of observing the prayer, as it is light for people in this world and on the Day of Judgment.
• Charity is evidence of the sincerity of faith.
• It is important for a person to act upon the Qur’an and believe in it, so that it will be proof for him, not against him.
• If a person does not preoccupy himself with worship, he will preoccupy it with sin.
• Everyone must work, and one either saves his soul with obedience to Allah or destroys it with sins.
• Patience needs endurance and the pursuit of Allah's reward, and it involves hardship.

صحيح مسلم (1/ 203) (223)، شرح الأربعين لابن دقيق العيد (ص 84)، شرح الأربعين النووية للعثيمين (ص: 231)، الرياض الزكية شرح الأربعين النووية للخضير (ص 293)، فتح القوي المتين في شرح الأربعين للعباد (ص 79)

عن عثمان بن عفان رضي الله عنه قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: «مَنْ تَوَضَّأَ فَأَحْسَنَ الْوُضُوءَ خَرَجَتْ خَطَايَاهُ مِنْ جَسَدِهِ حَتَّى تَخْرُجَ مِنْ تَحْتِ أَظْفَارِهِ».

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informs that if a person performs ablution while observing its Sunnahs and etiquettes, this will cause his sins and misdeeds to be expiated and forgiven - to the extent that his sins will come out from under the nails of his hands and feet.

• The Hadīth urges us to be keen on learning the ablution and its Sunnahs and etiquettes and to act accordingly.
• It highlights the merit of ablution and that it expiates minor sins. As for major sins, they require repentance.
• For sins to come out of a person's body, he is required to perform ablution perfectly and without shortcomings, as illustrated by the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him).
• The expiation of sins mentioned in the Hadīth is conditional upon the avoidance of major sins and repentance therefrom. Allah Almighty says: {f you avoid the major sins[20] which are forbidden to you, We will absolve your [minor] sins.} [Surat an-Nisā’: 31]

صحيح مسلم (1/ 216) (245). شرح رياض الصالحين، لابن عثيمين (5/ 9). نزهة المتقين شرح رياض الصالحين، لمصطفى الخِن وغيره (2/ 763). بهجة الناظرين، سليم الهلالي (2/ 247).

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضيَ اللهُ عنهُ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: «إِذَا تَوَضَّأَ الْعَبْدُ الْمُسْلِمُ -أَوِ الْمُؤْمِنُ- فَغَسَلَ وَجْهَهُ خَرَجَ مِنْ وَجْهِهِ كُلُّ خَطِيئَةٍ نَظَرَ إِلَيْهَا بِعَيْنَيْهِ مَعَ الْمَاءِ -أَوْ مَعَ آخِرِ قَطْرِ الْمَاءِ-، فَإِذَا غَسَلَ يَدَيْهِ خَرَجَ مِنْ يَدَيْهِ كُلُّ خَطِيئَةٍ كَانَ بَطَشَتْهَا يَدَاهُ مَعَ الْمَاءِ -أَوْ مَعَ آخِرِ قَطْرِ الْمَاءِ-، فَإِذَا غَسَلَ رِجْلَيْهِ خَرَجَتْ كُلُّ خَطِيئَةٍ مَشَتْهَا رِجْلَاهُ مَعَ الْمَاءِ -أَوْ مَعَ آخِرِ قَطْرِ الْمَاءِ- حَتَّى يَخْرُجَ نَقِيًّا مِنَ الذُّنُوبِ».

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) clarified that when a Muslim or a believer performs ablution and washes his face during the ablution, every minor sin he looked at with his eyes comes out of his face with the water falling after washing or with the last drop of water. When he washes his hands, every minor sin he committed with his hands comes out of his hands with the water or with the last drop of water. When he washes his feet, every minor sin his feet walked towards comes out with the water or with the last drop of water, until he comes out cleansed of minor sins by the end of ablution.

• The merit of observing ablution and how it expiates sins.
• It was the Prophet's practice to encourage people toward acts of obedience and worship by mentioning the recompense and reward associated with them.
• Every part of a person's body is involved in certain sins; thus, each sin is attributed to the specific organ that committed it, and is washed away from each organ he has repented from.
• Ablution involves physical purification by washing the body parts included in ablution, as well as spiritual purification of the sins committed by those body parts.

صحيح مسلم (1/ 215) (244). كنوز رياض الصالحين، لمجموعة من الباحثين (3/ 108). شرح رياض الصالحين، لابن عثيمين (2/ 181). بهجة الناظرين شرح رياض الصالحين، لسليم الهلالي (1/ 208). نزهة المتقين شرح رياض الصالحين، لمجموعة من الباحثين (1/ 157).