Cleanliness (Taharat)

The Holy Prophet has stated, “The key to paradise is Prayer (Salaat), and the key to Prayer is cleanliness.” (Saheeh Muslim). Here cleanliness means that the place of prayer and the person’s clothes should be clean. Furthermore, the person should be clean from the greater and smaller impurities – i.e. he should not be in need of a bath (Ghusl) and should be with ablution (Wuzu).

The Holy Prophet said: “The angels of mercy do not enter a house in which there is an image, a dog or a person in a state of greater impurity (Janabah).” (Abu Dawood).

The water to be used
Water used for bathing or for ablution must be in its natural state – i.e. free from color, smell, and taste. Furthermore, it must be unused. If the body is free from impurities, the water once used for bathing or ablution still remains pure, but cannot be used again for bathing or ablution. Similarly if one is in need of ablution or bath, and he dips or touches the water with any unwashed (un-purified) part of his body (finger, nail, hand, etc), it will render the water as used – and therefore not useful for ablution or bathing. Using such water for drinking or cooking is disliked (Makrooh). However, this water can be used for washing clothes.

In order to make “used” water capable of being used for bathing or ablution, add clean unused water in greater quantity to it – or simply pour more clean unused water into the utensil so that the utensil begins to overflow. This will make the entire water usable for bathing or ablution.