Taharah, in Islamic context, means purification or cleanliness. It involves cleansing and removing impurity (Najas) from one’s body, clothes, prayer mats, and places of worship.
Taharah is the purification from both minor and major impurities. It includes the purification of the soul and heart from sinful practices. Physical purification involves using clean and pure water, which should be free from colour, taste, and smell, and devoid of impurities like urine, rose, vinegar, perfume, milk, and more.
Clean water sources include rain, wells, zamzam, streams, lakes, seas, springs, and rivers. In the absence of clean water, one can resort to clean soil, sand, stones, or other pure substances for tayammum (dry ablutions).
Modes of Purification
There are three major modes of Taharah:
- Wudu (water ablutions).
- Ghusl (ritual bath).
- Tayammum (dry ablutions).
Read: The Meaning of Fasting in Islam and the People Exempted from Fasting
Kinds of Taharah
There are two main kinds of Taharah:
- Taharah from Najasah: Purification from physical impurities that may defile the body, garments, or places of worship.
- Taharah from Hadath: Purification from minor and major impurities, with minor impurities removed through wudu or tayammum, while major impurities require ghusl.
Importance of Taharah
- It is the foundation without which one’s acts of worship are considered invalid.
- It is an act of worship that earns significant rewards from Allah.
- It is half of faith, as emphasized by the Prophet (peace be upon him).
- Purification is a sign of faith and serves to cancel one’s previous sins.
- It promotes good health, making life more pleasant.
- It is essential for gaining Allah’s pleasure and love, as well as the love and respect of others, as cleanliness is highly regarded in Islam.