Fiqh Qualification | Maliki School | Acts of Worship 1 | Purity 1

Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh) books are generally divided into four main sections: Acts of Worship (Salah, Zakat, Sawm, Hajj, Jihad), Marriage (Nikah, divorce, child support, custody), Transactions (sales, rentals, charities, guarantees), and Judiciary (judgments, testimonies, criminal penalties). The Maliki school places marriage before transactions, while others do the opposite, based on what they consider more essential after correctly performing acts of worship.

The 'Acts of Worship' section is the largest, covering essential practices that touch many Muslims' lives. It includes chapters on ritual purity (taharah), prayer (Salah), charity (Zakat), fasting (Sawm), and pilgrimage (Hajj). Additionally, it encompasses supplementary worship acts like vows, oaths, and competitions, which are considered acts of closeness to Allah.

Prayer, defined as specific words and actions starting with 'Takbir' and ending with 'Taslim,' is a cornerstone of Islam. This section will cover its conditions, obligations, recommended practices, desirable acts, disliked actions, nullifiers, and rules for mistakes. A key distinction is made between conditions (outside the prayer itself, like purity from dirt and spiritual impurity) and obligations (within the prayer, like intention, 'Takbir,' Surat Al-Fatiha, bowing, and prostrating). Conditions precede the ruling on prayer because they come before the act itself, ensuring the prayer is valid.

Conditions for prayer are categorized into conditions of obligation, conditions of validity, and conditions of both obligation and validity. A 'condition' is defined as that which necessitates absence upon its own absence, but its presence does not necessitate presence or absence. Conditions of obligation relate to who is responsible, such as adulthood, while conditions of validity ensure the prayer is acceptable, such as ritual purity. Some conditions, like soundness of mind and the entry of prayer time, are both conditions of obligation and validity.

Ritual purity (taharah) is a condition for the validity of prayer. Linguistically, it means cleanliness. Islamically, it is a legal attribute indicating purity from spiritual impurities (hadath) or physical impurities (khabath). Taharah from hadath (minor or major) involves actions like ablution (wudu) or ritual bath (ghusl), using clean water or, if excused, dry ablution (tayammum). Taharah from khabath involves removing physical impurities from the body, clothes, and place of prayer.

Water is classified based on its source (rain, snow, springs, rivers, seas) and its characteristics (color, taste, smell), which are used to determine its legal ruling. Water can be 'tahoor' (pure in itself and purifying for others), meaning it is naturally pure and remains so even if mixed with substances that do not affect its purifying ability or are difficult to avoid (e.g., changes due to minerals, algae, or storage). Tahoor water can be used for all acts of worship and daily life. Some tahoor water is disliked for use in worship if other water is available, such as previously used water for ablution or water with a small amount of impurity that didn't change its characteristics.

Water becomes 'impure' (ghayr tahoor) if its characteristics (color, taste, smell) are significantly altered by either a pure substance (making it 'tahir' but not purifying) or an impure substance (making it 'najis'). If altered by a pure substance, it can be used for daily activities but not for worship (e.g., flavored water). If altered by an impure substance, it becomes 'najis' (impure) and cannot be used for anything. Small amounts of impurity in little water, even if no change is observed, still make the water disliked for use without an underlying reason like extreme necessity.

Substances are categorized into pure and impure, affecting their use for worship and daily life. These include inanimate objects, living creatures, separated animal parts, and excretions. All living animals are considered pure in their essence, regardless of whether their meat is permissible to eat. Dead animals (except humans, sea creatures, and those with no flowing blood) are generally impure unless slaughtered according to Islamic law. This section details the purity of various animal excretions like tears, saliva, sweat, and different types of discharge like sperm, pre-seminal fluid, urine, and feces, specifying when they are pure or impure based on their source and condition.

All inanimate objects (trees, grass, rocks, etc.) are fundamentally pure, with the exception of intoxicating liquids. If an intoxicating liquid loses its intoxicating property, it becomes pure. Parts separated from a living animal are impure, except for wool, hair, and similar coverings that are shorn. Parts separated from a dead but ritually slaughtered or pure animal (like fish) are pure; otherwise, they are impure.

Utensils made of gold and silver are entirely prohibited for both men and women due to their extravagance and potential for arrogance. This includes items like plates, cups, and decorative objects. As for personal adornments, men are generally forbidden from wearing gold and silver, with specific exceptions such as a silver ring weighing no more than two dirhams, and the use of gold or silver for medical purposes like dental work. Women, however, are permitted to wear gold and silver ornaments as part of their adornment, as long as these are worn on the body. Items not typically worn, like kohl containers or combs made of gold or silver, are forbidden for women as well.