Imaam Ibn Qudaamah Al-Maqdisi rahimahullaah said:
Know verily that, purification can be classified into four degrees:
♦ Purification of the body from impurities.
♦ Purification of the organs from sins.
♦ Purification of the heart from immorality and its diseases.
♦ Purification of the unseen from others than Allah.
However, the last degree is the most superior among them which can only be attained by the one that has deep insight and understanding.
But whosoever has little understanding or knowledge, cannot recognize the degrees of purification aside the first degree.
One will see such a person wasting most of his time on external purification such as spending much time on washing his clothes, cleaning his shoes, maintaining the house etc.
The person thinks that purification is only restricted to the superficial purification.
And this is caused due to lack of knowledge and lack of knowing the seerah of the predecessors on how they spent their time on the purification of their heart of its diseases.
Furthermore, in what has to do with ablution and Tahaarah, he uses a lot of water thinking that it is part of the deen to use water in excess for ablution.
But using too much water for ablution and purification is against the sunnah of the Messenger of Allah – salallaahu alayhi wasallam.
By and large, purification can be divided into two segments:
• The First Segment.
Which has to do with the purification of the hair, ear, nose, and washing of the teeth from dirts or impurities.
And there is nothing wrong doing that in the bathroom.
However,it is disliked for one to enter a bath at sunset or between magrib and I’sha, for this is time that the shayaatin roam around.
Also one should not allow others to see his nakedness while in the bathroom, for this is abhorrent and disliked in Islam.
One should try to connect all his affairs in this dunya with the Hereafter.
If he is using electricity for cooking or for heating water for purification, then he should remember the heat of the hell which is of manifold and greater comparing to that of the dunya. Thus, he should hasten to safeguard himself from the hell.
Also If he happens to be in darkness during the night, he should remember the darkness of the grave.
And If he hears a heavy sound which makes him terrified, then he should remember the horror of the day of Resurrection.
Likewise, If Allah blesses him with the luxuries of the dunya, then he should know that the enjoyment of the Hereafter is greater.
• Second Segment:
Purification that has to do with the cutting of the mustache, plucking the hair of the armpit, cutting the fingernails and shaving the pubic hair.
It is disliked to cut the beard. But one can dye it either red color or yellow but black color is totally forbidden.
Allaahu A’alam
Baarakallaahu feekum
