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43- YOU WHO BELIEVE, DO NOT APPROACH SALAH WHILE YOU ARE DRUNK, SO THAT YOU MAY KNOW WHAT YOU SAY; NOR WHILE IMPURE UNTIL YOU WASH YOUR WHOLE BODY, EXCEPT WHILE YOU ARE TRAVELLING.  AND IF YOU ARE ILL, TRAVELLING, HAVE BEEN URINATING OR DEFECATING OR TOUCHED WOMEN, AND DID NOT FIND WATER, THEN SEEK CLEAN SAND OR EARTH AND WIPE YOUR FACES AND YOU HANDS WITH IT, FOR ALLAH IS VERY PARDONING AND MOST FORGIVING.

Historical introduction:

Aysha, Allah’s messenger’s wife said: “We went with Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him in one of his travels.  When we reached Bayda (Between Medina and Khyber) my necklace broke and Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him stopped to look for it, and the rest of the people stopped with him, and they were not near water.  Some people went to Abu Bakr and said: You see what Aysha did? She stopped Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him and all people with him, while they are not near water, and do not have water.  Abu Bakr came to me while Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him was asleep with his head on my thigh, he said: You kept Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him  and all people  while they are not near water and do not have water.  He kept poking his hand in my side, but I could not move as Allah’s messenger’s head was on my thigh.  Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him slept and when he woke up he found that we had not water.  Then Allah sent Ayah Al-Tayamom down.  Muslim Ibn Hadir (one of Allah’s messenger’s companions said: It is not the first of your blessing Abu Bakr’s Family.  When we moved the Camel I was riding, we found the necklace underneath it”.  (M: Heed; 108 & B: Tayamom; 1 & N: Taharah; 193 & Mal; Taharah; 39 & A: 6; 179)

This Ayah includes a number of points:

1-    The command for the Muslims not to approach the Salah if had any intoxicants.  This was a step in the prohibition of intoxicants as mentioned before.  One should stress that Allah the Highest used the word “drunk” which also means intoxicated.  That is to say have taken any substance that intoxicates the mind; including Hashish, Heroin, and Cocaine etc.

We note that Allah the Highest commanded us not to approach Salah, not just do not pray.  So that people under the effect of intoxicants should not go to the mosque in this state, should not do Azan or Eqamah.

2-    This was the second state in the prohibition of Intoxicants, before they were totally prohibited.  From the practical point of view, it was not possible or practical for the Muslims to drink or take any intoxicants throughout the day if they were to pray five times daily.  It was only possible after Praying Esha, and then they could only have little to drink if they are to pray Fajr.  This Ayah must have restricted and reduced people’s consumption of intoxicants considerable.

After this Ayah was sent down, Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him used to send a man around Medina calling: “No drunken person should come to pray”.  (D: Ashreba; 1)

We should note that this Ayah was a stage in the total prohibition of Intoxicants.  It is not a license for Muslims to take intoxicants, but not to pray while drunk.  Allah the Highest does not accept the Salah of a person drinking alcoholic drinks for forty days. 

Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him said: “He who drinks wine, Allah does not accept his Salah for forty days, if he repents, Allah forgives him.  If he returns, Allah does not accept his Salah for forty days.  If he repents, Allah forgives him.  If he returns, Allah does not accept his Salah for forty days, and if he repents, Allah forgives him, but if he returns for the fourth time, Allah will not forgive him and will make him drink from the river of Khabal”.  People asked Abd Allah Ibn Omar the narrator of the Hadith: “What is the river of Khabal Abu Abd El-Rahman?”  He said: “It is a river of the pus of those in the Hell-Fire”.  (T:Ashreba;1 & Ma:Ashreba;4 & A:2;35 6;460)

The person who drank alcoholic drinks should pray each prayer although Allah the Highest does not accept it for 40 days.  Consuming any amount of intoxicants prohibits a person from Praying Salah.

3-    If one is very sleepy, he should not pray the Salah, so that he may know what he says.  Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him said: “If one of you is sleepy while he prays, let lie down until he wakes up, for if you pray while sleepy, he might curse himself instead of asking for forgiveness”.  (B:Wadoo;35 & N:Taharah;116)

4-    We should not pray in a state of impurity, after having sexual intercourse between man and woman.  The state of Impurity used to be from sexual intercourse leading to ejaculation, for Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him said: “Water is for the water”.  (M:Hed;81 & D:Taharah;83 & T:Taharah;81 & Ma:Taharah;110& Da:Wadoo;74 & A:3;29 5:115)

Later this changed to just the genitals or the man and woman being in contact.  Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him said: “If he sites between her four limbs and the genitals touch the genitals, then the wash for purification is due”.  Touching here is generally believed to mean penetration of the male organ into the female organ.  (B:Gazel;28 & M;heed;88 & D:Taharah;83 & T:Tahara;80)

5-    If a Muslim is needs to do Wadoo or in a state of impurity which requires whole body washing, and does not have water or have only enough water for drinking, then he has a license to do “Tayamom”.  Tayamom is to purify one’s self by striking the hands on clean dust or sand then wipe our hands and face with it.  It should be clear than only the hands and the face need wiping not the whole body or the parts we wash for Wadoo. 

Amar Ibn Yaser, Allah’s messenger’s companion said: “One day Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him sent me on a mission.  I became impure while away and I did not find water. I rolled over in the dust like animals do.  When I went back to Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him, and I mentioned this, he said: “It would have been enough for you to do this” He stroked the earth once, then run the left hand over the right, then the back of his hands and then the face”.  (M:Heed;110 & B:Tayamom;8 & D:Taharah;121 & N:Taharah;201 & A:4;396)

There is no time limit on the period during which one may do Tayamom, as long as the conditions for it still exist.  Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him said: “The clean sand or earth is pure for the Muslim if he does not find water, even if for ten years”.  (D:Taharah;123 & A:5;146;147)

The Tayamom is one of licenses Allah the Highest gave us in order for the Muslim to pray in all circumstances.  Other licenses are praying sitting or lying down.  Also license to pray shorter prayer while travelling and shorter still in fear and in war.  However there is no license for not praying except for the man and woman if he is unable to comprehend what he or she say.  For the woman; the license not to pray is during menstruating and while having discharge following child birth.  Praying the Fard Salah is most important and it is the first thing Allah the Highest will ask us about on the Day of Judgment.

B: Bukhari    M: Muslim     Mal: Malek    A: Ahmed   D: Abu Dawood     

Da: Daremy       Ma: Ibn Magah            N: Nesae          T: Termezi