Students’ Guide to Maliki Fiqh Chapter 1: Ritual Purity Section 1: Introduction to Ritual Purity
Chapter One: Ritual Purity
Section One: Introduction to Ritual Purity
We begin our study of Maliki fiqh with the topic of ritual purity (tahaarah), because it is the most important
condition of validity of prayer, and prayer is the greatest pillar of the practice of the Muslim1.
The conditions of validity of prayer*
conditions of
validity of prayer
purity from purity from covering one's
facing the qiblah
hadath khabath 'awrah
Ritual purity
________________________________
*
As for tawaaf, it shares the first three conditions of validity with ritual prayer.
1
Maliki authors usually devote an entire chapter to the topic of ritual purity, because of the large number of
subtopics that fall under the header of ritual purity. As for the other conditions of validity of prayer, they are usually
expounded upon in dedicated sections found at the beginning of the chapter on prayer.
Author: Mathieu Gallant Last update: April 19, 2024
Students’ Guide to Maliki Fiqh Chapter 1: Ritual Purity Section 1: Introduction to Ritual Purity
Ritual purity
Ritual purity is an intramental2 attribute predicated3 to people or things, by virtue of which it is permissible
to do that which is prohibited as a result of being in the state of hadath or being characterized by the
attribute of khabath.
Ritual purity is of two kinds:
a) purity from the state of hadath4
b) purity from the attribute of khabath5
The state of hadath
The state of hadath refers to the intramental attribute which prohibits the people who are characterized
by it from accomplishing certain actions6 as a result of having experienced certain situations7 or having
done certain actions8. The state of hadath can either be said to be minor9 or major10, according to the
nature of its cause.
The attribute of khabath
The attribute of khabath is the intramental attribute that prohibits morally responsible beings from doing
certain actions11 pertaining to the physical objects that are characterized by it.
2
Meaning that it has no existence outside the mind.
3
i.e. by the mind, in concordance with the Sacred Law.
4
The word “hadath” here refers to the normal emission of substances that are normally emitted through the anus
and the genitals.
5
The Arabic term “khabath” (najaasah) refers to physical objects considered impure by the Sacred Law. Some are
inherently impure (najas), while others are inherently pure but became soiled (mutanajjis) through contact with
najaasah.
6
Such as prayer.
7
Such as falling into a deep sleep or having a wet dream.
8
Such as urinating or having sexual intercourse.
9
Thus, requiring wuduu’.
10
Thus, requiring ghusl.
11
Whether it be ingesting these objects, or selling them, or performing prayer on them, or performing prayer while
wearing or carrying them, or performing prayer while one’s body is soiled by them.
Author: Mathieu Gallant Last update: April 19, 2024
Students’ Guide to Maliki Fiqh Chapter 1: Ritual Purity Section 1: Introduction to Ritual Purity
Ritual purification
Ritual purification is an action or a process required to acquire the attribute of ritual purity. It has the
same two branches as ritual purity:
a) purification from hadath
Purification from hadath refers to the lifting of the state of hadath from the individual through
wuduu’ or ghusl12.
b) purification from khabath
Purification from khabath refers to the process required to lift the attribute of khabath from
physical objects.
The chart below illustrates the ramifications of ritual purification:
Ritual
purification
from from
hadath khabath
major minor
ghusl wuduu'
Note: Not all ightisaalaat13 and awdi’ah14 are done to acquire the ruling of ritual purity. Some of them do
not lift the state of hadath, such as the sunnah ghusl done before Friday prayer and the manduub wuduu’
that can be made before visiting a scholar.
12
As for tayammum, it does not actually lift the state of minor or major hadath, according to the popular opinion.
13
Plural of ghusl.
14
Plural of wuduu’.
Author: Mathieu Gallant Last update: April 19, 2024
Students’ Guide to Maliki Fiqh Chapter 1: Ritual Purity Section 1: Introduction to Ritual Purity
The ruling of ritual purification
✓ It is obligatory to purify oneself from the state of minor and major hadath and the attribute of
khabath before performing prayer and tawaaf.
✓ It is obligatory to purify oneself from the state of minor and major hadath before touching a
written copy of the Qur’an (mushaf).
✓ It is obligatory to purify oneself from the state of major hadath before reciting Qur’an and entering
a mosque.
✓ It is obligatory for a woman to purify herself from major hadath after her menses or childbirth
before she and her husband engage in sexual intercourse15.
✓ It is obligatory to avoid bringing najaasah into a mosque. As for items that are free of najaasah
but are still characterized by the attribute of khabath16, they may be brough into a mosque.
✓ In all other cases, it is recommended to purify oneself from the state of minor and major hadath.
The following chart shows the actions that require ritual purity as well as the type(s) of ritual purity they
require:
Type of ritual purity required
Major hadath
Intended action Physical Attribute of Minor hadath Major hadath (menses or
najaasah khabath (janaabah) lochia)
Prayer ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Tawaaf ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Touching mushaf X 17
X ✓ ✓ ✓
Entering mosque ✓ X X ✓ ✓
Reciting Qur’an X X X ✓ X 18
Intercourse X X X X ✓
15
Unless the bleeding has stopped and she cannot find or use water to make ghusl, in which case it is permissible
for the couple to have intercourse if this situation goes on for a long time or if abstinence would cause harm to her
or to her husband.
16
Such as a garment that was soiled with sperm but from which all traces of sperm were removed using soapy water.
17
It is not a requirement that one’s body or clothes be free from najaasah when touching the mushaf. That being
said, it is prohibited to put the mushaf in direct contact with najaasah.
18
It is permissible for a woman to recite Qur’an from memory during her menses or lochia until they end, after which
it is forbidden for her to do so until she makes ghusl.
Author: Mathieu Gallant Last update: April 19, 2024
Students’ Guide to Maliki Fiqh Chapter 1: Ritual Purity Section 1: Introduction to Ritual Purity
Methods of ritual purification
The chart below illustrates the methods used to acquire the ruling of ritual purity from the attribute of
khabath and from the state of hadath.
Purification
khabath hadath
with water without water with water5 with soil9
washing fire2 washing wiping wiping
sprinkling1 tanning agent3 default6 substitute
transformation4 out of choice7
out of
necessity8
As one can see, only water may be used to lift both the attribute of khabath and the state of hadath. As
for fire and tanning agents, they only lift the attribute of khabath. As for soil, it does not lift the state of
hadath; rather, it makes temporarily permissible that which is prohibited while in the state of hadath.
__________________________
1
Sprinkling does not actually lift the attribute of khabath, but it is a means of putting the mind at ease and preventing
demonic whisperings (wasaawis) when one has even doubts whether one’s clothes or rug was soiled by najaasah.
2
According to the relied-upon opinion, fire does purify impure substances.
3
According to the relied-upon opinion, tanning agents do purify horse, mule and donkey skin, but not the skin of
other animals.
4
Shaykh Zohir: What is meant by transformation (istihaalah) is a change in the nature of the impure substance or in
its attributes, such as in the case of wine turning to vinegar or the transformation of collagen taken from impure
animal carcasses into gelatin through hydrolysis – even if the collagen came from pigs.
5
i.e. wuduu’ and ghusl.
6
i.e. when wiping is the primary ruling, such as the wiping of the scalp/hair and the wiping of the ears during wuduu’
and such as the wiping of the ear holes during ghusl, as opposed to wiping leather socks or wounds, which is a
substitute for the washing of the feet or the washing of the wounded area.
7
i.e. wiping leather socks during wuduu’, as it can be done even where there is no need to do so.
8
i.e. wiping wounds, splints, casts, bandages, etc., during wuduu’ and ghusl, as it can only be done in case of
necessity.
9
i.e. tayammum.
Author: Mathieu Gallant Last update: April 19, 2024
Students’ Guide to Maliki Fiqh Chapter 1: Ritual Purity Section 1: Introduction to Ritual Purity
In the next section, we will learn the classification of water, which is a topic that relates to both branches
of ritual purity, since water is required to lift both the state of hadath and the attribute of khabath.
Then, we will spend two sections elaborating on the condition of purity from the attribute of khabath,
since it is a shorter topic than that of purity from the state of hadath. We will first speak about pure and
impure substances before speaking about lifting the attribute of khabath per se.
Then, we will speak about purity from the state of hadath, beginning with purification from the state of
minor hadath through wuduu’, followed by purification from the state of major hadath through ghusl,
followed by tayammum, which is a substitute for both wuduu’ and ghusl. Then, we will end the chapter
with rulings related to menses, since it is a topic that is specific to women.
It is only at the beginning of the chapter on prayer that we will study the remaining two conditions of
validity of prayer, i.e. covering one’s ‘awrah and facing the qiblah.
Author: Mathieu Gallant Last update: April 19, 2024
