Definition of Purity (Taharah) in Language and Terminology:
Linguistic Definition of Taharah (Purity):
In the linguistic sense, Taharah refers to cleanliness, which means the removal of both physical impurities (those that can be seen by the eye, such as mud and excrement) and spiritual impurities (such as visible sins like fornication and theft, as well as hidden sins like arrogance, vanity, and hypocrisy).
This is the true meaning of Taharah according to the preferred opinion. Its original meaning in the language refers to the shared concept of cleanliness, which is the removal of impurities, whether physical or spiritual. Therefore, abstaining from physical impurities is called “purity,” and abstaining from moral vices is also referred to as “purity.”
Terminological Definition of Taharah (Purity):
In Islamic terminology, the meaning of Taharah is composed of three elements:
- Taharah is a legal attribute decreed by Sharia:
The judgment that a person is pure, or that clothing is pure, comes from the legal ruling in Sharia. It is a legal description defined by the Sharia in terms of its meaning and conditions. - Those described as pure are typically those who perform Salah (prayer) or are in a similar situation:
This includes anyone intending to perform an act of worship that requires Sharia-based purity, such as someone about to perform Tawaf (circumambulation of the Kaaba). It also applies to the objects they carry and the place where they pray. - The result of Taharah is the permissibility of performing Salah or any act that requires purity:
The Maliki scholars defined Taharah as: “A presumed attribute that allows the person possessing it to perform Salah.”
- “A presumed attribute” means it is judged based on the presence of its legal cause.
- “Allows” means it necessitates.
- “The person possessing it” refers to someone free from barriers to it, such as death or disbelief.
- “Permissibility of performing Salah” refers to Salah and any other act that requires purity.
Those described as pure include three categories:
- The person praying themselves (this is the purification from ritual impurity).
- What the person praying is carrying, such as their clothes or other items.
- The place where the person is praying.
These last two categories are related to the purification from filth. This definition of Taharah also includes the washing of the deceased and the washing of a non-Muslim woman after her menstruation for her Muslim husband to have relations with her. Both of these are considered forms of purification, though they are prevented from praying for other reasons—death in the case of the deceased and disbelief in the case of the non-Muslim woman.
Opposite of Purity:
There are two things that contrast with Taharah:
- Ritual impurity (Hadath): This refers to a state where a person is ritually impure and prevented from performing acts of worship that require purity.
- Filth (Najasah): This refers to physical impurity that affects the body, place, or clothing.
- For bodily and spatial purity, the opposite is filth (Najasah). For example, we say a place or body is impure (Najis).
- For the person praying, the opposite is ritual impurity (Hadath). For example, we say a person is in a state of ritual impurity, not that they are filthy (Najis).
Meaning of Najasah (Filth):
In Sharia, Najasah is a legal attribute that, when it describes something, prevents the permissibility of performing Salah with it (e.g., the body) or in it (e.g., the place). When the body, place, or clothing is tainted by filth, it is legally described as “Najis” (impure), and this description requires preventing the person from praying with it (if it’s clothing) or in it (if it’s a place).
Meaning of Hadath (Ritual Impurity):
Hadath is a legal attribute that, when it describes a person, prevents them from performing Salah or any act that requires purity. When we say someone is in a state of Hadath, it means they are prohibited from performing Salah or any act that requires purity. The jurists may also refer to “Hadath” as anything that nullifies Wudu (ablution), such as wind, urine, or defecation. This usage refers to what the Sharia has deemed a reason for preventing a person from performing Salah, and while it is common among jurists, the context usually clarifies the intended meaning, so there is no issue with this usage.