Benefits (Fadl) of Wudhu - Lesson 2

  

Third Benefit:

It removes sins as recorded in the Hadeeth of Abu Huraira (Muslim #244) that the Prophet صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم said:  

«إِذَا تَوَضَّأَ الْعَبْدُ الْمُسْلِمُ أَوِ الْمُؤْمِنُ فَغَسَلَ وَجْهَهُ، خَرَجَ مِنْ وَجْهِهِ، كُلُّ خَطِيئَةٍ نَظَرَ إِلَيْهَا بِعَيْنَيْهِ مَعَ الْمَاءِ أَوْ مَعَ آخِرِ قَطْرِ الْمَاءِ، فَإِذَا غَسَلَ يَدَيهِ خَرَجَ مِنْ يَدَيْهِ كُلُّ خَطِيئَةٍ بَطَشَتْهَا يَدَاهُ مَعَ الْمَاءِ أَوْ مَعَ آخِرِ قَطْرِ الْمَاءِ، فَإِذَا غَسَلَ رِجْلَيْهِ خَرَجَتْ كُلُّ خَطِيئةٍ مَشَتْهَا رِجْلَاهُ مَعَ الْمَاءِ أَوْ مَعَ آخِرِ قَطْرِ الْمَاءِ، حَتَّى يَخْرُجَ نَقِيًّا مِنَ الذُّنُوب»

“When the Muslim or the believing servant performs wudhu and washes his face, every sin that he looked at with his eyes will depart from his face with the water, or with the last drop of water. When he washes his hands, every sin that his hands committed will depart from his hands with the water, or with the last drop of water. When he washes his feet, every sin to which his feet took him will depart with the water, or with the last drop of water. until, he ends up sinless.”

Imaam an-Nawawi said in his explanation of this Hadeeth: ‘What is intended here is the minor sins and not major sins.’ The daleel for this is recorded below in Saheeh Muslim in the Hadeeth of ‘Salawaat al-Khams’ wherein the Prophet صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم said: 

Abu Huraira رضي اللّه عنـه reported: Verily the Messenger of Allaah صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم said:

“Five (daily) prayers and from one Friday prayer to the (next) Friday prayer, and from Ramadhan to Ramadhan are expiation for the (sins) committed in between (their intervals) provided one shuns the major sins.”

(Saheeh al-Muslim, Book 002, Number 0450)

 Additional Notes & Recap from previous lesson:

·       With the love of Allaah comes ‘Thawfeeq.’

·        Repeat as many times: اللهم اغفرلي – ‘O Allaah Forgive me.’

·       Examples of Major sins: Backbiting, insulting each other…. etc. This necessitates that one does ‘taubah’ for his major sin to be forgiven fulfilling all the 3 conditions, which are:

1)     To leave off the sin that one is indulging in;

2)     To be regretful  and remorse for sinning;

3)     Not to return to that sin again.

**  Wudhu is a means of purification of the body as well as of the soul. Allaah سُبحانه وتعالى in His mercy has made cleaning ourselves of our sins as simple as washing off dirt. Wudhu removes minor sins, provided that these sins are not related to the rights of people. Sins which result from harming another person are only forgiven by returning the property or item stolen/ taken; And if it is the case of backbiting (then according to the Ulema) we are advised to speak good about the insulted person in the same gathering where he was spoken bad about. Therefore, O’ Slave of Allaah make amends before the Day of Standing, if not compensation will be in the form of deeds.

Narrated Abu Hurairah (رضي اللّه عنـه) that the Prophet (صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم) asked: "Do you know who is bankrupt?" They (the Companions of the Prophet صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم) replied: "A bankrupt man amongst us is one who has neither dirham with him nor wealth." The Messenger of Allaah (صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم) said: "The poor of my Ummah would be he who would come on the Day of Resurrection with prayers and fasts and Zakat but since he hurled abuses upon others, brought calumny against others, unlawfully consumed the wealth of others, shed the blood of others and beat others, his virtues would be credited to the accounts of others (who suffered at his hands). And if his good deeds fall short to clear the account, then the other's sins will be entered in (his account) and he will be thrown in the Fire of Hell." [Sahih Muslim]

So a person may arrive on the Day of Judgement with a mountain of good deeds, content in his wealth of hasanaat: But that mountain will be as if made of ashes which the slightest breath can blow away.

 
The bankrupt man discussed in this hadith was not poor to begin with. He had mounds of good deeds. But he lost everything because of having to repay all the people whom he had harmed or whom he owed anything to in any form. On that Day the only currency available will be one’s deeds. Therefore, he will have to part with some of his good deeds to settle his accounts with others. And should he run out of good deeds to give to others, he will have to take on some of their bad deeds till he no longer owes anybody anything. If we owe anyone money, property, an apology, or anything else we should do our best to settle our accounts while still in this world, insha-Allaah.

·       Taubah has to be done if the sin is between us and Allaah and it is a Major sin.

·       Imaam an-Nawawi says that the forgiveness of the sin mentioned in (2:222) refers to minor sins and not major sins.

·       How do we know if something is a Major sin? It necessitates a punishment and Allaah سُبحانه وتعالى has says that He is angry with those and He doesn’t love them and the Prophet صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم mentioned that it will reduce the ajr (reward) of fasting.

·       The heart gets sick and hence it has to be purified. Sicknesses of the heart are jealousy, envy, following ones desires etc. We have to make dua for our sicknesses to be removed.

·       Envy (Hasad) is to ask Allaah to remove the blessing (ni’mah) someone has and for it to end. When one feels hasad he should not follow this evil feeling through. If he follows the heart soon the body parts will follow. We must fight against the illnesses of the heart.

·       Praiseworthy jealousy is allowed. (i.e. to want the ilm someone has without any reduction in him/her --- wishing well for the person who has been granted the ni’mah.