Aqeel Mahmood – S 01 Ep 05 Fiqh Siwak And Acts Of Fitrah
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AI: Transcript ©
As-salamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu.
Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim, alhamdulillahi rabbil alameen,
wa salatu wa salamu ala israf al-anbiyai
wa al-mursaleen, nabina Muhammadin wa ala alihi
wa sahbihi ajma'in.
Inshallah, today we're going to be speaking about
two topics.
The first is about the Siwak, and the
second is about acts of the Fitrah, the
Sunan of the Fitrah etiquettes of how we
are supposed to take care of ourselves, specifically
pertaining to hygiene.
And inshallah, we'll speak about those soon.
Firstly, there's a few questions that came up
from last lesson that I just wanted to
quickly go over, inshallah.
With regards to, first of all, a person
answering the call of nature standing, standing and
answering the call of nature isn't haram.
It's something which is disliked.
As we mentioned, there are some narrations of
the Prophet, salallahu wasalam, who stood and urinated
when the place where he was urinating was
impure and dirty, and he would stand and
urinate.
But as we mentioned, it's better for a
person to sit and answer the call of
nature.
And there were some other questions regarding last
week.
Somebody's asking, most toilets are in the bathroom.
It's where we proceed to wash our hands
and make wudu.
Is it then permissible to say ghufranaka or
say bismillah before we start wudu, because a
person will go to the bathroom to perform
wudu, not necessarily to use the toilet itself.
So as we said, if a person says
it in his heart, then inshallah that's fine.
Nothing wrong with a person doing that in
the bathroom if he's only going to perform
wudu and he's not going to answer the
call of nature.
With regards to using the right hand for
eating and receiving gifts, etc., what about for
those who are left-handed?
They'll just have to try harder to use
their right hand.
And inshallah they'll get the reward.
So if they make more effort using their
right hand, even if it's not natural for
them to use their right hand when it
comes to eating, when it comes to just
using it generally for the things that we
mentioned, then if they make the effort, inshallah
Allah will reward them more because they're taking
more of an effort or they're making more
of an effort to use their right hand.
If a person's unable to find water to
perform istinja after answering the call of nature
and then uses toilet paper to clean themselves
or tissue paper as fully as possible, is
this fine?
And if they make wudu after this, is
this fine?
Yes, we mentioned that a person, he can
just do istijmar.
Istijmar is when a person uses, originally, stones.
Or if a person uses toilet paper, he
can just do istijmar.
As long as he makes sure that he
removes all of the impurity as best as
he can.
So long as he wipes and there's no
more impurity left on whatever he's wiping with,
then inshallah there's nothing wrong with him just
doing istijmar and not doing istinja.
If, for example, there isn't any water or
if he's in a rush or it's not
necessary for a person to do istijmar and
also istinja.
But again, as we mentioned, it's better if
you can do both.
So, inshallah, today we're going to be speaking
about the siwak and acts of the fitrah
or sunan al-fitrah.
The sunan of the fitrah pertaining to cleanliness.
And why are we speaking about the siwak?
The siwak is mentioned in some of the
ahadith of the Messenger of Allah, and we'll
mention some of those examples later.
One of those ahadith is the ahadith of
Aisha, where she said the Prophet said, that
the siwak is purifying for the mouth and
pleasing to the Lord.
The siwak is purifying for the mouth and
pleasing to the Lord.
And with regards to the acts of the
fitrah, the sunan of the fitrah, sunan al
-fitrah, Abu Hurr said that the Prophet said,
there are five things from the fitrah.
Another narration mentions ten.
This hadith mentions five.
So these five things are mentioned in the
hadith.
Removal of pubic hair, circumcision, trimming the moustache,
removal of armpit hair, and trimming the nails
or cutting the nails.
Ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with him,
also mentions in a hadith some of the
other acts of the fitrah.
When he said, He said, trim the moustache
and leave the beard.
Trim the moustache and leave the beard.
So, first of all, we'll be speaking about
the siwak.
Etiquette of the siwak.
What is the siwak?
Are there any specific times when it's encouraged
to use the siwak?
How should one use a siwak?
What are those circumstances when maybe it might
not be good to use a siwak?
And, first of all, we're going to go
into the definition of the word siwak.
What is a siwak?
What is a siwak, or a miswak?
Either way, you can use either word.
Miswak or siwak?
A toothbrush?
Okay.
So, the toothbrushes we buy are from Wooden
One?
Okay.
So, the ones from the branch of a
tree.
Okay.
Anyone else?
Okay, so, what is a siwak then?
Like, what's the purpose of the siwak?
If we were to define the siwak, what's
the definition of a siwak?
And this is important because definitions, by the
way, are important.
Because through definitions, we can understand rulings.
So, if you know the definition of something,
it helps understand the rulings.
Yeah.
Yes, brother.
Something to clean the mouth?
From something bad?
Okay.
Yeah.
So, the scholars, they say, the definition of
a siwak, or a miswak, is using something
to clean the inside of the mouth from
discoloration and filth, or impurities.
So, using something to clean the inside of
the mouth from discoloration and filth.
From discoloration and filth.
So, using something to clean the inside of
the mouth from discoloration and filth.
This is basically what a miswak is.
And this is something which is encouraged for
a person to do at all times.
It's something which the Messenger of Allah, peace
and blessings be upon him, also encouraged, as
we're going to mention.
So, what can be defined and what can
be used with regards to the siwak?
First of all, of course, the general understanding
of the siwak is something like this.
So, this is basically the siwak.
Yeah.
This is the basic idea of what a
siwak is.
There's different sizes available in any Islamic shop.
I'm not going to promote any here.
So, normally you don't have this tip like
this.
It's normally like this when you buy them.
And then you chew on the end and
you make it moist.
The outer layer will come off, leaving just
the inner layer.
And then, when you squeeze it and you
have it moist, then it becomes like a
brush.
Okay, I'm sure most of you know anyway,
for those who don't.
And then you can use it to cleanse
the mouth.
And it has many good properties.
As the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, that
siwak is something which purifies مطهرة للفن purifies
the mouth.
Notice how he didn't say purifies the teeth.
Purifies the mouth.
So, the siwak has purifying properties, not just
for the teeth, but for the gums, for
the tongue, and generally for the inside of
the mouth.
And scientists, they did research, and they found
that the siwak has antibacterial properties.
It has antifungal properties.
It's effective at removing plaque.
It has whitening properties.
It whitens the teeth.
So, lots of properties.
They also say it helps heal wounds which
are inside the mouth.
So, you can research this.
If you type in medicinal properties of the
siwak, medicinal benefits of siwak, you'll come up
with a whole list of benefits of the
siwak.
And there's research that's been done with regards
to the siwak itself.
And the siwak comes from this siwak, these
types of siwak or miswak which are popular.
They come from a specific tree called the
Arak tree.
So, it comes from the Arak tree.
And you do get other types of siwaks
which are from other types of trees.
There are narrations where the Prophet ﷺ used
to use these.
And there are narrations that the Prophet ﷺ
used to use other types of siwak also.
And, again, the aim and the goal of
the siwak is that the siwak is used,
the siwak or the miswak is something which
is used to clean the inside of the
mouth from discoloration and from filth.
And as we said, it's something which is
used at all times.
It's the sunnah.
It's the sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ.
It's recommended for a person to use the
siwak during all times, even for the one
who's fasting.
Even for the one who's fasting, it's encouraged
for him to use the siwak.
Of course, any bits and pieces which go
in the mouth of a person who's fasting
while he's using the siwak, he doesn't swallow
it.
He tries to remove it from his mouth.
So, a couple of other issues before we
go into when it's encouraged for a person
to use the siwak.
An issue that came about last week, I
think, or the week before, using the right
hand or the left hand to use the
siwak.
Do you use the right hand or the
left hand?
Why is there an issue?
It's a minor difference amongst scholars.
It's not a big deal either way.
But why is there a difference in the
first place?
Because normally you use your right hand for
things.
This is the general meaning of the hadith
of the Prophet ﷺ.
He used to always start with his right.
When he would comb his hair, when he
would put his shoes on, when it came
to purification, like wudu, etc.
And in all of his affairs, he would
use the right.
He would start with the right.
Why would you use the left hand?
Because some may say you're removing dirt and
impurities.
So when a person does istinja or istidmar,
he uses the left.
So would you use the left when you're
using the siwak?
The scholars, they say, they find a middle
path.
Some of them, they say that if a
person, for example, is using it to follow
the sunnah, he can use the right.
If he's using it, for example, to actually
remove some dirt from the mouth, he can
use his left.
But also the scholars say it's better to
use the right based on the hadith we
just mentioned, that the Prophet ﷺ would.
He would always start with the right.
He would always either start with the right
or use the right hand for things, generally
speaking.
So, you know, a person can use the
right hand.
And again, it's not like a major issue
regardless of which hand he ends up using.
But we also learn from this hadith that
we just mentioned.
When a person does start using the siwak,
which side of the mouth should he start
from?
On the right side?
So when you start using the siwak, start
from the right side to fulfill the sunnah.
And then you can continue and move on
to the left side after you use the
right side.
And this is from the sunnah of the
Prophet ﷺ of just generally starting with the
right.
And that's something which he would do as
a common practice even when it came to
food, serving food, etc.
Okay, another issue with regards to the siwak.
The brother mentioned at the beginning when we
asked for the definition of siwak that it's
a toothbrush.
And I asked, okay, if you go to
the supermarket and you buy a toothbrush, is
the toothbrush from the shop, Koget or any
other toothbrush you buy, is it considered a
siwak or a miswak?
Would it be considered a miswak?
I think.
Yes?
No?
Okay.
So what's the definition?
Okay, what if you don't use toothpaste?
It will clean a little bit.
So what's the definition of siwak?
Anything which is used or something which is
used to clean the inside of the mouth
from discoloration and filth.
So interestingly, some of the scholars, Sheikh Uthameen
and others, they would say using a toothbrush
and toothpaste would, if a person used them
instead of, for example, using a siwak, due
to the fact that it's even more purifying,
especially if you use it with toothpaste.
Sheikh Uthameen, he said, إذا فعله الإنسان if
the person does this, حصلت به السنة.
He's obtained the sunnah.
Very interesting.
Uthameen says if you use a toothbrush and
toothpaste, you've obtained the sunnah.
You've fulfilled the sunnah.
Because he says the goal, and the intention,
is to cleanse the mouth.
And if the goal is achieved by using
a toothbrush, then you've fulfilled the sunnah.
If your intention was to clean your mouth,
to clean your teeth, as a result of
following the sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ, of
cleansing the mouth, then you would have fulfilled
the sunnah.
However, Sheikh Uthameen and others, obviously they also
say that it doesn't substitute for the siwak.
It doesn't substitute for the siwak.
Why doesn't it substitute for the siwak?
First of all, because this is what the
Prophet ﷺ used to use.
Secondly, because there are circumstances and moments where
it will be practically easier for a person
to use a siwak, as opposed to using
a toothbrush and toothpaste.
So for example, one of the times it's
encouraged for a person to use a miswak
is prior to, is before salah.
Before salah.
So obviously it's easier to use a miswak
than to have a toothbrush and toothpaste and
stop brushing your teeth before salah.
So it's easier to use a miswak.
It's easier for a person to use a
miswak during other times, as we'll mention those
examples.
There's about five or six times when it's
recommended for a person to use a miswak.
So, because of this they say, one should
still fulfill the sunnah of using the miswak
itself.
The miswak that we have, the miswak that
we use, this miswak, these types of miswaks.
Because, as we mentioned, it's something which is
closer to the sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ.
It's something which he used.
It's more practical.
A person can use it prior to the
salah and during other moments.
So, other instances, it might be easier for
a person to use a toothbrush with toothpaste.
For example, in the morning, when he wakes
up, it might clean better, for example, as
opposed to a siwak.
So, the scholars, they say, in certain instances,
a person can use a toothbrush with toothpaste
and at other moments, especially at the times
when the Prophet ﷺ encouraged a person to
use a siwak, then a person should also
use a siwak.
So, there are certain instances where it's encouraged
for a person to use the siwak.
In total, there are seven moments, seven instances,
seven times, when it's encouraged for a person
to use a siwak.
The first instance is prior to a person
performing wudu.
Prior to a person performing wudu, before a
person performs wudu, it's encouraged for a person
to use a siwak.
There's a hadith of the Prophet ﷺ when
he said, لَوْلَأَنْ عَشُقَ لَعُمَّتِي لَأَمَرْتُمْ بِالسِّوَاكِ عِندَ
كُلِّ وُضُو That if it wasn't for the
fact that it would be a burden for
my ummah, I would have commanded them to
use the siwak before wudu.
Every time, before wudu.
If it wasn't for the fact that it
would be difficult for my ummah, I would
have commanded them to use a siwak before
every wudu.
Meaning every time they did wudu, I would
have commanded them, meaning I would have made
an obligation for them to use a siwak
before every single wudu that they made.
So what does it show us?
First of all, it's interesting.
It shows us that it's not obligatory.
Also, it shows us the mercy of Allah,
that Allah hasn't made an obligation.
Also, the scholars of fiqh and the scholars
of asul, they say this hadith shows us
that from the reasons why some things are
not compulsory, and from the reasons why sometimes
things would not be encouraged for a person
to do, is when they are when they
become difficult for a person, or when they
become a burden for a person.
Based on this hadith.
If it wasn't for the fact that it
would overburden my people, my ummah.
So they say this hadith shows us sometimes
in some situations, if something is overburdening a
person, based on this hadith, it's not from
Islam for a person to do those things,
if it's causing a problem, if it's overburdening
them.
And of course, there's details with regards to
those kinds of situations and circumstances, but the
scholars do take rulings from this hadith, based
on the wording of the Prophet ﷺ.
So, number one, prior to a person, or
before a person performs wudu.
Number two, before a person performs salah.
Before a person performs salah, fard salah or
optional salat?
Obligatory salat or voluntary salat?
All of them.
All of them.
Whether it's obligatory or whether it's optional.
Any salah a person performs.
Because the Prophet ﷺ said in a hadith,
which is very similar in wording, if it
wasn't for the fact that it would be
a burden for my ummah, I would have
ordered them to use a siwak before every
salah.
So the other hadith, before every wudu, in
this hadith, before every salah.
And salah here is nakira, meaning it's general.
It's not specific.
So any salah then.
Any salah a person performs, it doesn't mention
fard or anything like this.
If it's a fard salah, if it's an
optional salah, if it's a witr, if it's
a nafal, if it's a fard, a person,
if he's about to pray, then it's encouraged
for him to use a siwak prior to
a person using, or prior to a person
praying, he can use a siwak.
Number three, after a person wakes up from
sleeping.
After a person wakes up from sleeping, it's
encouraged for him to use a siwak.
If a person, let's say, wakes up in
the morning, goes to the bathroom, he can
use a siwak and then he can use
his toothbrush.
And he's fulfilling the sunnah of using the
siwak.
So you have the best of both worlds.
If a person wakes up in the morning
after sleeping during the night, he uses a
siwak.
If a person wakes up in the daytime,
after sleeping in the day, in the afternoon,
after dhuhr, for example, does that also apply?
Yeah, it also applies.
Okay, it also applies.
The companions, they said that the Prophet ﷺ
said, كان إذا قام من الليل يشو صفاه
بسواك that when he would wake up from
the night after sleeping, he would clean his
mouth with the siwak.
He would clean his mouth with the siwak.
Meaning if a person wakes up in the
nighttime, scholars say if a person wakes up
in the daytime, if he's waking up from
sleep, then it's encouraged for him to use
the siwak.
From the benefits of using the siwak is
that it purifies the mouth.
It removes odors.
So not just discoloration, not just filth and
impurity, but also it neutralizes odors.
And I'm sure you've used the miswak before.
Sometimes the miswak has specific flavors.
If they're in a packet, for example, most
likely they've been flavored.
And it's interesting, they call it the original
flavor.
Original doesn't mean it's natural.
Original is the actual flavoring.
So the flavoring is called original.
And it's quite a strong, I'm sure you
guys have used miswak.
If you buy it and it's in a
packet, when you open it, it's quite strong.
It has quite a strong taste, has quite
a strong smell.
That's been added to the miswak itself.
That's the flavoring of the miswak.
If you buy, for example, natural miswaks, which
aren't in a packet, then they won't really
have a taste.
Either way, because it's like a natural thing
from a tree, it neutralizes the odors from
the mouth.
It removes impurities, but it also neutralizes the
odors in the mouth, and that's one of
the benefits.
Of course, when a person wakes up in
the morning, he may have a bad odor
coming from his mouth, and so he can
use the siwak to purify his mouth, to
cleanse his mouth and remove any odors or
smells.
Based on the hadith of the Prophet ﷺ
that we mentioned, that he would use the
siwak and clean his teeth or rub his
teeth with the miswak, with the tooth stick.
Number four, when the smell of the mouth
changes, regardless of, for example, if that was
after he woke up from sleeping, or as
a result of something else.
It may have been, for example, because he
was eating, or whatever circumstances there were, if
the smell of his mouth has changed, then
he can use the siwak to remove that
odor and that bad smell.
Okay, similar to the hadith we mentioned before,
the hadith we just mentioned, that the Prophet
ﷺ would wake up in the morning, okay,
from sleep he would rub the siwak in
his mouth, or clean his mouth with the
siwak.
So, it removes the odors, it gets rid
of bad smells, so number four, using the
miswak to remove bad odors, or to change
the odor and the bad smell in your
mouth.
Number five, when you're reciting Qur'an, when
you're reciting Qur'an, there's a hadith of
the Prophet ﷺ narrated by Ali, r.a,
where he said, the Prophet ﷺ said, فَطَهِّرُوا
أَفْوَاهَكُمْ لِلْقُرْآنِ Purify your mouths prior to reading
Qur'an.
Purify your mouths prior to reading Qur'an.
So, prior to a person reciting Qur'an,
it's encouraged for a person to use the
siwak.
Number six, when a person is about to
enter his home, before entering your home, it's
encouraged for a person to use the siwak.
Aisha r.a, she said that the Prophet
ﷺ كان يبدأ إذا دخل بيته بالسواك When
he would enter his house, he would start
with the siwak, he would begin with the
siwak.
Because it removes odors, you go to greet
your family, you greet your spouse, for example,
and you want to purify your mouth, purify,
remove the odors, and remove any impurities from
the mouth.
So, number six, before entering the home, before
entering the house, before seeing your family.
Number seven, before one's death, before one's death,
it's recommended to use the siwak.
So, if Allah gives one the ability, and
the blessing of being able to die in
a circumstance where he's prepared, then using the
miswak is a time when using the siwak
prior to one's death is a time when
it's recommended.
What's the evidence for this?
The death of the Prophet ﷺ.
The death of the Prophet ﷺ when he
was in the lap of his wife, Aisha
r.a, and he saw Aisha r.a's
brother holding the siwak.
And he looked at the siwak, signifying that
he wanted to use it.
So, Aisha r.a took it from him,
moistened it with her own mouth, and then
she gave it to the Prophet ﷺ.
He used it, and it was one of
the last things he did before he passed
away.
In fact, it's the last thing he did,
physically the last thing he did before he
passed away.
So, again, he used the siwak prior to
meeting Allah ﷻ, because then the angel came
down, and the last words of the Prophet
ﷺ were, بَلِ الرَّفِقِ الْعَلَى, rather the highest
companionship, because he's been told, he's been asked,
do you want to go, or do you
want to stay?
Because the angel of death, with prophets and
messengers, they always ask for permission before taking
the soul.
This is something which is an honor given
to the Prophets of Allah, and so he
said, no, rather the highest companionship, meaning I
want to go to Allah.
And so he had prepared himself, he had
used the siwak prior to passing away.
So, these seven are etiquettes, or times, when
it's encouraged to use the siwak, although, of
course, a person should use it at any
time, he can use it at any moment.
These specifically are mentioned based on the narrations
that we've given, of times when it's encouraged
for a person to use the siwak, before
a person does wudu, before salah, when a
person wakes up from sleeping, to change the
smell from the mouth, or to purify and
clean the smell of the mouth, before reciting
Quran, before he enters his home, and before
death.
So these are from the ways in which,
or from the times where it's permissible, or
recommended, not permissible, recommended for a person to
use the siwak.
So, that's with regards to the siwak.
That's with regards to the siwak.
Now, inshallah, we're going to move on to
sunan al-fitrah, the recommended acts of the
fitrah.
The recommended acts of the fitrah.
And, the word fitrah refers to, what?
I mean, natural state.
You know, when a person says the hadith
of the Prophet ﷺ, that every child is
born on the fitrah.
Every child is born on the fitrah.
So it's the same word which is being
used.
So why is the same word being used?
Why are these acts of the fitrah?
Why are these specific acts called acts of
the fitrah?
The scholars, they say, it's called fitrah because
this is the natural way upon which Allah
ﷻ created the slave.
And it's the way which Allah has urged
His slaves to be.
Meaning these acts, the way He's telling, the
things He's telling people to do, the Muslims
to do, these are things which He has
told people to do.
And it's the way that the slave should
be.
And Allah has loved for these things to
be done by the slave.
So Allah has encouraged it.
Allah loves for the slave to act upon
the acts of the fitrah to do these
acts of the fitrah.
And it's part of the it's part of
the characteristics of a believer.
So it's akmal al-sifat.
It's the most complete attributes of the Muslim.
For him to do these things is almost
like a part of the Muslim's identity.
And it's honorable for the believer, for the
Muslim to fulfill the acts of the fitrah.
And it adds to the Muslim's beauty.
And it adds to the Muslim's overall appearance.
And they also say it's the sunnah of
the prophets of Allah that came before.
It's the sunnah of the prophets of Allah
that came before also.
So it's something which Allah wants for the
believers.
It's something which is beloved to Allah subhanahu
wa ta'ala.
It adds to the completeness of the Muslim
and the completeness of the Muslim's appearance and
the way he looks.
It adds to his beauty.
It's something which completes his overall appearance as
a Muslim.
And it's from the acts of the previous
prophets and messengers of Allah subhanahu wa ta
'ala.
So this is basically the fitrah and this
is why it's called the fitrah.
So we say sunan al-fitrah.
Sunan al-fitrah.
Now what's the ruling with regards to the
acts of the fitrah?
The sunnah.
Because the word sunan is from the word
sunnah.
So sunan al-fitrah means these things are
recommended for a person to do.
And as we said you know, it's a
sunnah means it's something, okay you won't be
sinful if you don't do it but it's
part of the almost identity of the Muslim.
It's part of the cleanliness and the hygiene
of the Muslim.
And so one by one we'll go through
these and the Imam and the Shaykh he
mentioned a list of them, five of them
from the hadith itself and we'll go through
them one by one inshallah.
The first is removal of the pubic hair.
So it's removal of any of the hair
from the private parts and in whichever way
a person does that it would be permissible
as long as the goal of removing their
hair is met.
So if a person uses a razor, if
a person uses any other method, as long
as the hair is removed then it's something
which is recommended for a person to do
and it's also part of cleanliness, it's considered
part of beauty and it's better the scholars
say for a person to shave.
So they say al-afdal al-halq it's
better for a person to shave because that's
specifically what's mentioned in the sunnah but as
we said if a person uses other methods
it's also permissible if a person removes it.
Also nowadays you have for example apparently it's
called IPL these guns they're called laser guns
but not those kinds of laser guns from
fantasy, sci-fi films or whatever they're actual
laser guns which a person can buy and
they over a period of time they help
remove the hair from the body.
So if a person, women for example they
may use that a man could use that
so any means whether it's these modern means
or other means by which a person removes
his hair then it would be permissible for
a person to use.
Number two is circumcision which is essentially moving
the foreskin of the private part of the
male and this is something which is from
the sunnah of the messenger of Allah and
of course generally speaking it's normally done when
the child is born when the child is
born at a young age not a newborn
instantly maybe they wait a few weeks or
something or maybe a month or so I
can't remember how long it normally is but
they wait a while just to make sure
that they do it properly and the foreskin
is removed and it's for the male not
the female again scholars differ with regards to
male and female but they say that it's
something which is encouraged and it's a sunnah
for the male and not a sunnah for
the female necessarily and again as we said
there is khilaf on the issue, the issue
of FGM is not circumcision, FGM is something
which causes harm to the female female genital
mutilation isn't circumcision that's a separate thing they
actually cause harm to the girl when they
try to do these specific types of things
on the baby at a young age so
circumcision for the male child is something which
is also the sunnah, what's the hikmah and
the wisdom behind this?
Cleanliness of the private part of the child
and it helps remove impurities if a person
has a foreskin then it's something which can
cause urine to not be completely cleansed from
the private parts and it can cause other
issues later later on infections etc.
so removing the foreskin is an act of
cleanliness you're basically removing the outer layer of
the private part so circumcision number two number
three trimming the moustache and some scholars they
mention shaving the moustache and trimming is better
for a person to do as opposed to
shaving because of the narrations that mention this
interestingly the scholars they mention trimming is better
than shaving and they mention some narrations regarding
the appearance of Omar Ibn Khattab as evidence
any ideas what this is?
he used to twist the ends of his
moustache so they would describe Omar he would
from his appearance and the way he looked
etc the ends of his moustache were twisted
twirled, twisted because he would twist his moustache
when he would be sitting meaning, what does
it show us?
that he wouldn't shave it completely that he
would just trim it but again scholars say
if a person did shave it there's nothing
wrong with this but some of these narrations
show that trimming is better based on the
actions of some of the companions of the
messenger of Allah and again this adds to
a person's beauty, it's part of cleanliness and
it's also going against the acts of the
disbelievers as we will see the Prophet he
would say be different to the mushrikeen trim
your moustache and grow the beard or leave
the beard because there were some people who
would come to see the Prophet in those
days and they would have long moustaches, they
wouldn't trim their moustaches and they would trim
the beard so again the Prophet is saying
be different to those who are from the
disbelievers because this was an act that they
specifically would do and so we're told to
do the opposite.
Number four cutting the nails number four, cutting
the nails and again this is from beauty,
it's also from hygiene how is it from
hygiene, cutting the nails yeah because dirt can
go under the nails, a person can have
long nails and then there's dirt under the
nails and they have to worry about cleaning
them so shortening and cutting the nails is
also from the sunnah of the messenger of
Allah also the scholars say it prevents a
person from doing things resembling animals wild animals
they have claws long nails for example you're
going against the acts of those animals and
going against other creatures who may have long
nails so the believer the Muslim is told
to trim and cut his nails.
Number five that's number four, number five is
removing underarm hair, removing armpit hair and again
the hadith mentions plucking the hadith mentions plucking
the armpit hair specifically and the scholars they
say this is better than shaving because it's
specifically mentioned in the hadith and they said
it's better than shaving and they said if
a person of course shaves then that's permissible,
that's fine because you're still fulfilling the sunnah
of removing the hair from under the arms,
removing the armpit hair and again this is
from cleanliness it's from purification, you're removing any
bad odors also from under the arm when
you cleanse yourself and when you remove the
armpit hair.
So these are the five acts of the
fitra, the five sunan of the fitra, the
sunan al-fitra.
So number one is removing the pubic hair,
number two circumcision number three trimming the moustache,
number four cutting the nails and number five
removing the armpit hair removing the armpit hair.
So a couple of issues now, first of
all with regards to the length of time
before one must remove for example the armpit
hair, pubic hair, trimming the moustache and cutting
the nails.
Is there a time limit, should it be
done on a specific should it be done
regularly every week for example, every other week,
every two weeks or three weeks what does
Islam say with regards to how often it
should be done is there a limit, is
there a limit prior to a specific limit
before which these things should be done and
there are narrations of the Prophet ﷺ and
by the companions that it's disliked for a
person not to do these things, it's disliked
for a person not to do these things
for more than 40 days.
It's disliked for a person not to do
these things for more than 40 days, meaning
it doesn't mean you wait 40 days, it
means a limit is 40 days.
So some narrations mention this hadith where the
Prophet ﷺ mentions 40 days specifically so a
person should avoid waiting for 40 days, it
should be done prior to 40 days and
generally speaking the scholars they say it shouldn't
be left for a very long period of
time.
So how often should it be done?
Some of the scholars they mentioned based on
some narrations, that a person should do it
on a weekly basis.
Why should it be done on a weekly
basis and what day?
Jum'ah.
Because of cleanliness, purification, a person purifies himself,
he's supposed to perform ghusl on a Friday
and so a person is encouraged to do
ghusl and so likewise a person should use
or do these acts of the fitrah every
single week also on a Friday, according to
some scholars.
Other scholars they say there is no specific
time because people are different, for some it
may grow quicker, for others it may not
take as long to grow.
So they say so long as he doesn't
reach 40 days if he has his own,
for example length of time that he wants
to wait before he fulfills these acts of
the fitrah, then again there's nothing wrong with
this also.
But it's good to, Allah knows best, but
it's good to have some kind of routine.
Because this is the sunnah of the Prophet
ﷺ The Prophet ﷺ he said أَحَبُّ الْعَمَالَ
إِلَى اللَّهِ عَدْوَامُهَا وَإِنْقَلْ That the most beloved
acts to Allah are those which are consistent
even if they're small.
So being consistent when it comes to pleasing
Allah and doing good deeds is something which
is recommended.
So if a person has a set routine
whether it's a week or two weeks if
a person has a set routine of how
often he does these acts of the fitrah,
that's something inshallah which is good because it's
more consistent inshallah it's more beloved to Allah.
Whether it's a Friday or whether it's another
day, whatever's convenient for a person then inshallah
he'll be rewarded.
But as we said, everyone's different so maybe
for some people they might not need to
do it after a week.
They can wait maybe two weeks or something
because again, people are different and for some
it may grow quicker than others.
But we did say the limit would be
40 days and it should definitely be done
within a 40 day limit.
Another issue is with regards to the beard
and as we said it's wajib and obligatory
for a person to leave the beard and
it's haram for a person to shave the
beard and the Prophet said in a hadith
go against and do something different to the
mushrikeen trim the moustache and leave the beard.
And there's obviously lots of discussion amongst scholars
with regards to the beard itself.
First of all, it's a definition of the
beard.
What is the beard?
Where is the beard?
What's the definition of the beard itself?
Scholars have spoken about this.
Sheikh Tamim, for example, said the beard is
whatever is on the cheeks and whatever is
on the chin.
So that's basically what's considered a beard.
The hair on other parts of the face
would not be considered the beard.
Other scholars again have other views.
It's based on the linguistic definition of the
word beard itself.
And then again, scholars also discuss what it
means by leaving the beard because of course
we have narrations of some of the companions
such as Ibn Umar who interestingly narrated the
hadith of the Prophet saying leave the beard.
But what would he do?
He would have a fist length and then
he would cut whatever was more than a
fist length.
And this was Ibn Umar.
So scholars differ with regards to that some
say leave the beard.
One shouldn't touch the beard.
Others they say a fist length would be
permissible.
Meaning cutting a fist more than a fist
length would be permissible.
Other scholars they say if the beard is
thick enough for you not to see the
skin then even if it's less than a
fist length it's okay because you can't see
the skin.
But the point is regardless of all of
these issues and differences amongst the scholars a
person should have what's considered and understood to
be a beard and what resembles a beard
by the general understanding of people.
A person should have something resembling a beard
at the very least.
Putting aside all of the khilaf, a person
should have a beard.
Because it's part of Islam.
Putting aside all of the issues, it's part
of Islam for a person to have a
beard.
It's part of manhood for a person to
have a beard and the beard is something
which is from the of course from the
obligations of the believer.
And so a person should have a beard
as this is the sunnah of the messenger
of Allah and with this we've concluded this
session about the siwak and about the sunnah
acts of the fitrah or the sunan al
-fitrah.
Any questions before we conclude?
Any questions?
Is there a sunnah too?
No, there's no sunnah to hold the miswak
a certain way.
As we said, you can use your right
hand and you can use the miswak.
Whichever way you feel is comfortable to use.
Sometimes some places might be harder to use.
Sheikh Uthman interestingly says one of the benefits
of the toothbrush the modern toothbrush is that
it may be able to get into places
which the siwak won't be able to get
into.
But you can use the siwak in whatever
fashion you wish inshallah.
Any other questions?
There's a question here with regards to hair.
I have a question about haircuts.
Are fades, clusters haram?
Even if not using a zero guard?
So, qaza in Islam is something which is
prohibited by the Prophet which is leaving hair
on some parts of the head and then
shaving others.
So if a person can see the skin
on some parts of the hair or of
the head and other parts are covered with
hair, that wouldn't be permissible.
Can the Sheikh please teach us the ideal
most hygienic way to use the miswak?
Should one swallow the pieces or should one
spit them out?
Again, it's you're not supposed to eat the
miswak peel so if you are using one
and you have pieces in your mouth, you
can spit it out.
If you want to eat it you can
eat it, it's not a problem.
There's no harm in it I suppose.
It's just from the branch of a tree.
But if you can remove it without, obviously,
if you're in the masjid and you're using
the miswak, you don't want to throw rubbish
in the masjid and leave bits of miswak
on the floor.
Use a tissue, put it in a tissue
and put it in your pocket and throw
it away inshallah.
But either way, the sunnah doesn't come and
specify exactly what you should do with the
miswak pieces.
Allah has made it easy.
So whatever a person does, as long as
he's not littering on the streets or littering
in the masjid itself, then a person can
do whatever he wishes inshallah.
Any other questions?
Yes, so qaza, the Prophet ﷺ forbade which
is leaving some parts of the hair uncut
and shaving other parts of the hair to
the extent where you can see the skin.
And that wouldn't be permissible.
So it should be even to the extent
where, for example a person may do one
grade all over, number two or number three
all over.
Or if a person does number three or
number two on the sides, as long as
the skin isn't shown on one part of
the head, for example like a mohawk or
something similar.
Nowadays all kinds of styles.
Let's say it's a blade zero on the
sides and a number one or number two
on the top, then you have hair here
but it's completely shaved on the sides, that
wouldn't be permissible.
No.
Yeah.
Oh, no specific time.
No specific time.
I suppose the longer you use it, the
more reward you get inshallah.
Because you're using this, you're doing the sunnah
for longer.
The longer you can use it for, the
better inshallah.