Quran Questions

[Reader Questions]

From Forum Member: Haji

Salam alejkum Joseph!

First of all I would like to say thank you for all your hard work. I've really enjoyed reading many of your articles. Keep doing your good work and may God bless you.

I decided to post some questions in the forum, but wasn't able to. It seems like my registration wasn't approved. Could you give me answer for the following questions:

1. Some Quran translations include the word "friday" in verse 9, in surah 62, to support "congregational friday prayer" and others don't. What is the correct interpretation of 62:9? Is "congregational friday prayer" obligatory for believers?
2. Do believers have to say "In the name of God" before eating any kind of food and when slaughtering an animal?
3. When is wudu (ablution) broken? Is wudu broken when you urinate, passing gas etc? How often and when do believers have to perform wudu? Is intention required?

Kind regards.

[QM Moderators Team]

Dear Haji,

Your account was approved and should now be working fine. Please feel free to log in and post.

Thanks

QM Moderator

[Sardar Miyan]

Salam Bro Haji (1) Friday ( Juma) congregational prayer is obligatory (2)Yes we have say Bismillah before eating & before slaughtering  (3) You have to do Wadu whenever you urinate,go to stool or pass gas,If you are unable you can do Taymum ( Dry Wash)

[afafaff]

Salam alejkum!

@QM Moderator
Thank you.

@Sardar Miyan
I would like to see a clear proof from Quran for your claims or an convincing logical answer. It's hard to believe when you have little knowledge. But thanks for your answer anyway.
Concerning the first question, I've already found explanation in the forum. No answer is required.

Peace!

[Joseph Islam]

Dear Haji,

May peace be with you.

Please see my responses to your questions below. I understand that you have found an answer to your first question on this forum. I share my response to this question anyway with a view to assist others who may not be familiar with the response.


Response to Question 1:

Please see my responses in the links below:
http://quransmessage.com/forum/index.php?topic=321.msg999#msg999


Response to Question 2:

For the consumption of meat to be lawful from a Quran's perspective, the name of God must be pronounced before the animal is slaughtered. Please see the following article which deals with this matter in detail:

SLAUGHTERING OF ANIMALS - THE CORRECT METHOD OF SACRIFICE
http://quransmessage.com/articles/slaughtering%20of%20animals%20-%20the%20correct%20method%20of%20sacrifice%20FM3.htm

It is good practice to commit any well intended action in the name of God with a view to thank Him and to extol His glory (11:41, 27:30, 43:13-14).

016.114
"So eat of the lawful and good food which God has provided for you and be grateful / thankful for the favour / bounty of God if it is Him you serve."


Response to Question 3:

Please see the following Q&A where ablution is discussed and in particular where it is argued that passing wind does not invalidate Wudu. If one performs ablution after passing wind, this should remain a matter of choice and not one argued for under Quranic shariah.

Does passing wind from the anus invalidate wudu?
http://quransmessage.com/forum/index.php?topic=675.msg2507#new


I hope this helps, God willing.
Joseph.

[afafaff]

Thanks for your response dear Joseph. I'll ponder over your claims.

Kind regards,
Haji

[afafaff]

Salam alejkum!

Concerning the question about ablution:
Alright, it's seems to be unnecessary to perform ablution when you pass gas, urinate etc. But when and how often do we have  to perform ablution then? At what circumstances? I just can't find the answer in the two verses, 5:6 and 4:43, where ablution is mentioned. So frustrating or i'm just too blind to see it. Could you give me some explanation?

Kind regards,
Haji

[Joseph Islam]

Peace Haji,

Just for clarification of my position from your post, I never claimed that passing urine does not invalidate wudu. In the link that I shared, I only posited that the passing of wind does not invalidate wudu from a Quranic perspective. The Arabic term 'al-ghaithi' would infer a place where one would satisfy a want of nature which would include the excretion all forms of tangible human waste. Passing of wind would arguably not be included unless one wants to claim they visit a toilet to pass wind.

In light of extracting the best meaning from the Quranic text (39:18, 39:55), the expression "qum'tum ila-salati" in verse 5:6 would infer a state of ablution before establishing / attending any prayer.

I have also responded to a similar question on another forum where many participants do not accept salat to be a ritual practice including the late founder of the site.

Details of Ablution
http://www.salaatforum.com/index.php?id=315

I hope that helps, God willing.
Joseph.

[afafaff]

Dear Joseph,

Thanks for your correction.

Yeah, I though the same thing. But somehow it sounds wrong to me. Think the moment when you have washed yourself and performed prayer, then 20 minutes later, you have to wash yourself again for the next prayer, even though you are clean. The only reason I know is that God tells us that he wants to purify us.
What about prophets as Jesus and Moses  (pbut)? Did they perform ablution?
Did prophet Muhammed (pbuh) also perform ablution before every prayer?
I'm just curious.

Kind regards,
Haji

[Joseph Islam]

Dear Haji,

Peace be with you.

From the Quranic text, I wouldn't feel that one needs to perform ablution between each prayer unless they have visited the water closet for a call of nature. If one enters a state of ceremonial impurity, then in that case a 'ghusl' (bath) would be required.


Although ablution (in some form) can be argued as part of the practice of those from the previous scriptures, I also sense many rituals as part of an accumulation of tradition had been imposed on the simple process which Prophet Jesus contended with. It is also possible that this is the reason why the Quran sought to clarify the process of ablution in such detail for the believers. Alas, the clergy have once again added to the ritual.


THE GOSPEL OF MARK
The 'Earliest' Synoptic Gospel (Based on consensus)
 
MARK 7 Verses 1-9
 
"The Pharisees and some of the teachers of the law who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus and saw some of his disciples eating food with hands that were "unclean," that is, unwashed. (The Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they give their hands a ceremonial washing, holding to the tradition of the elders). When they come from the marketplace they do not eat unless they wash. And they observe many other traditions, such as the washing of cups, pitchers and kettles"
 
So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, "Why don't your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with 'unclean' hands?"
 
He replied, "Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written:
 
'These people honour me with their lips,  but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.
 
You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men."
 
And he said to them: "You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions!” [1]

I hope that helps, God willing.
Joseph.


REFERENCES

[1] TRADITIONS OF MEN - A SMALL LESSON FROM THE BIBLE
http://quransmessage.com/articles/traditions%20of%20men%20FM3.htm


 

[afafaff]

Dear Joseph,

Alright, I may undersand. Let us say, for example, I'm going to WC and my hands get dirty. Then why one have to wash his feet and head when they aren't dirty? Only hands and private parts that should be cleaned. That's the only logic i see.

Just, one more question. Could you give som details about prophet Muhammeds (pbuh) ablution, if it is not hard for you.

Kind regards,
Haji

[Joseph Islam]

Dear Haji,

Peace be with you.

In my view, the Prophet would have followed the instruction of the Wudu (ablution) as prescribed by the Quran as 'religiously' binding. That is as far as I would prefer to conclude. The rest is based on Islamic secondary sources. 

I hope that helps, God willing.

Please accept my post as my last on this matter within this thread.

Regards,
Joseph.

[afafaff]

Dear Joseph,

Thank you very much, for your help and time.

Kind regards,
Haji