Feb 11
3
Taharat – Cleansing and Purity
A child born from the womb of its mother is pure and fresh as a blank wrinkle free paper. Scripts in various forms are written on the paper, ranging from art and beautiful sketches to scars that are not worth remembering. These scars may also be in the form of sins and guilt that one may carry throughout the life.
Just as the human body needs cleansing from dust and dirt to keep itself healthy so does its soul and spirit, the blank paper which gets spills of ink on it in the form of sins. It needs to purify itself from vague and faulty thoughts and feelings. The pain of sinful behavior and practices.
The only thing that can purify such unseen filth is to know its own self. For he who knows the self knows his lord, said Rasulallah SA. This is the mot difficult part in the life of any normal human being. Most of the time humans are totally unaware of their own needs, wants, desires and fears.
Syednal Qadi al-Noman, the Chief Justice of the Fatimi Empire during the Imammat of Maulana Imam Moiz (AS) in Qahera, has written a book titled “Kitab al-Taharat”, the Book of purity.
Syednal Qadil Noman (RA) a person whose purity of heart was a mention of the Imam and his faith in the Aimmat Tahereen AS most profound in nature writes a book titled “Taharat” and in its preface describes his intention in writing the book, where he states that after knowing the lord and his apostles and Awliyat the most important of all that should be learned and practiced is “Salaat”, Namaaz. One might wonder that the kitaab is titled “Taharat” and the preface points to “Salaat” and he continues to write the virtues of it and declaring that since the most important thing to start with is Salaat and the keyto it is taharat it should be elaborated further.
The kitaab has the two major pillars of Islam described and elaborated in it by the pen of one of the most proficient writer, author and judge in the Fatemi empire during his time. Both the pillars of Islam are the start point of faith and religion itself. To attain the purity of soul and spirit one must go closer to the lord and that is in sujud. Each farizat prayer is a kaffarat to sins prior to it and therefore before getting any closer to the lord, Allah, one must cleanse himself of all dirt. The body does need cleaning but the various practices and arkan of wuzu, gusl and etiquette of the toilet ensure the purification of the mind and thought as well.
The two daaim explained in detail and its arkan and practice are indeed “Taharat” for the mind, body and soul.
Huzurala TUS has with karam and ehsan granted raza to all Mumineen all over the world to learn from this kitaab and embrace it with purity of heart and intention, putting it to practice. May Allah bless him a long life for many more centuries to come. Ameen
