Introduction

Allah Most High says, “I have not created jinn-kind nor mankind for any purpose other than to worship Me.” (Qur’an, 51:56) Take this course to increase your knowledge of the questions that worshippers face in their purity, prayer, and fasting, all in light of a comprehensive textbook of Hanafi law that students have used for centuries. This is the first of three parts. This part focuses on the detailed rules of purification (tahara), discussing issues of both ritual and physical purity.

Curricular Context

  • This is a Level Two elective course.
  • Before taking this course, take The Absolute Essentials of Islam (Hanafi) and/or the Essentials of Worship courses

Course Outline

Lesson 1: Introduction the Hanafi school and the text

Lesson 2: Author’s Opening & Types of Water

Lesson 3: Exercising One’s Judgement, Wells, and Cleaning the Private Parts of Filth (Istinja’)

Lesson 4: Integrals of Wudu and Opening Sunnas

Lesson 5:  Remaining Sunnas, Disliked Actions, and Legal categories of Wudu

Lesson 6: Nullifiers of Wudu

Lesson 7: The Major Ablution (Ghusl)

Lesson 8: Dry Ablution (Tayammum)

Lesson 9: Wiping Footgear and Casts; Basics of Menstruation

Lesson 10: Menstruation, Chronic Excuses, and Physical Impurity

Lesson 11: The Basis and Categories of Filth

Lesson 12:  Filth and Its Removal

Lesson 13: Introduction to Prayer and Its Times

Lesson 14: Disliked Times and the Adhan

Lesson 15: Obligations of the Prayer (1)

Lesson 16: Obligations of Prayer (2)

Lesson 17: Necessary Elements of the Prayer and Opening Sunnas

Lesson 18: Sunnas, Adab, and Description of Standing

Lesson 19: Completion of the Prayer and Conditions of Congregation

Lesson 20: Congregational Prayer

Lesson 21: Invocations after Prayer and Invalidators

Lesson 22: Additional Invalidators and Introduction to Disliked Acts

Lesson 23: Disliked Acts (1)

Lesson 24: Disliked Acts (2) and Breaking the Prayer

Lesson 25: Witr and Sunna Prayers

Lesson 26: Voluntary Prayers and Praying on Modes of Transport

Lesson 27:  Prayers in Exceptional Situations, Tarawih, and the Traveller

Lesson 28: Prayer of the Sick Person, Expiation, and Make-ups

Lesson 29: Catching the Congregation | The Forgetfulness Prostration

Lesson 30: Prostration of Recital and the Friday Prayer

Lesson 31: Sunnas of Friday; Eid and Eclipse Prayers

Lesson 32: Prayers for Rain, Fear, and Funerals

Lesson 33: Details on the Funeral Prayer, Carrying the Body, and Burial

Lesson 34: Visiting Graves, Martyrs, and Fasting

Lesson 35: Intention, Moon Sighting and Invalidators of the Fast

Lesson 36: Completion of Fasting and the Devotional Retreat

What You Will Learn:

  • Understand slavehood to Allah Most High and why it is important
  • Learn the rules of purification that are generally encountered
  • Memorize the detailed rules of wudu and ghusl, tayammum, removing filth, and the basic rulings of menstruation.
  • Learn the rules of prayer that are generally encountered
  • Memorize the obligatory, necessary, and sunna  elements of prayer at a higher level of detail
  • Learn the conditions, sunnas, and rulings of congregational prayer
  • Memorize a list of nearly twelve dozen invalidating or disliked actions in the prayer.
  • Appreciate the rigor of the science of Sacred Law (fiqh)
  • Learn the details of prayer and fasting that are generally encountered
  • Learn the rulings of witr and the sunna prayers
  • Learn the rulings related to prayer when travelling or sick
  • Learn the rulings related to the prostration of forgetfulness and the prostration of recital
  • Memorize the conditions for the validity and obligation of the Friday, Eid prayers, as well as the conditions for the khutba.
  • Learn the nullifiers of the fast and their practical consequences
  • Learn about the rulings related to vows and devotional retreat
  • Gain a grounding in the method and application of the Hanafi school

About the Course Text

This course is an explanation of Nur al-Idah (Light of Clarity), a detailed introduction to the rules of purity, prayer, and fasting authored by a leading authority of the Hanafi school, Abu’l-Ikhlas Hasan al-Shurunbulali (d. 1069 AH/ 1659 CE ). This text covers nearly every issue that arises in the course of these three acts of worship in a clear and comprehensive manner. It is for this reason that Nur al-Idah, along with its commentary Maraqi al-Falah, forms an essential part of nearly every traditional syllabus in Hanafi jurisprudence.