Why the Left Hand? Islamic Etiquette Explained
Purification and Etiquette of Relieving Oneself: Use of Right Hand and Water vs. Dry Materials
Summary
This lecture discusses the chapter on purification (Tahara) and the etiquette of relieving oneself from an Islamic jurisprudence text. Sh. Ali Mashhour explains a hadith narration prohibiting the use of the right hand when urinating or cleaning oneself after relieving, following the principle that the right hand has precedence in purification matters. The lecture clarifies that while water is preferred and better for purification, it is not absolutely necessary—one can use dry materials like stones as long as they are pure and not harmful. Sh. Ali Mashhour addresses a common misconception that water is mandatory for purification, noting that in the Prophet's time, people often used dry materials. A hadith is presented where young companions would carry water and a lance (spear) when accompanying the Prophet to relieve himself, with the lance serving as protection against snakes and pests in the desert, while also demonstrating that the Prophet utilized water when available.
Note: This transcript was generated using YouTube's automatic captioning, with AI-assisted cleanup for readability. It may contain inaccuracies due to background noise, audio quality, or limitations of the transcription software — particularly during Arabic recitation. Listener discretion is advised; please refer to the original video for precise wording.
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Alhamdulillah. Continuing.
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In the chapter of purification from the book of purification or the chapter regarding the etiquets of relieving oneself. self in the book of purification of We will be Allah.
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On the authority of who narrates that the messenger of Allah said, "If any of you is to your mate, then he is not to hold his member with his right hand, nor is he to use his right hand to wipe or purify himself. self. This is again going and following falling into line with the pattern of that the general principle is that the right has precedence over the left in all matters concerning purification. ation etc. And so here the prophet sallall alaihi wasallam specifies that is impermissible for a person to urinate and to use his right hand to do so to use his right hand to do so. Nor that a person should wipe himself or clean himself after relieving himself using the right hand as well. And it is permissible for a person to purify himself using water or stones or anything of the likes and water is you know better. Water is better. So often times the scholars of f they differentiate between using water and using stones or something dry. When a person uses something dry they call it. When someone uses water it's called anette. And either way what the point is that a person clean himself. And this can be done either with something dry or something wet. And what's important is that a person clean himself to a reasonable degree. a lot of people are under the misunderstanding that a person has to use water that if you do not use water then you have not cleaned yourself. This is incorrect. The reason we have this misunderstanding or many of us have this misunderstanding is because we have water so abundantly. We have water everywhere. Water in the restroom. We have water running in our pipes and so it becomes accessible and easy and no doubt water is better. However, it is not absolutely necessary for a person to clean or purify himself. Often times, the prophet sallallah.aii was use something dry stones, rocks or something as long as it's not something that is harmful. And we will discuss that inshallah.
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Muslim. here and narrates that the messenger of Allah when going to relieve himself presumably in Medina in the times when he was in Medina he would go to purify himself and it says myself and another young boy of my age of similar age we would carry with us a small bucket of water and a small spear. And we would go and accompany him to the outskirts in order for him to relieve himself. So we understand the small water, the small container of water. But why is he taking a spear with him? Alaz an in the Arabic language is a short spear. In English, we call it a lance, right? And it usually is tooththed. It has a serrations on on the end. And it's usually used for close quarters combat with a shield. Also, alaza can be used on occasion with someone who is very skilled with it for hunting as well. So, it's a lance to use to throw from horseback or to you be used in tandem with a shield. Why is he taking this with him? To relieve himself when he's relieving himself for what? Snakes. I mean, that's reasonable, right? You do have snakes, scorpions, pests out there or for protection. That's very correct. It is presumably for what it is used for. That's why he would take it with him. Especially at night going out there in the dark in the desert, there's monsters out there. So, they would take something with them. This is a one narration of a couple of narrations that mention that he would often carry a lance or have a lance carried for him as well if he planned to make salah. He would put it in front of him as a when he would go to pray. But the point of the narration, the spirit of the narration, the reason that the author mentioned it in this place is to articulate that the prophet sallall.aii wasallam when he had access to water would go out of his way to use water. But it is not absolutely critical. person can use anything else that is dry and pure and purifying as long as it's not something that will be you know of harm to any other creatures.