Sūrat al-Māʾidah
Section 4 of 25 · Surah Studies · Mufti Abdul Rahman Mangera
Purity in Every Dealing
That is another of the discussions here. A further one, already treated in the chapter on Sūrat al-Baqarah, is wa-l-muḥṣanātu mina al-muʾmināti wa-l-muḥṣanātu mina alladhīna ūtū al-kitāba min qablikum: that chaste, pure women of the believers, and chaste, pure women of the People of the Book, are likewise permitted to Muslim men — but not the reverse. As explained there, it is undesirable and disliked, because of the many conflicts that may arise; it was permitted for particular reasons, or in particular circumstances.
Having treated all of that: Islam is, as is said, a dīn of all these things. In trade, in purchasing, even in partnerships, in renting, in marriage — everything must be pure. Ṭahārah is of the first importance. Ṭahārah is purity. We think of ṭahārah as physical purity: not being dirty, being in a clean state. But there are other forms of cleanness too: clean dealings, pure transactions. All of this belongs to the purity of Islam.
For this reason Allah (swt) says, from verse 6:
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِذَا قُمْتُمْ إِلَى ٱلصَّلَوٰةِ فَٱغْسِلُوا۟ وُجُوهَكُمْ وَأَيْدِيَكُمْ إِلَى ٱلْمَرَافِقِ وَٱمْسَحُوا۟ بِرُءُوسِكُمْ وَأَرْجُلَكُمْ إِلَى ٱلْكَعْبَيْنِ ۚ وَإِن كُنتُمْ جُنُبًا فَٱطَّهَّرُوا۟ ۚ وَإِن كُنتُم مَّرْضَىٰٓ أَوْ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍ أَوْ جَآءَ أَحَدٌ مِّنكُم مِّنَ ٱلْغَآئِطِ أَوْ لَـٰمَسْتُمُ ٱلنِّسَآءَ فَلَمْ تَجِدُوا۟ مَآءً فَتَيَمَّمُوا۟ صَعِيدًا طَيِّبًا فَٱمْسَحُوا۟ بِوُجُوهِكُمْ وَأَيْدِيكُم مِّنْهُ ۚ مَا يُرِيدُ ٱللَّهُ لِيَجْعَلَ عَلَيْكُم مِّنْ حَرَجٍ وَلَـٰكِن يُرِيدُ لِيُطَهِّرَكُمْ وَلِيُتِمَّ نِعْمَتَهُۥ عَلَيْكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ
“O you who believe, when you rise for Salāh, (prayer) wash your faces and your hands up to the elbows, and make MasH (wiping by hands) of your heads and (wash) your feet up to the ankles. If you are in a state of major impurity, cleanse yourselves well (by taking bath). If you are sick, or on a journey, or if one of you has come after relieving himself, or you have had sexual contact with women, and you find no water, then, go for some clean dust and wipe your faces and hands with it. Allah does not like to impose a problem on you; He, rather likes to cleanse you and to complete His favour upon you, so that you may be grateful.” (5:6)
Physical purity is now spoken of, after the purity of dealings. Allah (swt) speaks of washing for wuḍūʾ, but mentions also that if you do not have wuḍūʾ, then fa-tayammamū ṣaʿīdan ṭayyibā: use pure soil. For in all of this — mā yurīdu Allāhu li-yajʿala ʿalaykum min ḥaraj — in all of this, Allah does not wish to create difficulty for you.
Seen from the perspective of no belief — a wholly free, liberal, decadent view of the world, indulgent, in which one does as one pleases — all of this is difficulty. But it should be seen from the perspective that with anything and everything there are always laws; and the laws of Islam are far easier than many of the other legal systems of the world that have laws of that kind, while preserving an aspect of great importance. That is why Allah says — seen from that perspective — that He is not seeking to create difficulty. It is not that water must be found at all costs, even at an exorbitant price. Allah says: if you do not find water, then find soil — which will be found in any case — or dust. Allah wishes only to purify you and to complete His bounty upon you, so that you give thanks. It should be considered in that light.
Allah (swt) speaks, then, of the ḥalāl and the ḥarām in these verses, as already discussed. Whoever wishes to draw close to Allah (swt) and to converse with Him must be pure. That is what Allah (swt) is saying here: when one draws near to Allah — to pray, for instance — one must be praying; one must be pure.