What Is Haraam?

There been long debates on ‘Is music Halal or Haram’, and have come up with hundreds of pages, so categorizing it halal and some haraam. Not on web, but in TV talk shows and live discussions, same is the situation. Well, keeping it in a corner, I got stuck on one thing, i.e. what actually is ‘haraam’. and found a thought provoking statement here:

Warning against playing with the word “ haram ”

It says, “we address the respectful scholars who tackle the word “ haram ” easily and set it free in their writings and fatwas that they should observe that Allah is watching over them in all that they say or do. They should also know that this word “ haram ” is very dangerous. It means that Allah’s Punishment is due on a certain act or saying, and should not be based upon guessing, whims, weak Hadiths, not even through an old book. It has to be supported by a clear, well-established text or valid consensus. If these last two are not found, then we revert the given act or saying to the original rule: “permissibility governing things”. We do have a good example to follow from one of our earlier pious scholars. Imam Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: “It was not the habit of those who preceded us, the early pious Muslims, who set good example for the following generations, to say, ‘This is halal , and this is haram . But, they would say, ‘I hate such-and-such, and maintain such-and-such, but as for halal and haram , this is what may be called inventing lies concerning Allah. Did not you hear Allah’s Statement that reads, ‘Say: Have you considered what provision Allah has sent down for you, how you have made of it lawful and unlawful? Say: Has Allah permitted you, or do you invent a lie concerning Allah?” (Yunus: 59) For, the halal is what Allah and His Messenger made lawful, and the haram is what Allah and His Messenger made unlawful.”

Fard, Sunnah, Mustahabbat and Makruhat in Wudu

The compulsory actions or Fard in Wudu (Ablution) are as follows:

1. Washing the face from hair of the forehead to the lower portion of the chin; and across from one ear to the other
2. Washing both hands and arms upto the elbows
3. Performing the Masa’h (wiping with wet hands, one fourth of one’s head)
4. Washing both the feet upto the ankles

There are total 13 Sunnah actions in Ablution. These are:

1. Saying the Intention (Niyyah)
2. Reciting ‘Bismillah’
3. Washing the hands, three times, upto the wrists
4. Brushing teeth with a tooth-stick (Miswak)
5. Rinsing the mouth, thrice
6. Sniffing water into the nostrils, thrice,
7. Combing (doing Khilal) the beard with the fingers
8. Passing fingers of both hands, against each other, and also passing them through the toes (Khilal of fingers and toes)
9. Washing, each limb, three times
10. Performing the Masa’h once over the whole head
11. Performing the Masa’h of the two ear
12. Performing Ablution (Wudu) in proper order
13. Washing each part, one after the other, without pause, to ensure that no part dries up before the next step. (see topics on Mas’ha on Socks)

In addition to Fard and Sunnah there are some other desirable actions (Mustahabbat) in Wudu. These are:

1. To begin Ablution (Wudu) from the right side Some scholars regard this among the Masnun (Sunnah) acts. This is quite likely.
2. Performing ‘Masa’h’ of the nape.
3. Performing Ablution all by himself, without taking other’s help.
4. Facing Qiblah.
5. Performing Ablution while sitting at a clean and elevated place.

Some things that are not considered as desirable in Wudu are known as Makruhat. These are:

1. Performing Ablution at a dirty place
2. Blowing one’s nose with the right hand
3. Talking worldly affairs while performing Ablution
4. Performing Ablution in a manner contrary to Sunnah

Classification of Hadith

I found this image while searching for title and thought it worth sharing. Here it goes!

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