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ISLAM
106
Tayammum
Tayammum
is a practice of special significance in Islam.
The primary significance of ablution and bathing is religious
and the aspect of hygiene is a matter of secondary impor-
tance. These practices have been enjoined upon us as reli-
gious duties in order to prepare ourselves physically and
mentally for the performance of the main duty (
salah
). Allah
has directed us to perform
Tayammum
in case water is not
available or we are unable to make use of it. This practice
is meant to retain the spiritual value of
wudu
’ (ablution) as
a means of distracting us from the mundane activities of life
and directing us towardsAllah. The question may be asked
why pure sand has been recommended for purification.
The answer is that after water the next most easily avail-
able thing in the world is sand. Secondly, its use reminds a
man of his birth and his abode in the grave. Moreover, its
wiping over the face and hands strikes at the very root of
man’s vanity and pride and inculcates in him a spirit of
humility.
Zakah
By
Zakah
is meant that fixed amount which is subtracted at
the end of each year by affluent people. In this way the
remaining wealth is purified. By one part of it being given to
the cause of Allah, the rest is rendered lawfully usable for
the almsgiver. Deducting Z
akah
from one’s earning is a
material acknowledgement of the fact that the actual giver
is Allah. Since the giver is Allah, the recipient is duty bound
to spend it in His cause. The law of
Zakah
is to take from
those who have wealth and give it away to those who do
not. This rotation of wealth is a way to balance socia
inequality. In this way the wealthy are reminded of what is
due from them to those who are less well-favoured in life or
who are totally destitute.
Zakah
is an important part of the
Islamic code of ethics. On the one hand, Z
akah
purifies the
giver of feelings like miserliness and selfishness, and gen-
erates the spirit of generosity and humanitarianism. On the
other hand, the receiver also benefits in the sense that he
begins to consider others as his brothers and well-wishers.
Thus his heart is not corroded with feelings of jealousy or
PT
ry
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