A woman says: I have sent to your eminence, along with this letter, copies of the book *How to Pray*. In this book, the author discusses how to pray, where
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The questioner : A letter arrived from your sister in Allah from Makkah al-Mukarramah. The letter is long and says: In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. To the honorable Shaykh Muhammad ibn Salih al-Uthaymeen (may Allah preserve him), peace be upon you, and Allah’s mercy and blessings.
The Shaykh : Peace be upon you, and Allah’s mercy and blessings.
The questioner : First, I would like to inform you that I love you in Allah and I love every Muslim who benefits from your knowledge. May Allah reward you with the best reward for us and for the Muslims, and grant you the highest ranks in Paradise, if Allah wills. And I say to everyone who contributes to this program: May Allah reward you with the best reward for us and for the Muslims.
Second, I have sent to your eminence, along with this letter, copies of the book *How to Pray*. In this book, the author discusses how to pray, where he included, among other things, a discussion of the full ritual bath. He mentioned the conditions under which the full ritual bath is obligatory, as well as the obligatory elements of the full ritual bath. Among these elements, he mentioned intention, stating that when a person wants to perform the full ritual bath, he must intend in his heart for the obligation and verbalize the intention by saying "I intend the obligation of the full ritual bath". He says there is no harm in this and that it is permissible. Is it permissible to verbalize the intention, given that we know that verbalizing the intention is a religious innovation? Is this correct? This is clarified for you in the image attached to the letter. Also, the author mentioned that the second obligatory element is to spread water over the entire body?
The Shaykh : This question is long, as you have heard from those listening to this program. In it, she says that she loves us in Allah, so I ask Allah the Exalted, in Whom she loves us, to love her. Also, when she made a supplication for success and elevation of ranks, she said at the end of her supplication "if Allah wills". It is not befitting for a person, when supplicating to Allah the Exalted and Majestic, to say "if Allah wills" in his supplication. Rather, he should be resolute in his request and magnify his desire, for Allah the Exalted and Majestic is not compelled. And He the Exalted and Majestic said:[Ghafir 40:60] Thus He promised a response. Therefore, there is no need to say "if Allah wills," because if Allah the Exalted and Majestic grants a person success in supplication, He will answer him either by granting his request, or by averting from him an evil, or by storing it for him on the Day of Resurrection.
It is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said: If someone were to say: Did it not become established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he used to say to the sick person: "There is no harm, it is a purification, if Allah wills"? We say: Yes, but this appears to be not from the category of supplication, but rather from the category of information and hope, not supplication. For among the etiquettes of supplication is that one must be resolute in it. And this expression occurs from many people.
As for what you mentioned about a man facing the qiblah when he enters his place of bathing for the full ritual bath, this is not correct. For all those who transmitted the description of the Prophet’s (peace and blessings be upon him) full ritual bath did not mention that he used to face the qiblah when performing the full ritual bath. If this had been among the prescribed matters, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) would have clarified it to his Ummah, either by his saying or by his doing. Since that did not come from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) despite the presence of its cause, if it had been prescribed, we would have known that it is not prescribed. And this is a rule that benefits a person in this case and others, which is that anything whose cause existed in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and for which no saying or doing was prescribed, is not prescribed. That is, it is not prescribed to say or do it. And among this is intention, the intention of worship, meaning verbalizing it. For the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to perform the acts of worship and did not verbalize the intention for them. If this had been prescribed, he would have done it, and if he had done it, it would have been transmitted to us.
Likewise, facing the qiblah when performing the full ritual bath. We say: This had its cause present in the time of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), which is the full ritual bath, and it was not transmitted from him that he used to face the qiblah when performing the full ritual bath. If it had been prescribed, he would have done it, and if he had done it, it would have been transmitted to us. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah thank you, O honorable Shaykh, and magnify [His reward].
The Shaykh : Peace be upon you, and Allah’s mercy and blessings.
The questioner : First, I would like to inform you that I love you in Allah and I love every Muslim who benefits from your knowledge. May Allah reward you with the best reward for us and for the Muslims, and grant you the highest ranks in Paradise, if Allah wills. And I say to everyone who contributes to this program: May Allah reward you with the best reward for us and for the Muslims.
Second, I have sent to your eminence, along with this letter, copies of the book *How to Pray*. In this book, the author discusses how to pray, where he included, among other things, a discussion of the full ritual bath. He mentioned the conditions under which the full ritual bath is obligatory, as well as the obligatory elements of the full ritual bath. Among these elements, he mentioned intention, stating that when a person wants to perform the full ritual bath, he must intend in his heart for the obligation and verbalize the intention by saying "I intend the obligation of the full ritual bath". He says there is no harm in this and that it is permissible. Is it permissible to verbalize the intention, given that we know that verbalizing the intention is a religious innovation? Is this correct? This is clarified for you in the image attached to the letter. Also, the author mentioned that the second obligatory element is to spread water over the entire body?
The Shaykh : This question is long, as you have heard from those listening to this program. In it, she says that she loves us in Allah, so I ask Allah the Exalted, in Whom she loves us, to love her. Also, when she made a supplication for success and elevation of ranks, she said at the end of her supplication "if Allah wills". It is not befitting for a person, when supplicating to Allah the Exalted and Majestic, to say "if Allah wills" in his supplication. Rather, he should be resolute in his request and magnify his desire, for Allah the Exalted and Majestic is not compelled. And He the Exalted and Majestic said:
And your Lord says, "Call upon Me; I will respond to you."
وقال ربكم ادعوني استجب لكمIt is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said:
Let none of you say: O Allah, forgive me if You will; O Allah, have mercy on me if You will. Rather, let him be resolute in his request and magnify his desire, for Allah the Exalted is not compelled.
لا يقل أحدكم اللهم اغفر لي إن شئت اللهم ارحمني إن شئت ولكن ليعزم المسألة وليعظّم الرغبة فإن الله تعالى لا مكره لهAs for what you mentioned about a man facing the qiblah when he enters his place of bathing for the full ritual bath, this is not correct. For all those who transmitted the description of the Prophet’s (peace and blessings be upon him) full ritual bath did not mention that he used to face the qiblah when performing the full ritual bath. If this had been among the prescribed matters, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) would have clarified it to his Ummah, either by his saying or by his doing. Since that did not come from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) despite the presence of its cause, if it had been prescribed, we would have known that it is not prescribed. And this is a rule that benefits a person in this case and others, which is that anything whose cause existed in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and for which no saying or doing was prescribed, is not prescribed. That is, it is not prescribed to say or do it. And among this is intention, the intention of worship, meaning verbalizing it. For the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to perform the acts of worship and did not verbalize the intention for them. If this had been prescribed, he would have done it, and if he had done it, it would have been transmitted to us.
Likewise, facing the qiblah when performing the full ritual bath. We say: This had its cause present in the time of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), which is the full ritual bath, and it was not transmitted from him that he used to face the qiblah when performing the full ritual bath. If it had been prescribed, he would have done it, and if he had done it, it would have been transmitted to us. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah thank you, O honorable Shaykh, and magnify [His reward].