The Devotional Matters: Can the Intellect Comprehend the Wisdom Behind Them?
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The questioner : The devotional matters?
The Shaykh : Yes, this is due to the limitation of our understanding. For example, the fact that the prayer consists of four, four, three, and two units—why not six or eight? A person of sound mind has no basis for this, and it is not possible. However, we do not say that there is no wisdom in it; there must be wisdom, but it is not known to us.
The Shaykh : It is rare for the intellects of all people to reach the full understanding of these matters. Yes, it is rare.
The questioner : For example, the ablution and wiping the head—do we not know the wisdom behind it?
The Shaykh : No, we know the wisdom behind it.
The questioner : How?
The Shaykh : It has an apparent wisdom, because washing the head is harmful if a person washes his head while he has hair, especially in the winter days, as he would be greatly inconvenienced. Furthermore, if he also washed his head, it would be on top of everything, as the water would drip over his entire body and clothes.
The questioner : What benefit is there, then?
The Shaykh : The wiping?
The questioner : Yes, the wiping.
The Shaykh : No, the benefit is the devotion to Allah. Yes, it is devotion, but if it were merely purification, the purpose of ablution would not be physical purification, because you wash your hands, for example, after eating with soap, and then if you want to perform ablution, you wash them three times even though you just washed them.
The Shaykh : Yes, this is due to the limitation of our understanding. For example, the fact that the prayer consists of four, four, three, and two units—why not six or eight? A person of sound mind has no basis for this, and it is not possible. However, we do not say that there is no wisdom in it; there must be wisdom, but it is not known to us.
The Shaykh : It is rare for the intellects of all people to reach the full understanding of these matters. Yes, it is rare.
The questioner : For example, the ablution and wiping the head—do we not know the wisdom behind it?
The Shaykh : No, we know the wisdom behind it.
The questioner : How?
The Shaykh : It has an apparent wisdom, because washing the head is harmful if a person washes his head while he has hair, especially in the winter days, as he would be greatly inconvenienced. Furthermore, if he also washed his head, it would be on top of everything, as the water would drip over his entire body and clothes.
The questioner : What benefit is there, then?
The Shaykh : The wiping?
The questioner : Yes, the wiping.
The Shaykh : No, the benefit is the devotion to Allah. Yes, it is devotion, but if it were merely purification, the purpose of ablution would not be physical purification, because you wash your hands, for example, after eating with soap, and then if you want to perform ablution, you wash them three times even though you just washed them.