PART 3
15- The method for 'wudu' (ablution)
The method for ablution before prayer is given in the Quran, and it consists of four simple steps. They are:
1- Washing the face
2- Washing the arms to the elbows
3- Wiping the head
4- Wiping the feet to the ankles
The Quran says:
O you who believe, when you rise to observe the Salat, you shall wash your faces and your arms to the elbows, and wipe your heads and your feet to the ankles. 5:6
Hadith attributed to the Prophet:
Despite the simple and clear command from God in 5:6, we read in the hadith that the Prophet performed his ablution in a different way, adding other steps not given in the Quranic ablution. By means of the ablution, God gave us 4 simple steps in order to test our obedience. Will we follow the simple command, or will be tricked by Satan into altering God's command under the false impression that we are doing good by washing other parts of our bodies, and thus becoming cleaner!
Please check the following page which details the purpose of ablution: Purpose of wudu (ablution)
God commanded Prophet Muhammad and all believers to follow the Quran and nothing else, thus it goes without saying that the prophet of God would have never changed or altered God's commands.
In a number of hadith we read quite the opposite; that the Prophet either improvised or devised a different method for ablution! Did Prophet Muhammad disregard God's commands? Or are these hadith false accusations against the Prophet?
Bukhari, Volume 1, Book 4, Number 142:
Narrated 'Ata' bin Yasar:
Ibn 'Abbas performed ablution and washed his face (in the following way): He ladled out a handful of water, rinsed his mouth and washed his nose with it by putting in water and then blowing it out. He then, took another handful (of water) and did like this (gesturing) joining both hands, and washed his face, took another handful of water and washed his right forearm. He again took another handful of water and washed his left forearm, and passed wet hands over his head and took another handful of water and poured it over his right foot (up to his ankles) and washed it thoroughly and similarly took another handful of water and washed thoroughly his left foot (up to the ankles) and said, "I saw Allah's Apostle performing ablution in this way"
In another hadith, it is claimed that the Prophet instructed the believers that they must wash their noses when they perform ablution! In yet another hadith we read about the necessity to clean the private parts with stones and that it must be done with an odd number of stones!
Bukhari, Volume 1, Book 4, Number 162:
Narrated Abu Huraira:
The Prophet said, "Whoever performs ablution should clean his nose with water by putting the water in it and then blowing it out, and whoever cleans his private parts with stones should do it with odd number of stones"
16- The Prophet takes people out of Hell!
The Quran says:
God is the only Enforcer and Judge on Judgement Day:
Possessor of the Day of the Religion. 1:4
If only the transgressors would witness the punishment (on the Day of Judgement), they would realise that all power belongs to God alone. 2:165
In addition to the above, God confirms that no one, not even the Prophet, has the power to take anyone out of Hell:
As for the one who has deserved the decree of punishment, can you rescue those who are in the fire? 39:19
Hadith attributed to the Prophet:
Bukhari, Volume 9, Book 93, hadith 601
To that, Prophet Muhammad says: "I will go and do so."
The words in 39:19 tell us about those who are condemned to be punished in the fire of Hell, after which God also poses the hypothetical question to Prophet Muhammad:
"Can you rescue those who are in the fire?"
However, as per the hadith, God tells the Prophet:
"Take them out of the fire"!
Not only does this hadith blatantly contradict the words in 39:19 which confirm that no one has the authority to take out of Hell the ones who were put there by God, but it also implies that God's sentences are subject to alteration! This hadith also indicates that Prophet Muhammad has the right to intercede when the Quran states very clearly that there will be no intercession on Judgement Day. Please see the section of intercession at:
17- The violation of the rules of a Will:
The Quran says:
God commands all believers who have not yet left a will, to do so if they feel death approaching:
It is clear from these words that God did not set a limit as to what we can leave in our will. In theory, we are able to leave a part of our wealth, or all our wealth in a will. In addition, God specifies that our will should be primarily for the benefit of our parents and those close to us.
Hadith attributed to the Prophet:
When we read hadith, we find a number of hadith which are in total violation to the rules set out in 2:180.
Bukhari, Volume 4, Book 51, Number 6:
Narrated Ibn 'Abbas:
“I recommend that people reduce the proportion of what they bequeath by will to the fourth (of the whole legacy), for Allah's Apostle said, "One-third, yet even one third is too much.”
The restriction of one third, which can only be found in hadith, has been made into a law in many Islamic countries. This is a clear violation of 2:180 and also to the number of verses which confirm that God is the only Law Maker (6:114), and that the Prophet does not have the authority to make law (66:1).
In addition to the above hadith, we also find a number of other hadith that prohibit leaving a will to anyone who is a lawful beneficiary as per the Quranic inheritance laws: "la wassiyya l'warith"
For example, our parents and our children, who are lawful beneficiaries as per the Quranic inheritance laws, cannot be made beneficiaries in our will according to the hadith! Once again, a clear violation of 2:180.
Some scholars, in an attempt to uphold the hadith, despite the Quranic words, claimed that
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