The Spirit of Travelling

[ummtaalib]

Travel is a means of discovery, understanding and reflection, a means of acquiring a livelihood and spreading ideas and cultures. The modern world has made travel relatively cheap, easy and convenient, significantly reducing the presupposed risks and dangers of the past. Now, we take the decision to travel with far less deliberation and concern. However, in the past this decision was not taken lightly, with travellers carefully considering the religious and worldly advantages of their journey before undertaking the first step. Thus travel used to be more purposeful than it is today. Islam holds a rich body of teachings on the subject which imbue with it the remembrance of Allah from the outset. Accessing and applying these teachings allows the modern traveller to achieve a greater purpose and also derive some of the benefits earlier travellers would find in their journeys. Types of Travel: The legal status of a journey in Islam is intimately tied to its purpose - a sound intention can make any journey a praiseworthy and rewarding form of worship. Obligatory There are 2 necessary journeys in Islam:

To undertake Hajj once in a lifetime for those who have the means to do so To go out seeking knowledge of the basics of religion, such as rulings on wudu, salat and other everyday rites if there is no way of learning this in one’s home town

Recommended There are many journeys that are recommend in Shari’ah such as:

To perform Umrah in Makkah To visit the illuminated city of Madinah and the blessed city of Jerusalem To travel to be among Muslims, the righteous friends of Allah and scholars To visit one’s relatives to maintain the ties of kinship

Permissible Any trip to a lawful destination for any lawful purpose is permissible. But permissible acts attract neither reward nor punishment. Thus the proper attitude of a believer should be to elevate permissible acts into praiseworthy ones by coupling it with an exalted intention. As mentioned by Dr. Mufti Abdur-Rahman Mangera,“Put another way, the aim is to add another dimension to travel, so that it transcends the simple movement between two points on the earth to become a journey along the path of Allah.” [Chapter 3.3 Fiqh of Travel, Huma’s Travel Guide to Palestine] Some of these intentions could include:

To reflect on the wonders of Allah’s creation and enjoy the manifestation of His beauty and awesomeness To provide some respite from one’s daily toils and clear one’s mind, allowing them to return to their worldly and spiritual obligations with renewed vigour To observe and learn from praiseworthy cultures and behaviours of others To take lessons and admonition from seeing the ruins of nations that Allah destroyed

Unlawful This includes any form of travel undertaken with an unlawful intention, such as for the sake of formation, gambling and drinking. Of course this would be unlawful even in one’s own hometown. I would like to end this week’s email with the wise words of Imam Shafi’i, an avid traveller himself: The one with intellect and good conduct,     Finds no rest in remaining home, so leave your abode and travel Travel, and you will find a replacement for those who you leave behind.     Strive, for the pleasure of life lies in hardship. I have seen motionlessness spoil water     When it flows it becomes clear; when held back it stagnates. The lion, were it to stay in its den, would never catch its prey.     The arrow, were it not to leave the bow, would not hit its mark. The sun, were it to halt in one place in the Heavens     The Arabs and the non-Arabs alike would grow weary of it. Gold is akin to soil when it is at its source     While oud in its own place is only another type of wood. When this one is taken from its source it rises in demand     And when that one is mined it becomes as prized as gold.   whitethreadpress.com

[ummtaalib]

Practical Tips on Wudu While on the Road

Whether you are in your home or out and about in public, salat should be the first priority of a Muslim. Being on the road is certainly not an excuse for delaying fulfilling our obligations and we should know how to determine the direction of prayer, how to efficiently perform wudu and correctly offer salat in any situation. Here are a few practical tips I have learnt whilst travelling:

Always carry a small water container or bottle so you can clean yourself properly when using a public toilet. This could be also used to make wudu when water facilities are not available. If you are travelling on a plane and cannot carry water through security, you can still take an empty container and fill it up in a washbasin after passing through security. Whilst in some countries they provide free disposable toilet covers, it is always handy to have some in your bag or to carry a small roll of toilet tissue so you are prepared for any situation. Whether you feel somewhat embarrassed lifting your feet into a washbasin or find yourself in a plane where the wash basins are extremely small, wearing leather or durable waterproof socks can be very useful as you can simply wipe over them rather than having to wash your feet.  If you do need to wash your feet and have very limited space (like on a plane), you can wash your feet over the toilet using water from disposable cups that passengers are served water in.  Remember purity is half of our faith so make sure you wipe any wet areas on the floor and around washbasins with the paper towels provided so you do not inconvenience the person after you.

Let’s explore the rulings related to leather or durable waterproof socks in a bit more detail. Criteria of Footwear People often ask if they can wipe over cotton socks or if they have to be made of leather. Any footwear that fulfils the following conditions may be wiped over:

Water does not seep through them when wiping Due to their thickness, they remain on the foot without having to be tied (with the exception of a zipper or the like that is attached to the footwear) They completely cover the foot, up to and including the ankles They are not see-through It is durable enough to walk in for about at least 3.5 miles without tearing It is not torn to such an extent that an area equal to the size of three small toes is exposed

Rulings About Wiping Wiping is valid on such footwear if it is put on while the person is in wudu. A traveller can wipe over it for up to 72 hours whereas a resident can only wipe for up to 24 hours. The time is reckoned from the first time wudu breaks after having put on the both footwear in a state of purity. After the maximum time period elapses and a person is still in wudu, they can simply remove the footwear, wash the feet without having to redo the entire wudu. Remember, the period can be extended from 24 to 72 hours for a resident who starts a journey within this time and becomes a traveller. Similarly, the time is reduced from 72 to 24 hours for a traveller who becomes a resident. Method of Wiping Wet the fingers and draw them over the upper surface of the footwear starting at the toes, with one’s fingers spread apart and ending at the ankle. Wiping on each surface an amount equivalent to three fingers is obligatory. One wipe is sufficient on each foot and the fingers of the right hand are used for the right foot and those of the left hand for the left foot. Shaykh Faraz mentions in his footnotes of ‘Ascent to Felicity’ that even if the minimum obligatory area of the top of the footwear becomes wet from purifying water, such as by rain or wet cloth, it is valid. Nullifiers of Wiping Everything that nullifies wudu also nullifies the wiping: one wipes again when redoing the wudu. It is also nullified by:

Removing one or both of the footwear One or both footwear slip off the foot so that the foot becomes exposed Water entering the footwear and wetting more than half the foot Ghusl becoming obligatory such as though a wet dream or menstruation The expiry of the period during which one may wipe

We should all try to implement this prophetic practice at least once in our lives to experience just how easy and practical our beautiful religion is. whitethreadpress