Q. Having read a Hadith in Al-Bukhari that a pilgrim will be rewarded in proportion to the amount of money he spends and the physical effort he undertakes, my rich friend plans to spend very generously on his pilgrimage and to cover the distance between the different places walking.
Abu Aqeelah
A. While God rewards us richly for doing what He has assigned to us as duties, He also takes into account the trouble we take in order to fulfill these duties. A person who is in difficult circumstances, trying to save a little every month in order to pay for his journey to offer the pilgrimage, is rewarded for his persistence and determination to fulfill this duty. An old man who is physically weak and finds the tawaf and sa’ie very tiring, particularly when the area is overcrowded earns more reward for the extra physical effort he makes. But this does not mean that we should try to tire ourselves out in order to earn more reward. There are plenty of other ways which ensure greater reward.
If we take the case of this rich man, he may decide to fly first class in order to increase his spending on his pilgrimage. But this is wrong. He may get more reward if he flies on a cheaper ticket and gives the difference as sadaqah or charity. Similarly, he gains little by walking from Makkah to Arafat, particularly if he is not used to walking. He could travel in a more comfortable way and, if he wants more reward, he may offer night worship after the pilgrimage is over. What is important to realize is that there is no virtue in deliberately tiring ourselves out. If we have to make a greater effort because of our circumstances, God gives us reward for that, but we do not need to cause ourselves discomfort for that.
A woman’s shower
Q. Could you please explain how a woman should conduct her grand ablution, or ghusl? Is taking a shower sufficient? May I also ask whether it is permissible to perform one’s ablution or wudhu when one is totally undressed?
Shukraan
A. The ghusl or grand ablution requires washing all one’s body with water. But Islam always makes things easy, so that we could comply with God’s order without having too much trouble. Since some women have long hair which they make in plaits or a time-consuming style, they are not required to undo their hair. What a woman needs to do is to take a handful of water and rub her head with her hand. She does this three times before pouring water over the rest of her body. It is also recommended to start by doing the normal ablution, or wudhu. It is important to wash all one’s body. Therefore, a shower is a very good way of performing the ghusl. It is also good enough to have a dip in a swimming pool, a river or the sea, if one is able to do so without exposing her body before strangers. If a person is taking a bath it is appropriate to perform the ordinary ablution, or wudhu, without having any clothes on. This is true in our modern houses where one is completely alone in one’s bathroom.
Arab News Islam 10 January 2003