Q.1. Is it permissible to perform ablutions in the bathroom, with private parts uncovered? Does exposing some parts of one’s body invalidate ablution? Does one need to do the grand ablution after shaving?
Q.2. If semen had fallen on one’s clothes and one has not washed it, is one’s prayer valid?
Q.3. If a man has not been circumcised and performs the pilgrimage, is his pilgrimage valid?
Q.4. I would like to give my new house the name ‘Jannat Manzil’ because the first word is part of my mother’s name. Is it acceptable from the Islamic point of view?
M.A. Kassim • Dammam
A.1. In today’s houses we enjoy complete privacy in our bathrooms. It is perfectly permissible to undress in such privacy and perform the ablution, of either type. In fact, when people need to perform the grand ablution, i.e. ghusl, they take a shower totally undressed. This covers both ablutions. Moreover, if some part of one’s body is uncovered, and seen by others, this exposure does not invalidate ablution. Shaving one’s beard does not require any type of ablution. If you mean shaving one’s pubic hair, this has nothing to do with ablution.
A.2. Semen is considered by scholars to have no impurity, because God states that He has honored mankind. It is not possible that with such honor, He would create them from a material that is impure. This means that if semen falls on one’s clothes, it does not affect the validity of one’s prayers. However, some schools of fiqh say that it should be rubbed off if it has dried, or washed off if it is still wet. Aishah, the Prophet’s wife, says: “I used to rub semen off the Prophet’s clothes.
A.3. Circumcision is a Sunnah, and its omission does not affect the validity of any duty we offer.
A.4. There is nothing to prevent you from naming this house as you wish. However, it might not be advisable to use such a name, because, should your family go through difficult times, people would comment in a very unsatisfactory way about the name of your house. They may relate that to Paradise, and associate your difficult times with heaven, implying that if you could not find happiness in your Jannat, i.e. heaven, you are less likely to do so in heaven, God forbids.
Arab News Islam 18 August 2003