Indexed OCR Text

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Heavenly Ornaments (Behishti Zewar)
34. To say that if Allah and His Rasul sallallahu alayhi wa sallam wish such
and such a thing, it will be done.2
35. To take an oath in the name or on the head of someone.
36. To keep pictures of animate objects. Especially to keep pictures of a
particular saint as a source of blessing and to respect it.
Apart from this, there are many other things. These have been mentioned in
order to serve as an example.
Innovations and Evil Customs
To introduce something which has no basis in Shariah into the Deen, to
regard it as part of Deen, and to act upon it with the hope of reward, is
called a bid'ah (innovation). An innovation is a major sin.
The following innovations and customs should be abstained from:
1. To organize and hold grand fairs at graves, to light lamps there, for
women to visit them, and to cover graves with sheets.
2. To construct tombs over the graves.
3. To go to extremes in revering the graves with a view to please the saint
of the grave.
4. To make ta'zias, to kiss the graves and rub its dust on one's face.
5. To make tawaaf and sajdah to the graves.
6. To read salaat towards the graves.
7. To make offerings of sweetmeats, rice, etc. to the graves.
8. To keep ta'zias or emblems on the graves, and to keep sweets, etc. on
them.
9. To salute graves and regard them as unique and incomparable.
10. To abstain from the following acts3 in the month of Muharram:
a) eating betel leaves,
b) applying henna (mehendi),
c) the company of the husband,
d) wearing red clothes,
2 If this is said with regards to Allah alone, it will be permissible because it is Allah alone who
has the power to benefit or to cause harm.
3
Ignorant people generally abstain from these acts in the month of Muharram as a way of
demonstrating their mourning the martyrdom of Husayn radiallahu anhu. All other acts which are
indicative of such mourning will also be considered to be reprehensible.

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Heavenly Ornaments (Behishti Zewar)
e) eating out of the dish named after Hazrat Fatimah (R.A.).
11. To observe the third and fortieth days as compulsory after death
ceremonies.
12. To regard the second marriage of a woman as a blemish despite there
being a need for it.
13. To perform the different ceremonies of Nikah (marriage), Khatna
(circumcision), Bismillah (beginning of education), etc., inspite of lack of
means, especially by putting oneself in debt and making arrangements for
music and dances.
14. To observe the festivals of Holi and Diwali.
15. To greet in any way other than the greeting of As salaamu alai kum, or
to just bow by raising the hand to the head.
16. To appear before one's brother-in-law, sister-in-law, cousins, or any
other strangers, etc. without any modesty or bashfulness.
17. To bring water from the river while singing.
18. To listen to music or play musical instruments, or to make dancing girls
dance and to reward them for it.
19. To be boastful or proud of one's lineage or family, or to consider any
connection with any saint to be sufficient for salvation.
20. To taunt someone on account of his lower lineage, or to regard any
permissible occupation to be despicable or below your dignity.
21. To go to extremes in praising someone.
22. To spend extravagantly in marriages and other senseless ceremonies.
23. To follow Hindu customs.
24. To make the bridegroom wear clothes which are contrary to the
Shariah, to adorn him with garlands, to apply henna (mehendi) on him, to
light fireworks and make unnecessary decorations.
25. To bring the bridegroom among the women and in front of them, or to
peep at him.
26. To bring the mature (baaligh) sister-in-law (bride's sister) in front of the
bridegroom, to joke with her, or to hold "chauthi" (a ceremony on the
fourth day of the marriage).
27. To go and listen to the conversation of the bride and bridegroom while
they are in their privacy, to peep at them or to eavesdrop; and if you hear
something, to tell it to others.
28. To make the bride attend the feast given by the bridegroom and, to force
her to sit there to the extent that even her salaat is missed.

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Heavenly Ornaments (Behishti Zewar)
29. To fix exhorbitant mehr (dowry) out of pride and boastfulness.
30. To weep aloud out of sorrow, or to beat the face and chest, or to cry in a
shouting manner.
31. To break the containers which were in use at the time of death, or to get
the clothes washed which touched the body of the dead.
32. Not to prepare pickles, etc. in the house of mourning for about a year or
SO.
33. Not to celebrate any happy or joyous occassion.
34. To revive the sorrow or mourning on certain fixed dates.
35. To excessively occupy one's self in make-up and self-beautification and
to look down upon simplicity.
36. To hang pictures and photographs in the house.
37. To use gold or silver utensils.
38. To wear thin or flimsy clothing, or to wear jingling and tinkling
jewellery.
39. To wear short skirts.
40. To attend the gatherings of men, eg. processions and fairs.
41. To adopt the dressing of the opposite sex.
42. To tatoo the body.
43. To practise witchcraft and cast spells.
44. To hang and suspend carpets from walls and ceilings merely for
decoration and beautification.
45. To embrace and hug ghayr mahrams (those with whom hijaab is
necessary) at the time of departing or returning from a journey.4
46. To pierce the nose or ear of a male child as an omen for long life.
47. To make the male child wear a nose or ear ring, or silk, or saffron-dyed
clothes, or any jewellery on the neck, feet or wrists.
48. To feed the children with opium (and other similar drugs) in order to
keep them quiet.
49. To give someone the meat or milk of a lion because of some illness.
There are many other similar incorrect beliefs, customs, and innovations.
These have been mentioned to serve as an example.
This does not mean that embracing and hugging them at other times is permissble. Times of
arrival and departure have been specifically mentioned because people generally embrace each
other at such times.

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Heavenly Ornaments (Behishti Zewar)
A few major sins regarding which severe warnings have been
mentioned
1. To ascribe partners to Allah.
2. To shed the blood of someone unjustly.
3. To practise witchcraft and charms by childless women during the
confinement of another woman so that the child of that woman may die and
she may have a child. This also amounts to murder.
4. To taunt or torment one's parents.
5. To commit adultery.
6. To devour the wealth of orphans, eg. many women usurp the wealth and
belongings of the deceased husband and deprive the children of their share.
7. To deprive the daughters of their share in the inheritance.
8. To accuse a woman of adultery even on the slightest doubt.5
9. To oppress or persecute someone.
10. To backbite or slander someone.
11. To despair of the mercy of Allah Ta'ala.
12. To act contrary to one's promise.
13. To betray a trust (amaanah).
14. To discard any fard (compulsory duty) enjoined by Allah Ta'ala, eg.
salaat, fasting, hajj, zakaat, etc.
15. To forget the Holy Quran after having memorized it.
16. To speak lies. Especially to take false oaths.
17. To swear by the name of anyone other than Allah.
18. To take an oath with such words that the person is deprived of the
kalimah at the time of death, or may die without Imaan.
19. To prostrate before anyone other than Allah Ta'ala.
20. To miss salaat without a valid excuse.
21. To call any Muslim a kafir, or non-believer, or to invoke the wrath or
punishment of Allah on him, or to call him an enemy of Allah.
22. To complain against someone, or to hear such a complaint.
23. To steal.
24. To take interest (usury).
As long as an Islamic proof for adultery is not established, a person cannot be regarded as an
adulterer. When any such situation arises, a pious Aalim (Islamic scholar) should be consulted.

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Heavenly Ornaments (Behishti Zewar)
25. To express joy on the rise and inflation of the value of commodities or
goods.
26. To insist on reducing the price after having agreed to it.
27. To sit in seclusion with ghayr mahrams (those with whom the
observance of hijaab is necessary).
28. To gamble. Some women and girls play certain games with stakes on
them. This is also a kind of gambling.
29. To like and be attracted to the customs of the kuffaar.
30. To find fault with food.
31. To enjoy dancing and listening to music.
32. To abstain from giving advice inspite of having the power to do so.
33. To ridicule someone with a view to humiliating and embarrassing him.
34. To look for faults in others.
The Worldly Harms of Sinning
1. Deprival of knowledge.
2. Decrease in one's sustenance (rizq).
3. Trembling and shuddering at the mention of Allah Ta'ala.
4. Feeling uneasy in the presence of men, especially good and pious men.
5. Experiencing difficulty in most affairs.
6. Loses purity of the heart.
7. Feels weakness of heart, and at times, weakness of the entire body.
8. Gets deprived or bereft of obedience (doing good deeds).
9. His life is shortened.
10. Deprived of the capability to repent (make taubah).
11. After some time, the seriousness of sins comes out of his heart.
12. Becomes despicable in the sight of Allah.
13. His immorality or wrongdoing affects other people and he is thereby
cursed by them.
14. His intellect becomes weak or deficient.
15. He is cursed by Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.
16. Is deprived of the duas of the angels.
17. Faces a shortage in crops.
18. Loses modesty and a sense of self-respect.
19. The greatness of Allah Ta'ala comes out of the heart.

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Heavenly Ornaments (Behishti Zewar)
20. Is deprived of all bounties and blessings.
21. Is engulfed or inundated by difficulties and calamities.
22. The shayateen are deputed over him.
23. His heart is always in turmoil.
24. Is unable to read the kalimah at the time of death.
25. Despairs of the mercy of Allah Ta'ala, and because of this, dies without
having repented.
The Worldly Benefits of Obedience
1. Sustenance is increased.
2. Receives blessings and bounties of all kinds.
3. Problems and difficulties distance themselves.
4. Experiences ease in fulfilling his needs.
5. Experiences a life of contentment.
6. Rains become plentiful.
7. All types of calamities are warded off.
8. Allah Ta'ala becomes very kind and helpful.
9. Angels are commanded to keep his heart strong.
10. Gets true respect and honour.
11. His status is raised.
12. Everyone has love for him in their hearts.
13. The Quran becomes a source of deliverance on his behalf.
14. If he experiences any material loss, he is compensated with something
better.
15. Experiences an increase in blessings day by day.
16. There is an increase in his wealth.
17. Experiences comfort and tranquility in his heart.
18. All these benefits pass on to the next generation.
19. Experiences unseen glad tidings in this very world.
20. Hears and receives the glad tidings of the angels at the time of death.
21. There is an increase in his life-span.
22. Experiences abundance in things which are in small quantity.
23. Removal of Allah Ta'ala's anger.

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Heavenly Ornaments (Behishti Zewar)
KITAABUT TAHAARAH
RULES PERTAINING TO THE USE OF WATER
1. Any impure water whereby all three of its qualities, i.e. taste, smell and
colour, have changed because of some impurity cannot be used under any
circumstances. It cannot be given to animals for drinking purposes, nor can
it be used to prepare mud for building or plastering. If all three qualities
have not changed, it could be given to animals, could be used for building
purposes, and could also be used for watering in the house. However, mud
of this sort should not be used to plaster the walls of the musjid.
2. The sea, rivers, that pond which is not on some private property, and that
well which has been made waqf (given in Allah's name) - the water of all
these can be used by the general public. No one has the right to stop anyone
from using water from these places, nor does anyone have the right to use it
in such a way that it causes harm to the general public. For example, a
person digs a canal from a river or pond and draws water from it in such a
way that it becomes dry, or there is the fear of flooding a tract of land or
village. To use it in such a way is not proper, and everyone has the right to
stop him from this improper way.
3. A person has a well, fountain, pond, or spring on his private property. He
cannot stop others from doing the following: drinking water from there,
giving water to their animals, making wudu, ghusl or washing clothes, and
filling buckets in order to water their trees and gardens. The reason for this
is that everyone has a right in it. However, if on account of there being too
many animals, there is a fear that the water will get finished, or the pond
will get damaged; then he has the right to stop them. If he wishes to stop
anyone, they will have to see whether they could get their work done by
obtaining water from elsewhere, (eg. there is another well within 1.6
kilometres and it is not on any private property); or the work will not get
done and they will have problems. If their work could get done from some
other place, well and good. If not, the owner will be told that he should
allow this person to draw water on the condition that he will not break the
well, etc. or alternatively, he (i.e. the owner) should draw the water for him
or get someone to draw it for him and give it to him. However, the water
that he receives for his farm or garden cannot be given to anyone else
without the owner's permission. The owner has the right to stop him from

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Heavenly Ornaments (Behishti Zewar)
this. The same rule applies to grass and all those plants that have no trunks.
However, trees that have trunks are the property of the land-owner.
4. A person wishes to irrigate his farm with water from someone else's well
or reservoir and the owner of these wants to charge him for the water. The
Ulama differ as to whether it is permissible or not. The Ulama of Balkh
have passed a fatwa that it is permissible.
5. If a person fills sea-water, water of a pond or well, etc. into a utensil of
his, he will become the owner of that water. No one can use it without his
permission. But if a person becomes extremely restless due to thirst, it will
be permissible to take that water forcefully from that person if he knows
that the water is more than what the owner will require. However, he will
have to give compensation for the water.º
6. Wudu and ghusl cannot be made with water that has been kept aside for
drinking purposes - as is normally kept aside during summer. However, if a
lot of water has been kept aside, it can be used. Water that has been kept
aside for wudu can be used for drinking purposes.
7. If one or two bits of a goat's excreta fall into a well, and they come out
whole, then the well will not become impure (najis). Irrespective of
whether the well is in a jungle or in a town, or whether it is covered or not.
ISTINJA
1. On awakening from sleep, a person should not put his hands in the water
(container) until and unless he washes his hands upto his wrists irrespective
of whether the hands are pure or impure. If water has been kept in a small
container, such as a pitcher or jug, then it should be carried with the left
hand and poured onto the right hand and washed three times. Thereafter,
the utensil should be taken into the right hand and the left hand should be
washed three times. If the water is not kept in a small container, but in a big
drum, etc., then it should be taken out with a small utensil, such as a jug.
Care should be taken that the fingers do not touch the water. If there is no
small utensil, then water should be taken out with the palm of the left hand.
As far as possible, very little of the fingers should be put in the water. On
taking out the water, first the right hand should be washed, and thereafter,
" Although it was permissible for him to take the water forcefully (on account of thirst), he will
have to pay for it later on.

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Heavenly Ornaments (Behishti Zewar)
as much of the right hand can be put in the water. On taking out water, the
left hand should be washed. This method of washing the hands is only
permissible if the hands are not impure. If they are impure, then under no
condition should the hands be put in the drum. Water should be taken out in
such a way that it does not become impure. For example, a clean
handkerchief could be dipped in the water and whatever comes onto the
handkie could be used to purify the hands. Alternatively, any other possible
method could be used to purify them.
2. It is sunnah to make istinja of those impurities emitted from the anterior
or posterior private parts.
3. If the impurity does not stick to the sides (or anywhere else), and a
person does not use water for istinja, but instead uses pure stones or lumps
of clay, and wipes in such a way that the impurity goes away and the body
gets clean; then this will also be permissible. But this method is contrary to
purity consciousness. If there is no water or a shortage of it, then there is no
alternative but to cleanse oneself in this way.
4. There is no special method' for using stones. But care should be taken
that the impurity does not spread and the body gets thoroughly cleaned.
5. After having made istinja with stones, it is sunnat to
make istinja with water. But if the impurity spreads more than the size of a
fifty cents coin, it will be wajib to wash with water. Without washing,
salaat will not be valid. If the impurity has not spread, then even after
purifying with stones alone, salaat will be valid, but this is contrary to the
sunnat.
6. When making istinja with water, first the hands upto the wrists should be
washed. Thereafter go to a secluded spot, and after loosening the clothes,
sit down. Wash until you are thoroughly satisfied that the body is clean. But
if a person is always in doubt and he uses a lot of water, and still he is not
fully satisfied, then he should wash three or seven times and not more than
this.
7 The most acceptable opinion in regard to istinja is that there's no specific method for istinja.
nor is there any specified number of times for istinja. The aim and goal of istinja is to purify one's
self, irrespective of how this is done.
& Approximately three centimetres in diameter.

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Heavenly Ornaments (Behishti Zewar)
7. If a secluded place cannot be found, then for the sake of making istinja
with water, one should not expose one's private parts, neither to women nor
men. In such a case, istinja should not be made with water (but stones).
Salaat should be offered without having made istinja (with water). This is
because the exposing of one's body is a major sin.
8. Making istinja with the following objects is a sin and prohibited, and
should be abstained from: bones, impurities such as cow-dung and
droppings of goats, coal, coarse limestone, glass, baked bricks, edibles,
paper', etc. It is also sinful to make istinja with the right hand. But if
someone does this, the body will be cleaned.
9. It is prohibited to stand and urinate.
10. It is prohibited to face or turn one's back towards the qiblah when
passing stool or urinating.
11. It is also prohibited and makruh to make small children to face the
qiblah and pass stool or urinate.
12. It is permissible to use the left-over water of istinja for wudu. It is also
permissible to use the left over water of wudu for istinja, but not to do so is
better.
13. When entering the toilet, Bismillah should be read outside, and then the
following dua should be read:
اَللَّهُمَّ إِنّى أَعُوذُبِكَ مِنَ الْخُبُثِ وَالْخَبَآئِثِ
"Allahumma inni a'udhu bika minal khubusi wal khabaa'is."
Translation: "O Allah! I seek refuge with You from the impure male and
female jinn."
One should not enter the toilet bare-headed. If one is wearing any ring, etc.
on which is the name of Allah or His Rasul sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, it
should be removed. One should enter with the left foot. Allah's name
should not be taken inside. If one sneezes, then Alhamdulillah should be
recited in the heart only and nothing should be said with the tongue. Nor
should one talk or say anything in the toilet. When leaving the toilet, one
should step out with the right foot first. After leaving the toilet, the
following dua should be read:
9 This excludes toilet paper.

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Heavenly Ornaments (Behishti Zewar)
غُفْرَانَكَ الْحَمُدُ لِلّهِ الَّذِىُ اَذْهَبَ عَنِّى الْأَذِى وَ عَافَانِىُ
"Ghufraanaka, alhamdulillahil lazi az'haba anni al-adha wa aafaani."
Translation: "I seek Your forgiveness, O Allah! Praise be to Allah who has
removed from me this discomfort and granted me tranquility."
After making istinja, the left hand should rubbed on the ground or washed
with sand (or soap).
Things that one should abstain from when passing stool or urinating
1. To talk.
2. To cough unnecessarily.
3. To read some verse of the Quran, Hadith, or respected thing.
4. To take something to the toilet on which the following things are
written: the name of Allah, any prophet, any angel, or any respected person;
any verse of the Quran, Hadith, or dua. But if these things are in the pocket,
or wrapped in a ta'wiz (amulet), then there's no harm in this.
5. To relieve one's self in a standing or lying down position without any
genuine excuse.
6. To remove all the clothes and relieve one's self completely naked.
7. To make istinja with the right hand.
8. To face the moon or sun, or to turn one's back towards them while one is
passing stool or urinating is makruh. It is also makruh to do the same on the
bank of a river, pond, etc. even if the impurity does not fall inside.
Similarly, it is makruh to do this under trees in whose shade people sit, or
under fruit and flowering trees where people sit in winter in order to get
some sunshine. It is makruh tahrimi (extremely detestable) to do this in the
following places: among animals, very close to the musjid or eid-gah
whereby the foul smell disturbs the musallis, in a grave yard, at a place
where people make wudu or ghusl, on the road, in the direction of the wind,
in a hole, on the road-side, near a caravan or some gathering. In other
words, it is makruh to relieve one's self in such a place where people move
around and thereby cause them discomfort; and also in such a place where
the impurity can flow back towards the person.

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Unsuitable items for instinja
1. Bones, edibles, excreta and all impure substances.
2. That stone or clay which has already been used for istinja.
3. Baked bricks, small pieces of broken earthenware, glass, coal, limestone,
steel, silver, gold, etc.
4. Those things that do not clean impurities, such as vinegar.
5. Those things that are eaten by animals, such as straw and grass.
6. Those things that are of value, irrespective of whether they are of little or
great value, such as clothing" or the extract of some plants.
7. Parts of a human, such as hair, bone, meat.
8. The mat, dirt, or broom of a musjid.
9. The leaves of trees.
10. Paper, irrespective of whether something is written on it or not (this
excludes toilet paper).
11. Zam zam water.
12. Someone else's possessions without their permission, irrespective of
whether it be water, clothing, or anything else.
13. Cotton and all similar things from which humans and their animals
derive benefit.
Suitable items for istinja
1. Water.
2. Clods of earth.
3. Stones.
4. Clothes that have no value (rags).
5. All those things that are pure, that can remove impurities, that are not
regarded as possessions, and are not respected.
PURIFICATION OF IMPURITIES
1. Najaasat (impurity) is of two kinds: one that is very thick or hard, and
even if a little touches a person, it will have to be washed. This najaasat is
called najaasat-e-ghaleezah (heavy impurity). The other is a little less and
lighter, and is called najaasat-e-khafeefah (lighter impurity).
10 This refers to clothing whose value drops if it is washed after being used for istinja.

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2. The following substances are regarded as najaasat-e-ghaleezah:
blood; stool, urine and semen of humans; intoxicating drinks; the excreta
and urine of cats and dogs; the meat, hair, bones, and everything else of
pigs; the dung of horses, donkeys, mules, cattle, oxen, buffaloes, etc; the
droppings of goats and sheep; in other words the excreta of all animals; the
droppings of fowls, ducks and wild ducks; and the urine of donkeys, mules
and all haraam animals.
3. The stool and urine of a small child that is still being breast-fed is also
najaasat-e-ghaleezah.
4. The excreta of haraam birds and the urine of halaal animals, such as
goats, cows and buffaloes. The urine of horses is najaasat-e-khafeefah.
5. With the exception of fowls, ducks and wild ducks, the excreta of all
other halaal birds such as pigeons, sparrows, etc. is pure. The urine and
stool of bats is pure.
6. If a najaasat-e-ghaleezah that is thin and flowing falls on the body or
clothes, it will be excused if the area on which it falls is equal to or less
than a fifty cents coin" in extent. If the person performs his salaat without
washing it off, his salaat will be valid. But to refrain from washing it and to
continue offering his salaats in this way is makruh. If it is more than a fifty
cents coin, then it will not be excused. Salaat will not be valid if it is not
washed off.
If a najaasat-e-ghaleezah is thick and solid, for example stool or the
excreta of fowls, etc. and its weight is equal to or less than about 4 grams,
then performing salaat without washing it off will be valid. But if it is more
than this weight, salaat will not be valid.
7. Najaasat-e-khafeefah falls on the body or clothing. If it is less than a
quarter of the area on which it fell, it will be excused. But if it is equal to a
quarter or more, it will not be excused. In other words, if it falls on one
sleeve, it is less than a quarter of that sleeve. If it falls on one panel of a
shirt, it is less than a quarter of it. If it falls on a scarf, it is less than a
"Here, "excused" means that salaat will be valid. But even if a little najaasat falls in one's
food, it will become impure. And even if a little bit falls on one's body, that place where it fell
will become impure. It will be a sin to lick it.
12 Which is approximately three centimetres in diameter.

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quarter of that scarf. Only if it is less than a quarter of all these it will be
excused.
Similarly, if the najaasat-e-khafeefah falls on one hand or on a leg, then if
it is less than a quarter of that hand or leg, salaat will be valid if it is not
washed. In other words, on whichever limb the najaasat falls, less than a
quarter of that limb will be considered. If it is equal to a quarter or more,
then it will not be excused. It will have to be washed. Salaat that is
performed without washing it will not be valid.
8. The water in which najaasat-e-ghaleezah falls also becomes najas-e-
ghaleez; and the water in which najaasat-e-khafeefah falls also becomes
najas-e-khafeef.
9. Impure oil fell on one's clothing but the extent of it was less than three
centimetres in diameter. However, after some time it spread and became
more than three centimetres in diameter. As long as it was less, it will be
excused. But once it spreads beyond the limit, it will not be excused.
Washing it off will be wajib. If it is not washed off, salaat will not be valid.
10. The blood of fish is not impure. There is no harm if it falls on a person.
The same applies to the blood of flies, bugs and mosquitos.
11. If a drop of urine equal to the eye of a needle falls, and it cannot be seen
except after very careful examination, then there's no harm in it. It is not
obligatory to wash it off, but to do so is preferable.
12. If a najaasat which can be seen, such as stool or blood, falls on the
clothing, it should be washed until the najaasat is removed and no stain
remains. There is no limit to the number of times it should be washed - the
moment the najaasat is removed, it will become pure. The same rule
applies when it falls on the body.
However, if the najaasat is removed in the first instance, it will be better to
wash it two more times. And if it is removed in the second time, it will be
better to wash it one more time. In other words, it is preferable to wash it
three times.
13. If the najaasat is such that despite washing it several times and despite
it being removed, the foul smell still remains or some stain is still there.
Even in this instance, the clothing will be purified. It is not necessary to use
any soap or detergents in order to get rid of the smell or stain.
14. If any impurity similar to urine which cannot be seen, falls on the
clothing; then it should be washed three times. Each time that it is washed,
the water should be squeezed out of it. After washing it the third time, the

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Heavenly Ornaments (Behishti Zewar)
cloth should be wrung with full force - only then will it be purified. If it is
not wrung with full force, the cloth will not be purified.
15. If any impurity falls on such a thing which cannot be wrung or
squeezed, such as a bed, mat, jewellery, sand, utensils, bottles, shoes, etc.,
then the method of purifying these things is as follows: the item should be
washed once and then the person should wait. When the water stops
dripping from it, it should be washed a second time. When the water stops
dripping, it should be washed a third time. In this way it will be purified.
16. If anything is thin and pure like water, it can also be used to wash off
any impurity. If a person uses rose-water, or the extract of any herb, or
vinegar; even then that thing will be purified. However, it is not permissible
to use ghee, oil, milk and other similar substances which are sticky or fatty.
That thing will remain impure.
17. Semen fell on the body or clothes and got dried. The body and clothes
can be purified by scraping it off and rubbing it thoroughly. But if it has not
dried as yet, it will have to be washed. But if a person did not wash himself
after passing urine, and at that time semen came out; it will not become
purified by rubbing it off. It will have to be washed.
18. If najaasat which can be seen, eg. dung, stool, blood, semen, etc., falls
on one's shoes or leather socks, it could be removed and purified by rubbing
it thoroughly on the ground. Similarly, it can also be purified by scraping it
off. Even if it is not dry, and it is thoroughly scraped and rubbed off to such
an extent that no sign of the najaasat remains, it will be purified.
19. If any najaasat like urine which is not seen, falls on the shoes or leather
socks, then it cannot be purified except by washing.
20. As for clothing and the body, these can only be purified by washing.13
This is irrespective of whether the najaasat can be seen or not.
21. If mirrors, knives, gold and silver jewellery, copper, brass, steel, etc.
become impure, they can be purified by wiping them thoroughly, or
scraping them, or rubbing them with sand. But if these items have been
engraved, they cannot be purified except by washing.14
13
However, if there is dry semen on the body or clothes, they can be purified by scraping it off
thoroughly as long as the person had washed himself after urinating. If not. they will remain
impure. This has already been mentioned in no. 17.
""The reason for this is that these surfaces become uneven through engraving on them. In such
a case sand will be unable to clean them thoroughly. They will therefore have to be washed.

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Heavenly Ornaments (Behishti Zewar)
22. Some najaasat fell on the ground and got dried in such a way that there
is no sign of it - there is no stain nor any foul smell of that najaasat. If it
gets dry in this way, the ground will be pure. However, tayammum" on
such a piece of ground will not be permissible. However, it will be
permissible to perform salaat there. The same rule applies to bricks and
stones that have been embedded with limestone or mortar into the ground in
such a way that these cannot be removed except by digging them out. That
is, once the najaasat dries and no sign of it remains, they will be purified,
but tayammum will not be permissible.
23. Those bricks that have just been placed on the ground without being
embedded with lime or cement will not get purified with the drying of the
najaasat. They will have to be washed.
24. Grass which is growing on the ground also becomes purified with the
drying and disappearance of the najaasat. But if the grass is cut, it will not
be purified without washing.
25. If impure knives, earthen and copper utensils are placed on a blazing
fire, they will also get purified.
26. There was some impurity on one's hand. Someone removed this
najaasat by licking it off three times. It will become purified, but it is
prohibited to lick it. A child vomitted milk on one's chest, and thereafter it
licked the vomit and drank it up. The chest will be purified.
27. If an unused earthenware utensil becomes impure, and it is such that it
absorbs the impurity, then it will not become purified by merely washing it.
Instead, it should be filled with water and when traces of the impurity
appear in the water, the utensil should be emptied. It should be filled again,
and emptied again. This should be continuously done until no sign of the
impurity remains - neither its colour nor its smell. Only then will it be
purified.
28. The utensils which a potter makes with impure clay will remain impure
as long as they are unbaked. Once they get baked, they will become pure.
29. Honey, syrup, ghee or oil became impure. Whatever the amount may
be, add the same amount or more of water to it and keep it to boil. Once the
water has evaporated, add more water and do the same three times. In this
way it will get purified.
15
An explanation of tayammum comes later in a separate chapter.

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Heavenly Ornaments (Behishti Zewar)
Alternatively, add the same amount of water and stir the contents. Once it
comes on top of the water, remove it in some way or another. Repeat the
process three times and it will be purified. If the ghee is gone hard, add
water to it and heat it. Once it melts, remove it.
30. Clothes were dyed in an impure dye. It should be washed until clean
water begins to come out of it. It will now be purified, irrespective of
whether the dye comes out of the clothes or not. However it is preferable to
wash it at least three times.
31. The ashes of dung-cakes, droppings of goats and other impure things
are pure. Their smoke is also pure. If it comes onto one's bread, there is no
harm in it.
32. One corner of a mat is impure and the balance of it is pure. It will be
permissible to offer salaat in the corner that is pure.
33. Land that has been plastered by dung is impure. Salaat on it is not
permissible without having laid some pure thing over it.
34. If the land which has been plastered by dung is dry, then it is
permissible to spread even a wet cloth over it and offer salaat. But it should
not be so wet that some soil from that ground comes onto one's clothing.
35. After having washed his feet, a person walked bare-footed on some
impure place and his foot-prints were visible on that place. His feet will not
become impure. However, if due to the wet feet, the ground gets so wet,
that some sand or impurity from that ground comes onto the feet; then they
will become impure.
36. A person slept on an impure carpet and due to perspiration his clothes
became damp. The same rule applies here, i.e. his clothes and body will not
become impure. However, if they get so wet that some impurity from the
carpet gets onto his clothes or body, they will be rendered impure.
37. A woman applied impure henna (mehendi) on her hands or feet. By
washing them thoroughly until clean water flows out of them, the hands
and feet will be purified. It is not obligatory to remove the colour.
38. A person applied surmah (antimony) or kajal (eye-pencil) which was
impure. It is not necessary to wipe or wash it off. However, if it spreads and
comes out of the eye, it will be obligatory to wash it.16
16 It is obligatory to wash the area which is outside the eye when one intends offering salaat.

49
Heavenly Ornaments (Behishti Zewar)
39. If one applied impure oil onto one's head or body, then according to the
normal procedure, it should be washed off three times. It is not necessary to
remove it by putting soap or any such thing.
40. A dog put its mouth in flour or a monkey ate some of it. Whatever
portion of the flour got dirty should be removed. It is permissible to eat the
rest of it. If the flour was dry, then wherever its saliva is, that place should
be removed. The balance of it is pure.
41. The saliva of a dog is impure, but the dog itself is not impure. So if a
dog touches anyone's body or clothes, they will not become impure
irrespective of whether the dog's body is dry or wet. However, it will be a
different case if there is some najaasat on the dog's body.
42. A person passed wind at a time when his underclothing were wet. His
clothing will not become impure by passing wind in such a state.
43. The clothes that got wet with impure water were wrapped with clean
clothes. The wetness from the impure clothes got into the clean clothes, but
no colour or smell of the impurity got into them. If these clean clothes got
so wet that by wringing them one or two drops of water fall down, or at the
time of wringing them, the hands get wet - then these clean clothes will also
become impure. However, if they are not so wet, they will remain pure.
And if the clothes that got wet with some specific impurity such as urine,
were wrapped with clean clothes, then even if a little dampness or smell of
those clothes gets into the clean clothes, they will also become impure.
44. A wooden plank is impure on one side and pure on the other side. If it is
so thick that it can be sawed off in the centre, he can turn it over and
perform salaat on the pure side. But if it is not so thick, it will not be
permissible.
45. A particular cloth is double-folded - one fold is impure and the other is
pure. If both the folds are not stitched, it will be permissible to offer salaat
on the fold that is pure. But if both folds are stitched, salaat will not be
permissible even on the fold that is pure.
RULES REGARDING PURITIES AND IMPURITIES
1. At the time of threshing out the grain, an ox urinates on the grain.
Because of necessity, this will be excused. In other words, the grain will not
become impure. But if it urinates on it at some other time, the grain will
become impure because there is no necessity now.

50
Heavenly Ornaments (Behishti Zewar)
2. The food prepared by a disbeliever, his utensils, and his clothes will not
be regarded as impure until and unless there is some proof or indication of
its impurity.
3. It is wrong of some people to use the fat of lions, etc. and to regard it as
pure. However, if a religious-minded doctor says that there is no cure other
than the fat, then in such a case, some Ulama say that it will be permissible.
But it will be necessary to purify oneself from it when performing salaat.
4. Mud and dirty water that is on the roads is excused on condition that the
impurity is not seen on the body or clothes. This is the fatwa on this matter.
However, caution demands that the person who does not travel to the
markets and on the roads very often, should always try and cleanse his body
and clothes from this mud and dirty water even if he does not see any
impurity.
5. When any impurity is burnt, its smoke becomes pure. If it becomes hard
and something is made out of it, then it will also be pure. As has been said
of sal ammoniac,"that it is made out of impure smoke.
6. Sand and dust that is on top of some impurity is pure on condition that
the dampness of the impurity does not make them damp as well.
7. Gases that rise from impurities are pure. Worms that emerge from fruits
are pure, but it is not proper to eat them if they are alive (or even dead). The
same rule applies to the worms of wild figs, etc.
8. When edibles such as meat, sweetmeats, etc. get stale and begin to stink,
they do not become impure. But when taking into consideration the harm
that can be caused, it will not be proper to consume them.
9. Musk and the bag from which it is extracted is pure. The same applies to
amber.
10. The saliva which comes out from a person's mouth while he is sleeping
is pure.
11. An egg whose colour has changed is pure as long as it is not broken.
12. The skin of a snake is pure. 18
13. The water with which impure clothes were washed is also impure,
irrespective of whether the water was used to wash the first, second or third
time. However, the difference in these three waters is that if the water
17
ammonium chloride, a white crystalline salt.
18 This refers to skin which it has shed.

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Heavenly Ornaments (Behishti Zewar)
which was used to wash the first time falls on some clothing, this clothing
will be purified after it is washed three times. If the water of the second
time falls, then the clothing will be purified after it is washed twice. And if
the water of the third time falls, then it will be purified after washing it
once.
14. The water with which a dead person is given a bath is impure.
15. The skin of a snake is impure, i.e. the skin which is still attached to its
body. The skin which it sheds is pure.
16. The saliva of a dead person is impure.
17. On one side of a cloth an excusable amount of impurity falls and seeps
through the other side. The impurity that seeps through is also of an excus-
able amount. However, if both these excusable amounts are added together,
they exceed the excusable limit. Even then it will be regarded as less and
therefore excusable. But if the cloth is double-folded or two cloths have
been placed together, and when added together they exceed the limit, it will
not be excusable.
18. If one or two pieces of dung or excreta of a cow or goat fall into the
milk while they are being milked, it is excusable as long as the dung or
excreta is removed immediately. If it falls at some time other than the time
of milking, the milk will become impure.
19. If a four to five year old boy who does not understand what wudu is,
makes wudu; or an insane person makes wudu, then the water will not be
considered to be musta'mal (in other words that water can be used for wudu
by someone else).
20. Water that is used to wash clean clothes, utensils and other pure items
can be used for wudu and ghusl as long as its density does not change and
as long as it is still referred to as water in normal conversation. But if there
was some food or drink in the utensils, then using that water for wudu or
ghusl will only be permissible if at least two of the three qualities of water
remain unchanged. If two qualities change, wudu or ghusl will not be
permissible.
21. It is makruh to drink used water, or to use it in cooking. Wudu and
ghusl with such water is not permissible. However, it can be used to wash
impurities.
22. The one who is in need of wudu should not make wudu with zam zam
water. Nor should it be used by the one who has to have a bath. To wash
impurities with it and to make istinja with it is makruh.