Fiqh 101-Tahārah (Purification)

Traditionally, after learning the fundamentals of belief, students engage in studies of Jurisprudence or Fiqh. Choosing a school from where one can reference a consistent methodology based on how legal rulings are extracted from the Qur’an and Sunnah is always considered more a matter of access to a teacher and less between selecting a specific madhhab as all four are considered valid. Although, living in the West in some ways has allowed greater choice due to the diversity of the Muslim community, access to qualified scholarship is often a barrier. The Mihraab Foundation is able to offer students a choice between studying the Qur’an and Sunnah as interpreted by either the Hanafi School or the Shafi’i School. The names of the various schools are unimportant; critical is implementing an acceptable practice, based on consistent parameters as developed by thousands of scholars for well over a millennium.

This course offers a comprehensive introduction to the fiqh of purification (ṭahārah) according to the Ḥanafi school and Shāfi’i school using the classical primer Ascent to Felicity (Marāqqi as Sa‘dāt) and The Shorter Abridgement (al Mukhtasar as Saghīr). Students will choose which legal code they wish to learn and systematically study the essential rulings related to ritual purity, including the types of water, removal of impurities, wudū’, ghusl, tayammum, and related matters. The course will emphasize both the theoretical foundations and practical applications and brief overviews of proofs, equipping students with the knowledge necessary for correct worship and daily practice.

Key topics include:

• Definitions and importance of ṭahārah in Islam

• Types and rulings of water

• Methods of removing physical and ritual impurities

• Detailed rulings of wudū’ (ablution), ghusl (ritual bath), and tayammum (dry ablution)

• Wudū over footgear

• Common issues and contemporary questions in purification

This class is ideal for beginners and intermediate students seeking a structured, reliable, and accessible introduction to fiqh, as presented in some of the most widely taught primers.