Wiping your hands over your face after finishing your dua

[xp²]

Salaam,

I recently read somewhere that 'wiping' your hands over your face after finishing a dua (supplication prayer) is not based on sound evidence and therefore becomes a bidah (innovation) into the religion.

I have not seen (my whole life!) anything but this practice to wipe the hands over the face at the end of a dua, so it would be quite an adjustment, but I would like to know what is the correct understanding about this matter?

[vinod]

xp, welcome back. Good to see you. Hoping to read more of your posts.

Regards

[Ron]

Salam XP,

It would only be bid'ah if people were trying to institute it into the religion. However, if someone does it out of habit or whatever reason (other than making it religious) then that shouldn't be a problem.

Regards

[vinod]

Ron

What kind of acts would constitute as 'instituting into the religion'? If a father is transmiting this practice to his son is he 'instituting it'? If an Imam is showing a village of new converts how to make dua where he wipes his face is he 'instituting it'? If such individual actions of transmissions lead to a society wide practice has there been 'institution' of this practice?

Is 'institution' a matter of words - refraining from saying "The religion requires you to wipe your face afater dua" - or a matter of collective practice?

[aamantubillah]

In the same line of thought, I've heard from fellow Muslims that you should read such and such ayah, blow in your hands, and rub it all over your body for blessing and protection. I thought it sounds like the Quran is being used how a spell book would be used. I dont believe that this is the way to increase blessings, but I'd like to verify this with you Ron. I'd appreciate any input.

[Nawawi619]

As Salamu Alaykum


This link discusses the evidence and ruling of wiping the face after qunut dua and outside the prayer according to the Shafi'i school http://www.shafiifiqh.com/?p=450

[Ron]

Vinod,

What kind of acts would constitute as 'instituting into the religion'?

Any act that is not part of the religion.

If a father is transmiting this practice to his son is he 'instituting it'?

No. However, it is the father's responsiblity that if he notices his son taking up a practice religiously and attributes it as such he must inform his child that it is not correct.

If an Imam is showing a village of new converts how to make dua where he wipes his face is he 'instituting it'?

No. If his habit somehow becomes a religious habit then he should correct it. On an individual or collective level if people decide to do something "extra" on their own then it is fine as long as it is explicitly and clearly made known that it is not religious. Let's say people wanting to gather and sing the praise of the Lord, would that be bid'ah? I would say no unless they promote it and being part of the religion or one of those things "you should do because it is good." It's all in the promotion. You can't fault someone for inadvertently influencing someone else. When it is noticed it can be corrected.

If such individual actions of transmissions lead to a society wide practice has there been 'institution' of this practice?

If the society takes up some guys habits as religion then yes of course it is. They would be taking a person's personal habits and giving them some sort of religious sanctity and meaning which they don't have in the religion.

Is 'institution' a matter of words - refraining from saying "The religion requires you to wipe your face afater dua" - or a matter of collective practice?

All of the above. Take for instance shaking hands at the end of prayer. There's no religious basis for it but people do it; some because they think that it is a religious practice and it must be done. In fact, I was told just that and the person's support is that Al Azhar and the Saudi clerics approve of it...in both cases that's not true. So people are picking things up and adhering to it for no reason and they even admonish each other for not upholding the practice.

Regards

[Ron]

Salam Aamantubillah,

In the same line of thought, I've heard from fellow Muslims that you should read such and such ayah, blow in your hands, and rub it all over your body for blessing and protection.

There are ahadith relating something to that effect. Much of them have to with some sickness.

I thought it sounds like the Quran is being used how a spell book would be used.

Unfortunately, I feel your observation is correct at least in some cases.

I dont believe that this is the way to increase blessings, but I'd like to verify this with you Ron. I'd appreciate any input.

Imho, increasing blessings comes in the way of prayer and good deeds. It comes from the charity of a smile or helping hand or feeding of the hungry. In fact, I believe "the blessing" is closeness to the Almighty and those things bring you nearer to Him. Keeping score of how many points you get for this or that deed, I believe, is contrary to the actual blessings one seeks. Do good for good not for what prize you get. Is the Qur'an a blessing, yes, not in the cartoonish ways some people make it out to be. It is your relationship and how much of it soaks into your soul that matters.

Regards

[alan]

Vinod,

Any act that is not part of the religion.

No. However, it is the father's responsiblity that if he notices his son taking up a practice religiously and attributes it as such he must inform his child that it is not correct.

No. If his habit somehow becomes a religious habit then he should correct it. On an individual or collective level if people decide to do something "extra" on their own then it is fine as long as it is explicitly and clearly made known that it is not religious. Let's say people wanting to gather and sing the praise of the Lord, would that be bid'ah? I would say no unless they promote it and being part of the religion or one of those things "you should do because it is good." It's all in the promotion. You can't fault someone for inadvertently influencing someone else. When it is noticed it can be corrected.

If the society takes up some guys habits as religion then yes of course it is. They would be taking a person's personal habits and giving them some sort of religious sanctity and meaning which they don't have in the religion.

All of the above. Take for instance shaking hands at the end of prayer. There's no religious basis for it but people do it; some because they think that it is a religious practice and it must be done. In fact, I was told just that and the person's support is that Al Azhar and the Saudi clerics approve of it...in both cases that's not true. So people are picking things up and adhering to it for no reason and they even admonish each other for not upholding the practice.

Regards

1.It seems it has become part of religious practice
2.The Father thinks its part of religious practice
3It is not recognised as not being part of religious practice
4.Then it becomes a sect,as it is considered a correct practice?
5.We need to find the Pope of muslims to give us the true religion

[alan]

Salaam,

I recently read somewhere that 'wiping' your hands over your face after finishing a dua (supplication prayer) is not based on sound evidence and therefore becomes a bidah (innovation) into the religion.

I have not seen (my whole life!) anything but this practice to wipe the hands over the face at the end of a dua, so it would be quite an adjustment, but I would like to know what is the correct understanding about this matter?

It seems there is some opinion that this shouldnt be done,so,why do you do it?

[Ron]

Alan,

1.It seems it has become part of religious practice

No it has not.

2.The Father thinks its part of religious practice

The father doesn't exist it was merely an example.

3It is not recognised as not being part of religious practice

Correct, it is not part of the religious practice.

4.Then it becomes a sect,as it is considered a correct practice?

Sects don't come about because of an act or two. Typically there are strong political undertones. You are really looking at this from the surface without considering history or the facts. Once you do you'll realize that you may be overreacting.

5.We need to find the Pope of muslims to give us the true religion

Whether it's a "Pope" for Muslims, Christians or any other creed people will always have their own ideas. Islam has been around for about 1400 years and we haven't needed a pope or clergy. It is unnecessary. The "true" religion is in the Qur'an and Sunnah and even if there is a difference of opinion on some matters it does not interfere with the religion to the extent that it disrupts it.

[alan]

Alan,

No it has not.

The father doesn't exist it was merely an example.

Correct, it is not part of the religious practice.

Sects don't come about because of an act or two. Typically there are strong political undertones. You are really looking at this from the surface without considering history or the facts. Once you do you'll realize that you may be overreacting.

Whether it's a "Pope" for Muslims, Christians or any other creed people will always have their own ideas. Islam has been around for about 1400 years and we haven't needed a pope or clergy. It is unnecessary. The "true" religion is in the Qur'an and Sunnah and even if there is a difference of opinion on some matters it does not interfere with the religion to the extent that it disrupts it.

Salaam
You are taking me too seriously.
It was all based on Vinods imaginary scenario,there appears to be truth in it,which in my opinion you are missing.
You may or may not be technically correct,but I think you are not seing the wood for the trees.

[xp²]

Salam XP,

It would only be bid'ah if people were trying to institute it into the religion. However, if someone does it out of habit or whatever reason (other than making it religious) then that shouldn't be a problem.

Regards

Salaam,

Thank you all for your comments and input, the discussion exceeded my expectations and clarified much. The knowledge displayed here was something of a reminder and a humbling experience for me. May Allah increase you all in your goodness.

[vinod]

On an individual or collective level if people decide to do something "extra" on their own then it is fine as long as it is explicitly and clearly made known that it is not religious

Ron, people make up extras thinking of it and articulating it in two ways -
(i) it is required to do it by one and all
(ii) it is not required to do it but it is a form of zikr and is beneficial to the soul and to sustain the practice some form of social coercion ensues

Which of these two approaches would not be warranted? Note that over time (ii) will be undistinguishable from (i).

The point I am trying to make through all this is that when you use conditionals like "'as long as one does not institute into the religion" it really is quite meaningless at an individual and social level because there is no existing equivalent of the papacy within Islam. The informal accreton of practices gathers momentum and becomes a religious force. 'Religious habits', as you call it, are patterns of social behaviour that are simply considered of religious benefit. And when done regularly enough and sustained over a generation or two it can easily have a coercive force to it that gets justified as having religious significance. The very absence of a formal institutition in Islam makes informal acts of father to son transmission of practices capable of becoming an instituted religious practice.

Ask yourself, how much sense does it make at an individual level to use terms like 'instituting a practice' when there are no formal institutions in place? The same phrasing though makes more sense to me when one assumes that the four schools of jurisprudential thought provide the institutional directives for practices. An individual knows who the authority is for a practice. Somehow saying that there are no institutions within Islam and that there never can be leaves a screaming void for an authrority structure of some form in the muslim world to ascertain the boundaries of proper Islamic practice. But trying to get muslims to point to one authority structure to their religion is harder than weighing a bunch of frogs on a scale. There may be some truth to the saying that "among organized religions, Islam is the most disorganized"


Regards

[Ron]

Vinod,

I understand your point and it is valid. I am not by any means brushing it aside. One thing I can point to is history. It has clearly shown that deviation is limited and when it takes some hold it is corrected. The authority structure are the scholars and you've cited the four schools as an example. I don't think that Islam is disorganized, it's just organized differently. I guess it depends on perspective. All religions with or without clergy have their sects and differences of opinion. I don't think "structure" has helped much with other religions.

Regards