Car wash- Reflections Ramadan 13

Today morning my father asked me if I've ever washed a car and I replied in the negative. He said he'd show me how to do it. And with 3 cars to wash, there was plenty of practice!

There are 3 steps to it:

1. Turn on the hose, spray down the entire car with water.
2. Soak a cloth in soapy water and scrub the entire car.
3. Rub a dry cloth all over so that the water doesn't leave marks all over.

I ran back and forth to turn off the hose as often as I can. If you use a hose instead of a bucket, it wastes a lot of water unfortunately.

At the end of the procedure, I wished it was as easy to wash off my sins. It's almost going to be a year since my hajj, and effects of it have been wearing off. Nevertheless, we can purify ourselves using the same steps.

• The more often you cleanse yourself, the lesser you'll have to scrub.
• When you're asking Allah (swt) for forgiveness, ask for complete forgiveness, not just for the sins you remember. But also for the sins you don't remember.
• Be sincere, otherwise you'll have a heart with black spots. Yuck.

What are some of the ways of washing ourselves?

1. Perfecting one's ablution

"No worshipper perfects his ablution except that his past and future sins are forgiven."
[Hasan, al-Bazzaar. Al-Haythami and al-Mundhiri agreed.]

2. Fasting the month of Ramadan with belief and seeking Allah's reward

"Whoever fasts Ramadhan out of Iman and seeking Allah's reward then his past and future sins are forgiven."
[Hasan, Ahmad. Declared Hasan by adh-Dhahabi, as mentioned in al-Mughni (5876).]

3. Performing the night prayer in Ramadan with belief and seeking Allah's reward

"Whoever stands (in prayer) in Ramadan out of Iman and seeking Allah's reward then his past and future sins are forgiven."
[Saheeh. an-Nasaa'i.]

4. Performing the night prayer on the Night of Qadar with belief and seeking Allah's reward

"It (Laylatul-Qadr) is in Ramadan, and expect it in the last ten days; it is on an odd night: on the 21st, or the 23rd, or the 25th, or the 27th, or the 29th, or on the last night (of Ramadan). He who performs the night prayer on it out of belief and seeking Allah's reward his past and future sins are forgiven."
[Narrated by Ahmad. There is a difference of opinion among scholars regarding this hadeeth, some declaring it weak and some Hasan. Al-Hafidh Ibn Hajr said in Al-Fath (4/116), "This addition – meaning, 'and future (sins)' – is also in `Ubadah bin as-Samit's Hadeeth, in (the Musnad of) Ahmad, in two narrations. Its chain is Hasan and it is supported by the previous chain."]

5. Praising and thanking Allah after eating and putting one's clothes on.

"Whoever ate a food and then said, `Praise be to Allah who has fed me this food and provided it for me, without any strength or power on my part', is forgiven his past [and future*] sins. And whoever wears a garment and says, `Praise be to Allah who has clothed me with this (garment) and provided it for me, without any strength or power on my part', is forgiven his past and future sins."
[Ibn Majah, Abu Dawud, at-Tirmidhi, an-Nasa'i, al-Bukhari in al-Kabeer, al-Hakim, ibn Sunni and Ahmad. The addition marked by (*) is related by Abu Dawud. Shaykh Al-Albani declared the hadeeth Hasan in Saheeh al-Jaami` (6086) and in al-Irwaa' (1989). He said in al-Irwaa', "Such a hadeeth causes hesitation between making it Hasan (good) and Da`eef (weak). Maybe the first one is closer to be the truth, because those who made it weak didn't explain it and didn't explain the reason for its weakness. Allah knows best."]

6. Who raises three daughters or sisters and is nice to them

"There is no one from my Ummah who takes care of three daughters or three sisters, and is nice to them, except that they will be a veil (protection) for him from the Fire."
[Saheeh, al-Bayhaqi and Al- Bukhari in Al-Adab, authenticated by Al-Albani in Saheeh Al-Jaami` (5372)]

7. Defending the honor of a Muslim

"Whoever defends the honor of his brother in absence has the right over Allah to be freed from the Fire."
[Saheeh, Ahmad, al-Tabarani. Authenticated by Al-Albani in Saheeh al-Jaami` (6240)]. Al-Manaawi commented, "'Whoever' is limited to other than the disbeliever and public wrongdoer." [Fayd al-Qadeer 6:136]

8. Sincerity to Allah

No servant who says `la ilaha ill Allah', seeking the pleasure of Allah, will reach the Day of Judgment, except that Allah will forbid the Fire for him.
[Ahmad, al-Bukhari] Hafidh Ibn Hajr said, "It's not like that (i.e. not entering the Fire at all) for everyone who believed in tawheed and worshipped, but it is specific for the sincere, and sincerity (ikhlas) requires the realization of its meaning by the heart. One cannot imagine that the heart will reach that while persisting upon sins, as the heart would be filled with the love and fear of Allah, whereupon limbs will embark upon obedience and leave disobedience."

9. Crying out of fear of Allah

"No man who cried out of fear of Allah will enter the Fire until the milk returns to the udder, and dust in the path of Allah (jihad) and the smoke of the Fire cannot go together."
[Ahmad, at-Tirmidhi, an-Nasaa'i and Hakim who authenticated it. Authenticated by Al-Albani in Saheeh al-Jaami` (7778)]

10. Performing the prayer in congregation for forty days while reaching the opening takbeer

"Whoever prays to Allah for four days in congregation, reaching the opening takbeer, will have two written for him: freedom from the Fire and freedom from hypocrisy."
[Hasan. at-Tirmidhi, declared Hasan by al-Albani in Saheeh al-Jaami` (6365)]

11. Being consistent in praying four rak`ats before Dhuhr and after it

"Whoever is consistent in praying four units of prayer before Dhuhr and four after it, Fire will be forbidden for him."
[Saheeh. Abu Dawood, An-Nasaa'i, at-Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, al-Hakim who authenticated it. Al-Albani authenticated it in Saheeh al-Jaami` (6195)]

12. Being consistent in praying before sunrise and before sunset.

"No one will enter Fire who prays before sunrise and before sunset."
[Ahmad, Muslim, Abu Dawud, an-Nasaa'i] Meaning, Fajr and `Asr prayers.

13. Good character

"Whoever is easy-going, easy to deal with and kindhearted, Allah will forbid the Fire for him."
[Saheeh. Al-Hakim in al-Mustadrak, al- Bayhaqi, at-Tabarani. Al-Albani authenticated it in Saheeh al-Jaami` (6484)]

Taken from the Yahya Ibrahim list.