A Quranic Critique of the Orientalists’ Views on Ṭahāra

Ritual purity (Ṭahāra) is an important Quranic command requisite for prayer and certain rituals. Despite their positive points, the Orientalists’ views on this topic are deficient or incorrect. This research attempts to analyse some of their views with a descriptive-analytic method to highlight their shortcomings and present genuine Islamic views on this topic. Some of the Orientalists’ views on ṭahārah are as follows: words derived from the root ṭ-h-r refer to the requisite state of ritual purity or the process of achieving this state.  The purpose of ablution (wuḍū) is to perform the prayer as God wills. Water has the power to repel demons. The prophet was influenced by the religious culture of his time in performing ritual purity. Muṭahharūn (the purified) are those who have repelled evil away from themselves or have performed ritual ablution. Ritual purity is a symbolic state in the context of ritual worship. The results of the present research are as follows: The word ṭahāra in the Quran refers to the state of purity, which according to the context in which the word appears, refers to the physical, spiritual, or both aspects. The ultimate purity is achieved by abstaining from any material or spiritual impurity at the level of one’s thoughts, attributes, and deeds. The purpose of wuḍū is to attain spiritual purity and submit to God’s guardianship, and to attain proximity to God. It is the state of physical or spiritual purity caused by using water according to the Divine command that removes evil impurities. The Quran is a miracle in its wording and content, which was revealed to the Prophet by God, and the Prophet was not influenced by the culture of his time in performing ritual purity. Muṭahharūn can refer to the angels, the purified servants of God, or those who have performed major or minor ablutions. Ritual purity is a real spiritual state needed for spiritual growth and proximity to God. As long as the Orientalists are not awakened to the revealed nature of the Quran, one should not expect them to present a fair and true picture of Islamic teachings and rulings.