5:7 – Clean Yourself After Touching Women

Introduction

It is alleged that the Holy Quran and the Islamic tradition is oppressive to women. Verses of the Holy Quran are showcased by detractors as promoting the inferiority of women, misogyny and abuse against women.

On the contrary, the Holy Quran and the Islamic tradition have probably the greatest historical legacy of the emancipation and empowerment of women. The Holy Quran unequivocally announces the equality of men and women in several verses such as 16:98– Whoso acts righteously, whether male or female and is a believer, We will surely grant him a pure life; and  We will surely bestow on such their reward according to the best of their works.

The Holy Prophet Muhammad (on whom be peace) had a direct hand in this legacy. One of the first acts of the Prophet Muhammad (on whom be peace) to shift attitudes towards women was halting the practice of female infanticide. He announced that daughters were a blessing upon the household they were born into: A person who is blessed with a daughter or daughters and makes no discrimination between them and his sons and brings them up with kindness and affection, will be as close to me in Paradise as my forefinger and middle finger are to each other.” (Muslim II, Section Beneficence).

As is sometimes alleged, Muhammad (on whom be peace) was clearly not a misogynist, rather a great benefactor in the emancipation and empowerment of women. He spent his career as a trader working for a woman named Khadijah who later became his wife. Throughout his ministry he regularly consulted her in matters and decisions as the leader of the Muslim community. Islam accorded women the right to accept or refuse a proposal for marriage, and the right to inheritance and ownership of property. While acknowledging that men and women have been endowed with different roles and functions in society, the Quran exhorts on equality between men and women in the eyes of God in that both will be rewarded solely on the basis of their deeds (see section below ‘Fundamental Teachings of Islam About Women’).

The women of the family of prophet Muhammad (on whom be peace) became revered figures and great examples among Muslims which aided in shifting attitudes about women. His first wife Khadijah (ra) was a business leader and his trusted advisor. His daughter Fatimah (ra), known for her piety, was a great example to the Muslim community. And his wife Ayesha (ra) came to be known as a religious and community leader.

O ye who believe! when you stand up for Prayer, wash your faces, and your hands up to the elbows, and pass your wet hands over your heads, and wash your feet to the ankles. And if you be unclean, purify yourselves by bathing. And if you are ill or you are on a journey while unclean, or one of you comes from the privy or you have touched women, and you find not water, betake yourselves to pure dust and wipe therewith your faces and your hands. Allah desires not that He should place you in a difficulty but He desires to purify you and to complete His favour upon you, so that you may be grateful. (5:7)

Allegation

It is alleged that this verse implies that women are impure as it asks men to perform ablution before prayer if they have been in sexual contact with their wives. This allegation has no merit whatsoever.

Context

The verse actually asks men and women to perform ablution before each prayer, whether they have been in sexual contact with their spouses or not. If the allegation against this verse is to be taken seriously, it would then be anti-male too by implying that men are generally unclean and must only approach prayers after ablution.

In fact, the verse appears to be reinforcing an important point that cleanliness is important in the state of prayer or worship. Therefore, if anyone (male or female) has been in sexual contact with their spouse, they should bathe as praying in a state of uncleanliness will pose discomfort to the worshipper. However, the verse emphasizes that the purpose of this requirement is not to cause inconvenience, hence if someone is unable to bathe at such a time, they can substitute by rubbing pure dust on their faces and hand.

This verse places both men and women on equal footing and in reality there is no allegation here, just a misrepresentation by detractors. The sense of the verse may be summed up as follows:

(1) Before offering his Prayers, a Muslim should perform the prescribed ablution i.e. washing of the face and the hands, wiping of the head, and washing of the feet.
(2) If a man or woman is unclean i.e. he or she has had sexual intercourse with his or her spouse or, for that matter, has had a nocturnal discharge, they should have a bath in order to be clean before prayers.
(3) If, however, one is sick and the process of ablution or bathing is likely to do them harm, or if he or she is on a journey and cannot find water, then even after answering the call of nature or becoming “unclean” by having sexual intercourse with their spouse, they are allowed to forego the normal process of bathing with water and to perform instead rubbing with pure dust.”