26/5/2015 The Tale of the Barber and the Istinjaa Bottle, by Shaykh Luqman Ahmad | The Lotus Tree Blog

https://imamluqman.wordpress.com/2012/04/10/the-tale-of-the-barber-and-the-istinjaa-bottle-by-shaykh-luqman-ahmad/ 1/5

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HOME ALLAH THE TALE OF THE BARBER AND THE ISTINJAABOTTLE, BY SHAYKH LUQMANAHMAD

TheTaleoftheBarberandtheIstinjaaBottle,byShaykhLuqmanAhmadBY IMAM ABU LAITH LUQMAN AHMAD on APRIL 10, 2012 ( 1 )

Thisisatruestory,thathappenedjustafewdaysago,anditisonethatremindedmeofhowimportantandvaluabletheSunnaoftheProphet(SAWS)is.ItalsoremindedmeoftheuniversalityofMuslim

brotherhoodandhowlaailaahaillaAllahturnscompletestrangersintoacknowledgedbrothersinfaith,eveninthesmallestofmatters.ThisincidentremindedmeofthehadithofAbuTharr,whenhereportedtheProphet(SAWS)assaying(Donotbelittleanyformofrighteousness)[1].ItwasEasterSunday,around4:25intheafternoononaverylazyandlowtrafficSacramentoweekend.InormallytakemysontothebarbershoponSaturdaysandwehaveourownregularbarberthatwehavebeenusingforsometime.MostbarbershopsareclosedonSundaysbutinareaofthecitythatIlive,thereisaspateofbarbershops,mostlyownedbyAsians,whichusuallyremainopenonSundays.MysonreallyneededahaircutbecauseIhadneglectedtogethimtothebarbertheweekendbefore,sohewasquiteoverdue.WehadalatestartsoIdidntexpectthatourusualbarberwouldbeopen.Still,Iheadedoutwithmy10yearoldsonintow,toseeifhecouldgettreatedforatonsorial.Whenwearrivedatourusualbarber,thesignsaidopenbutwedidntseeanycarsintheparkinglot,somysongotoutofthecarandcheckedthegateanditwaslocked.Wesawalightinsidebutitwasclearthattheywereclosedforthedayandwedidntseeanyoneinside.Atthatpoint,itwasalreadyaboutfiveoclockandthesalattimeforAsrwasclosinginonmesoIfiguredthatIwouldhavetowaitanotherdaybeforehecouldgetafreshcutandoffwedrove.AsIwascruisingdownElCaminoAvenue,tryingtoobservethe

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26/5/2015 The Tale of the Barber and the Istinjaa Bottle, by Shaykh Luqman Ahmad | The Lotus Tree Blog

https://imamluqman.wordpress.com/2012/04/10/the-tale-of-the-barber-and-the-istinjaa-bottle-by-shaykh-luqman-ahmad/ 2/5

speedlimitalthoughIwasrunningalittlelate.AsIwasdriving,Inoticedoutofthecornerofmyeyeasmall,nondescriptbarbershopsituatedinthemiddleoftheblock.Iquicklymadeauturnandpulleduprightinfrontoftheplaceandtoldmysontogetoutandcheckthedoor.Hedid,andthedoorwasopenalthoughmysonturnedtomeandsaidthattherewasnooneinside.ItoldmysontogoinwhileIparkthecar,andIllbeinrightbehindhimIfiguredthatifthedoorwasopen,abarberhadtobesomewherecloseby.Iparkedmycarandwithinaminute,Iwasinsidetheshop.WhenIopenedthedoor,mysonhadalreadypickedouthiscutstyleandwasinthechairbeingprepped.Ispoketothebarberbrieflytogivemyokayandthenexcusedmyselfandsteppedbackoutsidetomakeaphonecall,whichlastedaminuteorso.Isteppedbackintothebarbershopandaskedthebarberwhowasinfullcuttingmodebythattime,couldIusethebathroom.Hemotionedmetogototheback.ThebarberwhoIassumedwasBuddhistbecausetherewasasizeableBuddhistcommunityinthearea,wasanolder,Asiangentleman,whomovedslowly,spokewithaveryheavyaccent,andhadapeacefulairabouthim.IwentintothebathroomandwhileIwasthere,noticedwhatlookedlikeawesternstyleistinjaabottle.InAmericaandinothercountries,peopleconvertopenmouthed,spoutedcontainersthatarenormallyusedforwateringhouseplants,intoconvenientistinjaabottles,thatyouregularlyfindinthebathroomsofMuslimhomes.ProperlycleaningonesselfaftergoingtothebathroomisanimportantpartofpurificationandIslamichygienenoselfrespectingpracticingMuslimgoeswithouthavingsomeapparatusforusingwaterwhilecleaningonesself.Nevertheless,whenIsawthebottleinthebathroom,myfirstimpressionwasthatitwasperhapsaflowerpot,thathappenedtolooklikeanistinjaabottle,andnottheotherwayaround,butthenIstartedthinkingwhywoulditbeinthebathroom?Granted,noneofthiswasmybusiness,butusinganistinjaaapparatusafteronerelieveshimself,isaSunnaoftheProphet(SAWS).AnythingthatInoticethathasarootorabasisinthepracticeoftheProphet(SAWS)thatIamawareof,usuallygetsmyattention,evenifitisjustacursorymentalglance.Afterwashingmyhandsandleavingthebathroom,mycuriousitygotthebestofme.NownormallyIwouldhaveusedthetimemysonwasinthechairtoread,text,answeremailorsomehowinteractwithmysmartphone,inordertopassthetime.However,thistimewasdifferentmymindwasstillontheistinjaa/flowerbottlewhywasitthere,whatwasitfor?SoimmediatelyafterIsatdownIpoppedthequestiontothebarber,whowasmakingheadwayonmysonshaircut.Excusemesir,Isaid,areyouaMuslim?Herepliedintheaffirmative,afterwhichI

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26/5/2015 The Tale of the Barber and the Istinjaa Bottle, by Shaykh Luqman Ahmad | The Lotus Tree Blog

https://imamluqman.wordpress.com/2012/04/10/the-tale-of-the-barber-and-the-istinjaa-bottle-by-shaykh-luqman-ahmad/ 3/5

AudioKhutba:SeperatingTheTruthFromFalsehoodbyShaykh

LuqmanAhmad

TheDevilsDeceptionofthe

ModernDaySalafiyyahSect,by

ShaykhLuqmanAhmad

immediatelyofferedhimsalaamsandhequicklyrespondedwithasmile.ThesalaamsledtoanautomaticbackandforthutterenceoftraditionalMuslimgreetingsandresponsesthatareexchangeduponmeetingkaifahaaluk,alhumdulillah,mashaAllah,subhaanaAlllah!AllahuAkbaranditwentonforafewminutes.WhenMuslimscometogether,thefirstthingwearesupposedtodoistomakeduaaforeachotherbyexchangingsalaams.WebothwereclearlyoverjoyedattheseeminglybychancemeetingoftwoMuslimsonaslow,EasterSundayafternoon,overaboyshaircut.ExceptthatasMuslimswebelievethatnothinghappensbychancethingshappenbydecree(qadr),andwithAllahspermission.ThebrothersnamewasAbdulAziz,hesoriginallyfromMalaysia,andhesquiteabarbertoohookedmysonup!Andtothink,thisallhappenedduetoaSunnaoftheProphet(SAWS),asimplegooddeed,ofusingintinjaa!Oneofthemanymoralsofthisstoryistoneverdeemanysunnaoftheprophet(SAWS)asinsignificant.Anothermoraltothisstoryistheconfirmationoftheverse,andWehavenotsentyouexceptasamercytotheworlds.[2]

ImamLuqmanAhmad

[1]CollectedintheMusnadofImamAhmad

[2]Quran21:107

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26/5/2015 The Tale of the Barber and the Istinjaa Bottle, by Shaykh Luqman Ahmad | The Lotus Tree Blog

https://imamluqman.wordpress.com/2012/04/10/the-tale-of-the-barber-and-the-istinjaa-bottle-by-shaykh-luqman-ahmad/ 4/5

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Lovelystory&observations,Shaykh.It`ssuchabeautifuloccurancetorunintoabrotherMuslim!

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26/5/2015 The Tale of the Barber and the Istinjaa Bottle, by Shaykh Luqman Ahmad | The Lotus Tree Blog

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