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Merit and Importance of Wudu
Wudu is the foremost pre-requisite of
the Prayer in Islam. In view of its great merit and vital performance, it has
been enjoined by the Quran itslef:
"O Believers, when you rise to offer Salat you
must wash your faces and hands and arms up to the elbows and wipe your heads wet
hands and wash your feet up to the ankles." (5:6)
The Holy Prophet is reported to have said:
"On the Day of Resurrection, I shall be able to spot my
people by their faces and hands and feet, which will be shinning on account of Wudu."
On another occasion, he said:
"The one who performs Wudu in the prescribed way
and then recites the Kalimah:
Ash-had-u al-la-ilaha ill-Allah-u wa ash-had-u anna
Muhammad-an abdu-hu-wa rasuluhu
"I bear witness that there is no god but
Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His Servant and Prophet."
He is also reported to have said:
"He who performs Wudu well has all his minor sins
washed away and all his limbs shed theri sins and he has his ranks exalted in
the Hereafter." (Bukhari, Muslim)
On another occasion, he said that Wudu is a symbol of
true faith. He also observed:
"Remain firm on the Right Way... and understand this
well that the best of deeds is the performance of the Prayer, and true Believer
alone can look after his Wudu well." (Muwatta, Ibn Majah)
Wudu The Prescribed Way
The intention should be to please Allah and seek His
approval for all one's actions and deeds. One should start Wudu with Bismillah
and pray:
Allahumm-aghfirli zanbi wa wassa'i li fi dari wa barik-li fi rizqi.
"O Allah! forgive me my sins and grant me spaciousness in my abode and
bless for me my provisions." (Nasa'i)
Hadrat Abu Musa Ash'ari says:
"I brought ablution water for the Holy Prophet. When
he started performing Wudu, I heard him says: 'O Allah! forgive me my
sins and grant me spaciousness in my abode and bless me my provisions."
I asked, 'O Messenger of Allah! were you praying for this
and this? He replied, 'Yes; did I leave out anything of this or of the next
world?"
Wash both hands thoroughly up to the wrists thrice.
Put water in the mouth with the right hand thrice and brush
the teeth; if the tooth-stick is not available, clean the teeth with the
forefinger; take water to the throat and gargle, unless fasting.
Sniff fresh water thrice, unless fasting, and blow out the
nose with the left hand and clean it thoroughly.
Then taking water in the cup the palms, wash the face thrice
so that no portion of it remains dry; if one has a thick beard, it has to be
combed with wet fingers so that water reaches to the roots of the hair.
While washing the face one should recite the following supplication after Bismillah
and the Kalimah-i-Shahdat;
Allahumma bayyid wajhi yauma tabyadd-u wuju-hun-wa taswadd-u wujuh.
"Allah! brighten my face on the Day when some faces will be bright and
others dark and gloomy."
Wash both the hands, first the right and then the left, well
up to the elbows thrice. One should move the ring (or the bangles) to and
fro so that no part of the skin remains dry; the spaces between fingers have
also to be made wet and cleaned.
Wipe the head and the ears with wet hands in the following
manner: Join the middle, ring and little fingers of the one hand with
corresponding fingers of the other hand, tip to tip, and wipe at least
one-fourth of the head by moving them jointly from the hair of the forehead
towards the front: then wipe the inside of the ears with the forefinger and
the outside with the thumb, and the back of the neck with the back of the
fingers. The wisdom underlying this procedure is that no part or side of the
hands or fingers is used twice for wiping the head, ears and neck.
Then wash both the feet, first the right and then the left,
thrice up to the ankles with the left hand, using the little finger for
cleaning the spaces between toes, starting from the little toe of the right
foot and finishing with the little toe of the left foot. One has to perform
the whole Wudu continuously in the given sequence without a pause.
After completing the Wudu one should raise one's eyes towards the
heavens and recite the following thrice.
Ash-had-u al-la-ilaha ill-Allah-u wahda-hu lashari-ka-lahu wa ash-had-u
anna Muahammad-an abdu-hu wa rasuluh: Allahumm-aj'alni min-al-tawwabina
waj'alni min-al-mutatahhirin.
"I bear withness that there is no god but Allah: He is One and has no
partner; and I bear witness that Muhammad is His Servant and Apsotle; O
Allah! join me with those who repent of their sins again and again, and join
me with those who keep themselves neat and clean at all times." (Tirmidhi)
Injunctions Concerning Wudu
It is imperative (Fard) to perform
Wudu for the following:
(1) To perform any kind of Prayer, prescribed or optional;
(2) To
perform the funeral Prayer;
(3) To
perform Sajdah-Talawat. (The Ahl al-Hadith do not regard Wudu
necessary for this).
2. Wudu
is Wajib (obligatory) for the following:
(1) To perform circumambulation for the Kabah.
(2) To touch
and and handle the Quran.
3.
Performing Wudu is Sunnat
(1) Before going to bed;
(2) Before
having a bath.
4.
It is Mustahabb (commendable) to be in a state of Wudu:
(1) Before pronouncing Azan (call for the Prayer) or Takbir;
(2) Before
reciting Khutbah, whether at Friday Prayer or at a marriage ceremony;
(3) While
imparting religious instructions;
(4) While
engaged in the remembrance of Allah;
(5) After
rising from sleep;
(6) After
washing a dead body;
(7) Before
presenting oneself at the Holy Prophet's grabve;
(8) During
stay in plain of Arafat;
(9) While
running between Safa and Marwa;
(10) Before eating meals
when one needs to have a bath after sexual intercourse;
(11) At a prayer time
when one is having the menses or Nifas;
(12) As a rule, it is
commendable to be in the state of Wudu at all times.
Fard Parts in Wudu
Four things have the status of Fard in
Wudu; if any of these is missed or ignored in the least, Wudu is
not deemed to have been performed at all:
To wash the whole face one from the hair of the forehead to
the chin and below, and from ear to ear;
To wash the hands up to the elbows once;
To wipe one-fourth of the head;
To wash the feet up to the ankles once.
Sunnat Parts in Wudu
The following Sunnat parts in Wudu
must be given due attention; however, if any of these is missed or violated, Wudu
will be deemed to have been performed. Violating them intentionally is sinful:
To have the intention of seeking Allah's pleasure and
salvation in the Hereafter;
To start Wudu with Bismillah;
To wash hands up to the wrists before washing the face;
To clean the mouth thrice with water;
To brush the teeth;
To sniff water thrice;
To brush the beard thrice with wet fingers;
To clean the spaces between fingers and toes;
To wipe the whole of head;
To wipe both the ears;
To follow the prescribed sequence in Wudu;
To wash the right limb first and then the left limb;
To wash the right limb first and after the other before the
first limb gets dry;
To wash the each limb thrice;
To recite the prescribed invocations after completing the Wudu.
Mustahabb Parts in Wudu
To perform Wudu at a raised ground so that the used
water flows away and one is safe from the spatter and splash;
To face the Qiblah while performing Wudu;
To perform Wudu all be oneself without anbody else's
help in pouring water or washing the limbs, except in cases of necessity and
helplessness;
To use the right and for putting water in the mouth and the
nose;
To clean the nose with the left hand;
To pour water with the right hand and wash the feet with the
left hand;
To invoke Allah's blessings while performing Wudu in
the prescribed way;
To wash all the limbs thoroughly so that no part remains dry
and all dirt, etc., is washed away.
Things which must be avoided during Wudu
To ignore or violate the commendable things in Wudu;
To use more water than necessary;
To use less water with the result that limbs are not
properly washed;
To talk irrelevant things;
To splash the face and other limbs causing water to be
spattered in all directions;
To wash the limbs more than thrice;
To wipe the head thrice with fresh water every time;
To splash water from the hands after Wudu;
To wash other limbs besides those which have to be washed,
without a reason.
Wiping of the Wound, Plaster, Bandages etc.
If a limb which has to be washed in Wudu is fractured
and has been plastered or bandaged, it is enough to wipe it over the plaster
or bandage.
If a wound has been bandaged, it is enough to wipe it,
unless wiping is harmful, in which case it may be ignored.
If a healthy portion of limb is also covered under the
bandage and washing or opening it is likely to be harmful, it may only be
wiped.
If washing of the wound is not to be harmful, but tying the
bandage oneself is not possible, and no help is available either, the
bandage may only be wiped.
If another bandage has been tied over a bandage, it may only
be wiped.
If water is likely to be harmful to a wound or injury, it
may only be wiped.
If fissures have appeared on the face or hands, or feet, or
a limb is paining, and water is likely to be harmful, it may only be wiped,
or even ignored.
If fissures have appeared on hands or feet an wax or
vaseline, or some other medicine has been filled in, water may be run over
it, or only wiped if running of water is likely to be harmful.
If water was run or wiping done over a bandage, and then the
bandage fell off, and the wound has healed up, the limb has to be washed
because the wiping has become void.
Wiping, however, is disallowed over (i) the
gloves, (ii) cap, (iii) turban or muffler, (iv) head or veil.
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