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How to perform Ablution (wudu')

 

The Importance of Ablution (wudu')

 

(Tirmidhi, Transmitted Ahmad, Narrated Jabir ibn Abdullah)

Allah's Messenger (SAW) said, The key to Paradise is prayer
and the key to prayer is cleanliness (Ablution).

 

Hadith - Bukhari 1:161, Narrated Humran
(The slave of 'Uthman) I saw 'Uthman bin 'Affan asking for a tumbler of water (and when it was brought) he poured water over his hands and washed them thrice and then put his right hand in the water container and rinsed his mouth, washed his nose by putting water in it and then blowing it out. Then he washed his face and forearms up to the elbows thrice, passed his wet hands over his head and washed his feet up to the ankles thrice. Then he said, "Allah's Apostle (SAW) said 'If anyone Performs ablution like that of mine and offers a two-rak'at prayer during which he does not think of anything else (not related to the present prayer) then his past sins will be forgiven.'

" After performing the ablution 'Uthman said, "I am going to tell you a Hadith which I would not have told you, had I not been compelled by a certain Holy Verse (the sub narrator 'Urwa said: This verse is: 'Verily, those who conceal the clear signs and the guidance which we have sent down...)' (2:159). I heard the Prophet (SAW) saying, 'If a man performs ablution perfectly and then offers the compulsory congregational prayer, Allah will forgive his sins committed between that (prayer) and the (next) prayer till he offers it.' "
 
 
How to perform Ablution (wudu')
 
  1. Make niyyah or the intention to perform wudu.
  2. Recite the following:

    Bismillah-Hir-Rahmanir-Raheem
    "In the name of Allah, the most Gracious, most Merciful".
  3. Wash your hands. Use your left hand to wash your right hand (3 times). After that, using your right hand, wash your left hand. (3 times).
 
 
 
4. Rinse your mouth. Do this thoroughly to get all the remaining food in your mouth out. (3 times).
 
 
5. Inhale water into your nose. After which you will blow the water out. (3 times).
 
 
6. Wash your face completely. The whole face encompasses your right ear to the left, and from the edge of the hair to the chin. (3 times).
 
 
7. Wash your lower arms. Wash your right arm with your left hand (3 times) and then wash your left arm with your right hand (3 times)
 
                     
 
8. Wipe your head. Using your wet hands, just gently wipe your head from front to back and back to front (once).
 
 
9. Wipe your ears inside and out. (once).
 
                     
 
10. Wash each of your feet. Do so up to the ankles and between the toes (3 times).
 
 
Wudu: What Invalidates It
 
 
If any of the following happen, you must perform wudu again before doing salah. It is recommended (but not mandatory) to always be in a state of wudu, so it is not necessary to wait until hearing the adhan (call to Salah) before performing wudu.
  1. Relieving oneself from the call of nature
    • O you who believe! When you intend to offer As-Salât (the prayer), wash your faces and your hands (forearms) up to the elbows, rub (by passing wet hands over) your heads, and (wash) your feet up to ankles. If you are in a state of Janâba (i.e. had a sexual discharge), purify yourself (bathe your whole body). But if you are ill or on a journey or any of you comes from answering the call of nature, or you have been in contact with women (i.e. sexual intercourse) and you find no water, then perform Tayammum with clean earth and rub therewith your faces and hands. Allâh does not want to place you in difficulty, but He wants to purify you, and to complete His Favour on you that you may be thankful. [The Noble Qur'an 5:6]

  2. Passing gas, i.e. breaking wind
    • Abu Hurairah (RA)reported that the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said, "Allah does not accept the prayer of a person who has released gas until he makes a new ablution." A person from Hadhramaut asked Abu Hurairah, "What does releasing gas mean?" He answered, "Wind with or without sound." [Related by al-Bukhari and Muslim.]
    • Abu Hurairah RA also narrated that the Prophet SAW said, "If one of you finds a disturbance in his abdomen and is not certain if he has released any gas or not, he should not leave the mosque unless he hears its sound or smells its scent." [Related by Muslim.]
    • 'Abbad ibn Tameem RA related that his uncle queried the Prophet about a person who feels something in his abdomen while praying. Said the Prophet , "He should not leave (the prayer) until he hears it or smells it." [Related by Muslim, Abu Dawud and at-Tirmidhi.]
  3. Sexual Relations
    • One must perform ghusl after sexual relations, i.e. when the male private part enters the female private part.
  4. Touching one's private parts with no barrier (i.e. cloth) between the hand and organ
    • Busrah bint Safwan narrated that the Prophet said, "Whoever touches his sexual organ cannot pray until he performs ablution." [This hadith is related by "the five." At-Tirmidhi classified it as sahih and al-Bukhari called it the most authentic report on that topic. Malik, ash-Shaifi, Ahmad and others also narrated it.]
In the event that you forget whether you have done wudu or not, err on the side of not re-performing wudu.... i.e. do not perform wudu again unless you are sure that you broke/invalidated it.

 
 
Wudu: What Doesn't Invalidate It
 
 
  1. Drinking or Eating
    • The Messenger of Allah (SAW) drank some milk and he did not rinse his mouth nor did he perform ablution, and he offered the prayer. [Dawud, Narrated Anas ibn Malik]

  2. Kissing a mahram woman (such as your wife)
    • 'Aishah RA related that the Messenger of Allah SAW kissed her while he was fasting and said, "Kissing does not nullify the ablution, nor does it break the fast." [Related by Ishaq ibn Rahawaih and al-Bazzar with a good chain. Evaluating its authenticity, 'Abdul-Haqq says, "I do not know of any defect in the hadith that could cause its rejection."]
  3. Laughing
    • Laughing does not invalidate wudu. Laughing loudly during salah, however, does invalidate the salah.
  4. Vomiting
  1. Changing a baby's diaper
    Just wash your hands after changing the diaper.
  1. People with unusual circumstances (i.e. women with "prolonged flows of blood"), people who cannot control their urine, people with flatulence, and so on, should perform one ablution for each prayer whether their problem exists all or part of the time. Their prayers will be acceptable even while their problems are occuring.
  1. Talking During Wudu
 
 
 
Ghusl
(Complete body washing, i.e. bath)


Hadith - Muwatta 2.74
Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu'n Nadr, the mawla of Umar ibn Abdullah that Abu Salamaibn Abdar-Rahman ibn Awf related that he had asked A'isha, the wife of the Prophet (SAW) what made ghusl obligatory. She said, "Do you know what you are like, Abu Salama? You are like a chick when it hears the cocks crowing and so crows with them. When the circumcised part passes the circumcised part, ghusl is obligatory."



Hadith - Bukhari 1:228, Narrated 'Aisha RA
Fatima bint Abi Hubaish RA came to the Prophet and said, "O Allah's Apostle I get persistent bleeding from the uterus and do not become clean. Shall I give up my prayers?" Allah's Apostle SAW replied, "No, because it is from a blood vessel and not the menses. So when your real menses begins give up your prayers and when it has finished wash off the blood (take a bath) and offer your prayers." Hisham (the sub narrator) narrated that his father had also said, (the Prophet told her): "Perform ablution for every prayer till the time of the next period comes."



Hadith - Bukhari 1:327, Narrated 'Aisha RA
The Prophet SAW said to me, "Give up the prayer when your menses begin and when it has finished, wash the blood off your body (take a bath) and start praying."

 
 
 
Tayammum
(Dry Wudu)
 
 

When absolutetly no water is available, you should perform Tayammum (dry wudu)...



Hadith - Bukhari 1:331, Narrated Jabir bin 'Abdullah
... The earth has been made for me (and for my followers) a place for praying and a thing to perform Tayammum, therefore anyone of my followers can pray wherever the time of a prayer is due.

The Noble Qur'an 5:6
O you who believe! When you intend to offer As-Salât (the prayer), wash your faces and your hands (forearms) up to the elbows, rub (by passing wet hands over) your heads, and (wash) your feet up to ankles. If you are in a state of Janâba (i.e. had a sexual discharge), purify yourself (bathe your whole body). But if you are ill or on a journey or any of you comes from answering the call of nature, or you have been in contact with women (i.e. sexual intercourse) and you find no water, then perform Tayammum with clean earth and rub therewith your faces and hands. Allâh does not want to place you in difficulty, but He wants to purify you, and to complete His Favour on you that you may be thankful.

  • Perform ghusl after sexual intercourse and after completing a menstrual cycle before commencing salah
  • Do not even think about performing dry wudu if there is water available
  • Do not skip over any of the steps of wudu
  • Make effort to remain in a state of wudu at all times, combined with thoughts on dhikr (the remembrance of Allah, swt). For instance, do wudu each time after relieving oneself. Recognize the importance of being in a state of wudu before going to sleep.
Remember... Allah, subhana watala, sees everything we do!
 
 

 

 


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