Wudhu (Minor Ablution)
Saying Bismillah is Wajib
(essential), it is eliminated if one misses it forgetfully. But if he recalls
it during Wudhu, then he should perform Wudhu from the beginning.
There are six obligatory acts in Wudhu:
Obligatory Acts in Wudhu:
(i) Washing the
face entirely, including rinsing the mouth and snuffing water
(ii)
Washing the
forearms including elbows
(iii)
Wiping over
the head entirely, including the ears
(iv)
Washing the
feet including ankles
(v)
Order
(vi)
Muwalat (washing the limbs consecutively)
There are eight prerequisites
for Wudhu:
(i)
Whatever obligates Wudhu should
be over
(ii)
Intention
(iii)
Islam
(iv)
Sanity
(v)
Adolescence
(vi)
Lawful clean water
(vii)
Removing the materials (from organs of
wudhu) that resist absorption of water
(viii)
Al-Istinja
or Al-Istijmar (after using lavatory)
Niyah (intention) means determination for lifting
ritual impurity; or determination for an act that requires purification like Salaah
(prayers),
Tawaaf (circumambulation around Ka’abah
at Makkah),
touching the Holy Quran;
or determination for an act that is recommended purification
like reciting Quran,
remembering Allah Almighty,
Adhan (calling for prayers),
going to bed,
removing doubt (whether Wudhu is nullified or not),
in case of anger and unlawful speech,
staying in Masjid,
teaching knowledge
and eating meal.
If somebody intended for something from aforementioned acts, but he spoke
something different verbally, the ritual impurity is removed and this
difference does not harm at all.
Likewise doubt in intention or performance of an obligatory act, after
completing an act of worship, does not harm but if doubt persits while offering
an act of worship, it is nullified and should be repeated (after confirmation).
He intends (for Wudhu)
and says Bismillah (In the name of Allah), washes both hands, then rinse
his mouth and snuffs water. Then he washes his face from the general hairline
of the head; washing external side of beard is sufficient provided that it does
not reveal the skin. Then he washes his both forearms including his elbows.
Slight dirt under nails and the like does not harm. Then he wipes the whole
surface of his head from the line of his face to the nape, while white skin
above ears is part of the head, while he inserts his index fingers into the
ear-holes and wipes the external part of the ears with his thumbs. Then he
washes his feet including ankles that are two protruded bones.
Eighteen acts are recommended
in Wudhu:
(i)
Facing
Qiblah
(ii)
Using Siwak
(tooth-stick)
(iii)
Washing both
hands thrice
(iv)
Beginning
washing the face with rinsing mouth and snuffing water(respectively)
(v)
Letting
water to reach in the maximum depth in case of rinsing mouth and snuffing
water, unless he is fasting.
(vi)
Perfecting
the washing of all the organs (of wudhu) generally
(vii)
Using
comparatively extra water while washing the face
(viii)
Running the
wet fingers through the thick beard
(ix)
Running wet
fingers in between the fingers
(x)
Taking fresh
water for wiping the ears
(xi)
Beginning with the right limb before the left one
(xii)
Washing the
limbs beyond the obligatory parts
(xiii)
Washing
twice and thrice
(xiv)Persistence of intention till to finish Wudhu
(xv)
Presence of
intention when washing hands
(xvi)Reciting words of intention silently
(xvii)
After
completing Wudhu reciting the following phrases while he lifts his gaze
to the sky
:
اشھد ان لا الٰہ الا
اللہ وحدہ لا شریک لہ و اشھد ان محمداً عبدہ و رسولہ
(I bear witness that there is no
god but Allah, He has no partners, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His
slave and messenger.)
(xviii)
Performing Wudhu
without somebody’s assistance
Yahya Al-Mazini narrated that a person asked Abdullah bin Zaid
(May Allah be pleased with him) who was the grandfather of Amr bin Yahya, "Can you show me
how Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) used to perform ablution?" `Abdullah
bin Zaid (May Allah be pleased with him) replied in
the affirmative and asked for water. He poured it on his hands and washed them
twice, then he rinsed his mouth thrice and washed his nose with water thrice by
putting water in it and blowing it out. He washed his face thrice and after
that he washed his forearms up to the elbows twice and then passed his wet
hands over his head from its front to its back and vice versa (beginning from
the front and taking them to the back of his head up to the nape of the neck
and then brought them to the front again from where he had started) and washed
his feet (up to the ankles).
[Sahih Bukhari:H.185, Sunan Abu Dawood:H.18]
It is notable that ears are part of head as it has been described
by Allah's Messenger (ﷺ).
Abdullah bin Zaid (May Allah be
pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'The ears are part of the head.'
[Sunan Ibni Majah:H.443]
Abu Umamah Al-Bahili (May Allah be
pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to say: ‘Ears are part of the head.’
[Musnad Imam Ahmad:H.22666]
Imam Ahmad R.A declared this Hadith authentic and reliable.
INTENTION: Umar bin
Al-Khattab (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: I heard Allah's Messenger
(ﷺ) saying, "The reward of deeds depends
upon the intentions and every person will get the reward according to what he
has intended. So whoever emigrated for worldly benefits or for a woman to
marry, his emigration was for what he emigrated for."
[Sahih Bukhari:1]
Jundub (May Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "He who lets the people hear of
his good deeds intentionally, to win their praise, Allah will let the people
know his real intention (on the Day of Resurrection), and he who does good
things in public to show off and win the praise of the people, Allah will
disclose his real intention (and humiliate him).
[Sahih Bukhari:H.6499]
SANITY: Sanity is a condition for Wudhu.
Insane person is not required to perfom this purification.
Ali
bin Abu Talib (May Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of
Allah (May Allah shower His blessings and peace on him) said, “The pen (of
commandment) has been taken away from three persons, i.e the child until he
reaches the age of puberty, the sleeping person until he awakes and the insane
until he recovers.”
[Musnad
Imam Ahmad:H. 940,956,1183, Jami At-Tirmidhi:H.1423]
Abdullah ibn Sa'd al-Ansari (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: I asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as to what makes it
necessary to take a bath and about the (prostatic) fluid that flows after
taking a bath. He replied: that is called madhi (prostatic fluid). It flows
from every male. You should wash your private parts and testicles because of it
and perform ablution as you do for prayer.
[Sunan Abu Dawood:H.211]
Females suffering from Leukorrhea
are also required Isntinja before performing Wudhu. Allah knows
the best.
Adi ibn Thabit narrated from his grandfather Qais bin Khutaim Al-Ansari (May Allah be pleased with
him) that the Prophet (ﷺ) said
about the woman having a prolonged flow of blood: She should abandon prayer during
her menstrual period: then she should take a bath and pray. She should perform
ablution for every prayer.
[Sunan Abu Dawood:H.297, Sunan Ibni Majah:H.625]
“None touch it except the purified.”
[56:79]
So perfect purification is required for
touching the Qur’an, that is major and and minor ablution.
Abu Bakr bin Hazm reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) wrote to
him: ‘Don’t touch the Qur’an except in a state of ritual purification.
[Muwatta Imam Malik:H.466]
AbuWa'il
al-Qass said: We entered upon Urwah ibn Muhammad ibn as-Sa'di. A man spoke to
him and made him angry. So he stood and performed ablution; he then returned
and performed ablution, and said: My father told me on the authority of my
grandfather Atiyyah (May Allah be pleased with him) who reported the Messenger
of Allah (ﷺ) as saying: Anger comes from the devil, the
devil was created of fire, and fire is extinguished only with water; so when
one of you becomes angry, he should perform ablution.
[Sunan Abu Dawood:H.4784]
A mosque
founded on righteousness from the first day is more worthy for you to stand in.
Within it are men who love to purify themselves; and Allah loves those who
purify themselves.
Salman Al-Farisi (May Allah be pleased
with him) reported that I read in Taurah that there is blessing in
washing hands after taking meal. I told Allah’s Apostle (May Allah shower His
blessings and peace on him) what I read in Taurah. He said, “There is
blessing in washing hands before and after meal.” [Musnad Imam Ahamad:H.24133]
Al-Miqdam ibn Ma'dikarib al-Kindi (May
Allah be pleased with him) reported that the ablution water was brought to the Messenger (ﷺ) and
he performed ablution; he washed his hands up to wrists three times, then
washed his forearms three times. He then rinsed his mouth and snuffed up water
three times; then he wiped his head and ears inside and outside.
[Sunan Abu Dawood:H.121]
Ar-Rubayyi' daughter of Mu'awwidh ibn Afra (May Allah be pleased with
her) reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to come to us. He
once said: Pour ablution water on me. She then described how the Prophet (ﷺ)
performed ablution saying: He washed his hands up to wrist three times and
washed his face three times, and rinsed his mouth and snuffed up water once.
Then he washed his forearms three times and wiped his head twice beginning from
the back of his head, then wiped its front. He wiped his ears outside and
inside. Then he washed his feet three times.
[Sunan Abu Dawood:H.126]
Ibn’Abbas
(May Allah be pleased with them) said, Ali bin Abi Talib (May Allah be pleased with
him) entered
upon me after he has passed water. He then called for water for ablution. We
brought to him a vessel containing water, and placed it before him. He said: O
Ibn’Abbas, may I not show you how the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to perform ablution? I
replied : Why not? He then inclined the vessel to his hand and washed it. He
then put his right hand in the vessel and poured water over the other hand and
washed his hands up to the wrist. He then rinsed his mouth and snuffed up
water. He then put both of his hands together in the water and took out a
handful of water and threw it upon the face. He then inserted both of his
thumbs in the front part of the ears. He did like that twice and thrice. He
then took a handful of water and poured it over his forehead and left it running down his face.
[Sunan Abu Dawood:H.117]
Anas ibn
Malik (May
Allah be pleased with him) reported that whenever the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) performed ablution, he took a handful of
water, and, putting it under his chin, made it go through his beard, saying:
Thus did my Lord command me.
Abdullah As-Sunabihi (May Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)
said: "Whoever performs ablution and rinses his mouth and nose, his sins
will exit through his mouth and nose. When he washes his face, his sins will
exit from his face, even from beneath his eyelids. When he washes his hands,
his sins will exit from his hands. When he wipes his head, his sins will exit
from his head, and even from his ears. When he washes his feet, his sins will
exit from his feet, even from beneath his toenails. Then his prayer and walking
towards the mosque will earn extra merit for him."
[Sunan Ibni Majah:H.282]
Abdullah
al-Mujmir reported R.a said I saw Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with
him) perform ablution. He washed his
face and washed it well. He then washed his right hand including a portion of
his upper arm. He then washed his left hand including a portion of his upper
arm. He then wiped his head. He then washed his right foot including his shank,
and then washed his left foot including shank, and then said: This is how I saw
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) perform his ablution. And (Abu Huraira)
added that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) had observed: ‘You shall have your faces hands and feet bright
on the Day of Resurrection because of your perfect ablution. He who can afford
among you, let him increase the brightness of his forehead and that of hands
and legs.’
[Sahih Muslim:H.246]
Umar bin Al-Khattab (May Allah be pleased with him) reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: 'Whoever performs Wudu, making Wudu well,
then says: (Ashhadu an la ilaha illallah, wahdahu la sharika lahu, wa ashhadu
anna Muhammadan-abduhu wa rasuluhu, Allahummajalni minat tawwabin, waj'alni
minal mutatahhirin) 'I testify that none has the right to be worshipped but
Allah Alone, there are no partners for Him. And I testify that Muhammad is His
servant and Messenger. O Allah! Make me among the repentant, and make me among
those who purify themselves.' Then eight gates of Paradise are opened for him,
that may enter by whichever of them wishes."
[Jami at-Tirmidhi:H.55]
