WUDHU - ABLUTION

What is Wudhu/Ablution?

All Muslims are required to do the ritual cleansing (wudhu) before performing their prayers. This cleansing was practiced in Christianity as well, and referenced in the Bible. We want to make sure that we are in a physical sense, as well as a spiritual sense, “purified” before we face Allah. Prayer is not accepted if you do not perform wudhu.

Importance of performing wudhu:

"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." Qur'an - Al-Mâ'idah 5:6

"...And Allâh loves those who make themselves clean and pure (i.e. who clean their private parts with dust [i.e. to be considered as soap) and water from urine and stools, after answering the call of nature]."  Qur'an - At-Tauba 9:108

Many new reverts don’t see the importance of the requirement of performing wudu. Here is a nice way to look at wudu: If you were preparing to go to a job interview to face your future employer, you would make sure you where clean, your clothes were clean, and that you were presenting yourself the best you possibly could, right? If you were unclean, clothes unclean, and not taking the matter serious, would you get the job? Probably not. So, we must do our very best to put effort and sincerity into our prayers by preparing for them properly. When we pray, we are having “one on one” time with Allah. We are having a spiritual connection directly with Allah at that moment. So, if we can put the effort to present ourselves in a good manner that is expected by a potential employer, shouldn’t we give the same respect to our creator?

How to Perform Wudu Step by Step:

1. Say "Bismillah" (in the Name of Allah)

2. Wash hands 3 times

Use left hand to wash right hand, up to and including the wrist, 3 times.

Then, use right hand to wash left hand, up to and including the wrist, 3 times.

3. Rinse water in mouth 3 times

Cup right hand with water and put in mouth, then spit it out, 3 times.

4. Sniff water in nose 3 times

5. Wash face 3 times

6. Wash forearms 3 times

Wipe right forearm with left hand, all the way up to and including the elbow, 3 times.

Wipe left forearm with right hand, all the way up to and including the elbow, 3 times.

7. Wipe water over head/hair 1 times

It has been recorded that the Prophet used to wipe his head three different ways:

1. Wiping all of his head. 'Abdullah ibn Zaid reported that the Prophet PBUH wiped his entire head with his hands. He started with the front of his head, then moved to the back, and then returned his hands to the front.
2. Wiping over the turban only.
3. Said 'Amru ibn Umayyah, "I saw the Messenger of Allah PBUH wipe over his turban and shoes." (Related by Ahmad, al-Bukhari and Ibn Majah).
4. Bilal reported that the Prophet PBUH said, "Wipe over your shoes and head covering." (Related by Ahmad.)
5. 'Umar once said, "May Allah not purify the one who does not consider wiping over the turban to be purifying." Many hadith have been related on this topic by al-Bukhari, Muslim and others. Most of the scholars agree with them.
6. Wiping over the front portion of the scalp and the turban. Al-Mughirah ibn Shu'bah said that the Messenger of Allah, upon whom be peace, made ablution and wiped over the front portion of his scalp, his turban and his socks. (Related by Muslim.) There is, however, no strong hadith that he wiped over part of his head, even though al-Ma'idah: apparently implies it. It is also not sufficient just to wipe over locks of hair that proceed from the head or along the sides of the head.
7. If you are a female and a non-mahram male (or any non-Muslim who you believe may describe you to others) may see you (such as in a public bathroom, etc.), do not remove your hijab or niqab... keep it on and wipe over it.

8. Wipe the inside and back of ears 1 time

Wash both ears at the same time

9. Wash feet

Wash right foot, including the ankle, with left hand, 3 times.

Wipe between each toe on right foot, with left hand pinky, 1 time.

Wash left foot, including the ankle, with right hand, 3 times.

Wipe between each toe on left foot, with right hand pinky, 1 time.

"Once the Prophet PBUH remained behind us in a journey. He joined us while we were performing ablution for the prayer which was over-due. We were just passing wet hands over our feet (and not washing them properly) so the Prophet addressed us in a loud voice and said twice or thrice: 'Save your heels from the fire.'" [Bukhari 1:164, Narrated 'Abdullah bin 'Amr]

"...and then he washed his feet up to the ankles." [Bukhari 1.186, narrated Amr]

9. Recite Dua :

أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إلَّا اللهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّداً عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ، أَللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْنِي مِنَ التَّوَّابِينَ وَاجْعَلْنِي مِنَ الْمُتَطَهِّرِينَ، سُبْحَانَكَ اللَّهُمَّ وَبِحَمْدِكَ، أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ، أَسْتَغْفِرُكَ وَأَتُوبُ إِلَيْكَ

I bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah alone, Who has no partner; and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and His Messenger. O Allah, make me among those who turn to You in repentance, and make me among those who are purified. Glory is to You, O Allah, and praise; I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but You. I seek Your forgiveness and turn to You in repentance.

What Invalidates Wudu?

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 reported that the Messenger of Allah PBUH 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 also narrated that the Prophet PBUH 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 related that his uncle queried the Prophet PBUH about a person who feels something in his abdomen while praying. Said the Prophet PBUH, "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 PBUH 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.]

Additional notes: 

In the event that you forget whether you have done wudu or not, do not perform wudu again unless you are sure that you broke/invalidated it.

Make wudu again if you experience anger.

Hadith - Dawud, Narrated Atiyyah as-Sa'di 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 who reported the Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him) 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.

What Does Not Invalidate Wudu?

1. Drinking or Eating

The Messenger of Allah PBUH 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]

Note: You would only need to do wudu if you ate camel meat.

2. Kissing a mahram woman (such as your wife)

Aishah related that the Messenger of Allah PBUH 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

5. Changing a baby's diaper

Just wash your hands after changing the diaper.

6. 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.

7 .Talking During Wudu

If No Water is available, or a Place to Perform Wudu:

When absolutely 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."

"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." Qur'an 5:6