Wudhu

The importance of being clean, wearing clean clothes and living in a clean place is not only important for ones health but equally important for his spiritual development. This is why the blessed Messenger # stressed: “Cleanliness is one half of religion.” And in another place said; “The key to Paradise is Salah and the key to Salah is cleanliness.” (Musnad Ahmad)
Quran
“Allah loves those who seek repentance and the clean people.” (Baqara 2:222)

In Fiqh cleanliness is divided into two types;
1. The major; The major cleanliness is taking a bath (Ghusl).
2. The minor; cleanliness is doing Wudhu. Before a person can stand before Allah he must do Wudhu as Allah says:

Quran

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا قُمْتُمْ إِلَى الصَّلَاةِ فَاغْسِلُوا وُجُوهَكُمْ وَأَيْدِيَكُمْ إِلَى الْمَرَافِقِ وَامْسَحُوا بِرُؤُوسِكُمْ وَأَرْجُلَكُمْ إِلَى الْكَعْبَينِ

“O believers! When you stand for the prayer wash your faces and your hands to the elbows and wipe your head and wash your feet to the ankles.”

(Maida 5:6)

The blessed Prophet said, “Allah does not accept the prayer of anyone of you
when he is unclean until he does Wudhu.” (Bukhari)
Wudhu is washing of the face, hands, feet and wiping of the head.
Ali reports that the blessed Prophet said, ‘In Wudhu there are four things that are compulsory, seventeen Sunnahs and seven Mustahabat. (desirable)’

Hadith

“Whoever makes Wudhu in the cold, he receives double reward.” (Tabrani

The Four Compulsory Acts In Wudhu:

1. To wash the whole 1 face once with clean water. The boundaries of the face, length wise are from the hairline above the forehead to the bottom of the chin and breadth wise, from one ear to the other.
2. Washing both hands up t to and including the elbows
3. To wipe quarter 3 of the head once. This means to wipe the head with a wet hand.
4. The 4Th washing of both feet upto and including the ankles.

Twelve Sunnahs in Wudhu

1. 1. Intention: This is the thought to do Wudhu for the pleasure of Allah and for carrying out His command. The way to do it is, you silently say, “I intend to remove filth” or “I intend to purify”. It is best to say “I intend to make Wudhu for the prayer, seeking the nearness of Allah”.
   2. To begin with Bismillah.
   3. To wash both hands up to the wrist three times.
   4. The Miswak: To brush the teeth. Miswak is the small stick from a tree. If that is not available one should use the index finger of the right hand.
   5. Rinsing the mouth three times.
   6. Cleaning the nose three times.
   7. The combing of the fingers: Passing the fingers of one hand into the other does this. For the toes use the little finger of the left hand and start from the little toe of the right foot and so on and finish by the little toe of the left foot.
   8. Washing three times: To wash once is compulsory and to wash three times is Sunnah.
   9. Continuously: This means to wash a part before the previous one dries.
   10. Wiping the whole head: The best way to do this is to put the three fingers of each hand at the front of the head and to hold the index finger with the thumb. Then move the fingers backward over the head and now put the palms of the hand on the sides of the head and move them towards the front of the head.
   11. Wiping the ears: Wiping the inner ears with the index finger and the outer ear with the back of the thumb does this.
   12. Doing Wudhu in order.
   13. Starting with the right side: This is to begin washing of hands and feet with the right side first.

Things to remember when doing Wudhu

Desirable acts in Wudhu

1. To face the Ka’bah.
2. To be seated on a high place so that water doesn’t splash on clothes.
3. To do Wudhu in a clean place.
4. To wipe the neck: Once only To wipe the neck with the back of the fingers of both hands.
5. Read Bismillah before every act.

The undesirable things in Wudhu

Once you know how to do Wudhu then remember not to do the following:

1. Not to be wasteful.
2. Not to splash water.
3. Not to talk.

The things that will break Wudhu

The following things will break Wudhu:

1. Going to the toilet.
2. Vomiting.
3. Injury that damages the skin so much that blood begins to flow.
4. When ears or the nose bleed. The same applies to the mouth when brushing the teeth, if blood flows.
5. Sleeping on ones side or back.
6. Fainting and becoming unconscious.
7. Laughing during the prayer but not outside the prayer.

Dua Upon completion of Wudhu recite:

أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَّا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّداً عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ ، اَللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْنِي مِنَ التَّوَّابِينَ وَاجْعَلْنِي مِنَ الْمُتَطَهِّرِينَ

I bear witness that there is no God but Allah, He is alone and has no partner and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger. O’ Allah make me amongst the repenting and amongst the clean.
To pray two units after the Wudhu is Sunnah.

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