Fiqh

6.0 CHAPTER: OBLIGATORY ACTS OF WUDHU AND ITS DESCRIPTION

This chapter is about the parts of the body that must be washed during wudhu and the attributes of wudhu.

“ Wudhu”: Is the act of ablution. When a fatah is above the letter waw (i.e. when the word is pronounced wadhu), it refers to the water used to perform ablution.(See al-M utla’(p. 19).) Wudhu linguistically means brightness or goodness. Technically, it is the use of pure water to wash certain parts of the body in a specific way.

It has a great merit: Allah(swt) will forgive all the sins o f the person who performed wudhu. It is mentioned in a hadith that with every droplet of water that falls away from the body, with it falls the sins o f the person. If he washes his face, all of the sins o f having seen forbidden things depart. Sins resulting from the evil deeds of the hand are pardoned when he washes his hands. When he washes his feet, all the sins that he committed with his feet are removed. The sins depart either with the water or with the last drop of water falling away from the body part.(Reported by Muslim (1/148-149) from the narration of Abu Hurairah.)

Another merit is the brightening of the body parts washed in wudhu on the Day of Judgement. It will be a sign that they were among those who performed wudhu often. The Prophet(pbuh) said, “My Ummah will come on the Day of Judgement brightly spotted and radiant which is the effect o f their performing wudhu.”(Reported by al-Bukhari (1/47) and M uslim (1/149) from the narration o f A bu Hurairah.) This is because wudhu is an act of worship which will definitely adorn the Muslims in the Hereafter. The Prophet is sometimes called the leader of the bright and radiant.

Performing wudhu is a great act of worship that requires special care and effort. The Prophet(pbuh) said, “Cleanliness is half of faith.”(Reported by Muslim (1/140), Ahmad (5/344,342), al-Tirmidhi (3517) and al-Nasai (5/5) from the narration of Abu Malik al-Ash’ari.) The Prophet(pbuh) said, “… No one maintains his wudhu except the believer.”(Reported by Ahmad (5/276,280,282), Ibn Majah (277) and Ibn Hibban (1037).)

Wudhu was ordained along with the prayer. The prayer was ordained before the migration, while the Prophet(pbuh) was still in Makkah. He was ordered to pray two units for each prayer at that time and he was ordered by Allah(swt) to make wudhu before doing so. However, a question that may be asked is how the Prophet(pbuh) performed wudhu when in fact the ayat of wudhu are in Surah al-Ma’idah which was revealed in Madinah. This surah was one of the last chapters that were revealed to the Prophet(pbuh). The answer is that wudhu was only recommended before the revelation of the ayat in al-M a’idah. Once it was revealed, it was mandatory for the performance of prayers.

The obligatory acts are six: washing the face, the mouth and nose are part of it, and washing of the hands.

“The obligatory acts are six”: Washing these six parts of the body is the obligation. Wudhu is null and void if any of these parts are not washed.

The first obligatory part:

“Washing the face, the mouth and nose are part of it”: Allah says, {Wash your faces} (Al-Maidah: 6) The mouth and the nose are part o f the face. The Prophet(pbuh) used to

gargle his mouth and draw water into his nose and expel it. He ordered Muslims to do likewise. An evidence to show that they are part of the face is the example of a person putting something into his mouth when he is fasting. His fast is not nullified until he swallows the object in his mouth.

The second obligatory part:

“Washing of the hands”: From the tip of the fingers to the elbow. Allah says, {Wash your faces and your hands as far as the elbows.}(Al-Maidah: 6) The elbows must be included in this as the Arabic term “ila” (to) in the ayah means “ma’a” (along with). The Prophet(pbuh) used to wash his elbows when performing wudhu}(Reported by al-Daraqutni in his Sunan (1/56) from the narration of Jabir ibn Abdullah.)

In normal instances, the edge or furthest point of a range is not wholly included. As an exception (due to the evidence indicating so), the full elbow is included in wudhu. It is like the ayah, {And do not devour their property [as an addition] to your own property.}(Al-Nisa:2) The word ‘ila” is used here to mean “ma’a”.

And the wiping of the head along with the ears.

The third obligatory part:

“And the wiping of the head”: As ordained by Allah: {And wipe over your heads.}(Al-Maidah: 6)The Prophet # showed us how it is done. Both wet hands should be placed upon the forehead and slowly brought to the back of the head, wiping the scalp as they run through it. The hands then retrace back to the forehead.(Reported by al-Bukhari (1/58) and M uslim (1/145) from the narration of Abdullah ibn Zayd ibn Asim.) It is mandatory to wipe the whole head, not just a part o f it. The ayah ordains Muslims to wipe the head and it should be taken holistically. Wiping just one part of the head is insufficient.

“Along with the ears”: As the ears are part of the head, they fall under the category of obligatory acts of wudhu. Regarding the manner of wiping: The wet index fingers are put in each ear right up to the ear canal. Both wet thumbs are placed on the outer ear. All the fingers are moved in a circular motion to achieve the cleansing of both the outer and inner ear. If the wiping of the ear is left out during wudhu, it becomes null and void. This is because he has omitted wiping a part of the head.

And washing both feet and following the sequence.

The fourth obligatory part:

“And washing both feet”: Allah says, {… And your feet until the two ankles.} (Al-Maidah: 6) This ayah includes the washing of both ankles. It refers to the protruding ankle bone at the edge of the shin region. The Shi’a and Rafidah claim that the ankle refers to the area just below the protruding bone. This is contrary to the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah(swt) which corroborates the ayah from the Quran.

The fifth obligatory part:

“Following the sequence”: I.e. of the body parts that are washed or wiped over in wudhu. Firstly, the face is washed followed by the hands, followed by the wiping of the head and finally washing both feet. This is the sequence set by Allah which the Prophet followed, {Wash your faces and your hands to the elbows and wipe over your heads and wash your feet to the ankles. }(Al-Maidah: 6) He(pbuh) said, “I begin with what Allah begins with.”(Reported by Muslim (4/40), Ahmad (3/320), Abu Dawud (5905), al-Tirmidhi (862) and al-Nasai (5/235) from the narration o f Jabir ibn A bdullah in the hadith relating to the Prophet’s Hajj) To follow the sequence is mandatory. If the sequence is changed, the wudhu becomes invalid as it contradicts the ordainment of Allah(swt). It also contradicts the actions of the Prophet(pbuh) who said, “This is wudhu without which Allah does not accept prayer.”(Reported by Ibn Majah (419), al-Daraqutni (1/80), Abu Ya’la in his Musnad (9/448) from the narration of Abdullah ibn ‘Umar.)

And it should be in succession. There should not be a delay in proceeding to wash the next body part such that the body part becomes dry before the next one is washed.

The sixth obligatory part:

Succession between two parts of the body entails that there is a short gap before moving to the next body part. Too long of a delay will invalidate the wudhu. In fact, succession from one part to the other should be immediate. If a delay causes the last washed body part to dry before the next one is washed, the wudhu is invalid if there was no good excuse for the delay. To maintain succession is mandatory as shown by the Prophet(pbuh), who never took gaps in between the washing of each body part during wudhu. He was modelling what was instructed to him in the Quran. In conclusion we say that not observing succession whilst performing wudhu nullified it in the absence of valid excuse.

[The presence of an] intention is a required condition to purify oneself from all impurities. One should either have intention ( niyyah ) to remove the impurity or to attain taharah without which acts of worship are futile. If he performs wudhu intending to perform an act of worship for which purifying oneself is only Sunnah, like reading the Quran or he renews his ablution intending it as a Sunnah, then that ablution shall suffice for obligatory acts of worship as well. This is provided that he is unaware that he is in a state of impurity.

“[The presence of an] intention is a required condition”: Wudhu has a criterion; the ultimate one being intention. This is because performing wudhu is an act of worship and these acts are not valid without intention. The Prophet(pbuh) said, “Verily deeds are by intention and for every person is what he intended.”(Reported by al-Bukhari (1/2,21), (3/190) and Muslim (6/48) from the narration of Umar ibn Khattab.) If one performed wudhu to cool himself or merely to clean up or to teach someone how to perform wudhu while not having an intention to free himself from impurities, then his wudhu is invalid. Intention is made in the heart. It should not be articulated aloud, for example by saying, “I make intention to perform wudhu ’ [Saying the intention aloud] is an innovation. Allah knows what is in the heart. Those who articulate the intention have introduced in the din what neither Allah revealed in his Book nor what the Prophet(pbuh) taught to the Muslims. They are putting forth effort to accomplish a deed that does not bring rewards. In fact it is a sin on their part as it is an innovation(Zad al-Ma’ad (1/201) and Jami Al-‘Ulum wa al-Hikam (1/64).) in the din.

“To purify oneself from all impurities”: Minor impurities or major ones.

“Or to attain taharah; without which acts of worship are futile”: I.e. having an intention to perform an act of worship encompasses the intention for the ancillary act of purification. For example, if someone intends to do his prayer, then this intention is sufficient for his wudhu as well. This is because the intention to perform the prayer necessitates the intention to attain taharah.

“If he performs wudhu intending to perform an act of worship for which purifying oneself is only Sunnah”: If he intends to perform an act of worship for which purification is only Sunnah, for example, making wudhu to read the Quran, then this recommended ablution shall serve as obligatory purification. This is provided that he is unaware that he is in a state of impurity. Similarly, if he renews this recommended ablution with which he performed an act of worship, then it shall serve as obligatory purification, provided he is unaware that he is in a state of impurity. However, if he was aware of it, then he must make ablution with an intention to remove the impurity.

If he intends from his bath a Sunnah, it replaces the obligatory bath. And vice versa. If a person is stained with numerous impurities that require wudhu or ghusl and he has an intention to purify himself of one impurity only, all of the impurities will be removed.

“If he intends from his bath a Sunnah, it replaces the obligatory bath”: An example is the bath for the Friday prayer. If he takes this bath oblivious to the fact that he is in a state of greater impurity {janabah), then performing the Sunnah bath is a replacement for the compulsory (wajib) bath.

“And vice versa”: If he intends to make a compulsory bath, then it replaces the bath intended as a Sunnah. For example, if he bathes to remove his janabah on a Friday, then this replaces the Sunnah bath for the Friday prayer. Likewise, if he uses the toilet for example and then makes wudhu, then it replaces his wudhu with which he intended to perform so as to read the Quran.

“If a person is stained with numerous impurities that require wudhu or ghusl and he has an intention to purify himself of one impurity only, all of the impurities will be removed”: An example o f this would be if one was stained with urine, faeces or if he passed gas. He then makes the intention to purify himself from one of the three najasah. This is as if he made an intention to purify himself from all three impurities.

If a person was in a state of janabah requiring a compulsory bath and he fainted and required a bath to restore his consciousness, then one bath would suffice to attain both objectives.

It is a must to make the niyyah when performing the first mandatory action of the cleansing rites, which is the basmallah. It is a Sunnah to make it in the beginning of the Sunnah action if a mandatory act does not precede it. It is a must that the intention covers the entire purification rite and it is mandatory to maintain its respective ruling.

“It is a must to make the niyyah when performing the first mandatory action of the cleansing rites”: It is wajib to have intention (niyyah) in the beginning of every action. If one starts to perform wudhu without an intention and then makes an intention half way through, then his wudhu is not accepted. Hence intention is in the beginning not something introduced in the midst of an act of worship.

“Basmalah”: It is a must to say “bismillah” when starting to perform wudhu.

“It is a Sunnah to say it in the beginning of the Sunnah action if a mandatory act does not precede it”: This is the washing o f the hands three times except for the one waking from his nightly sleep. It is recommended that he have an intention before washing his hands.

“It is a must that the intention covers the entire purification rite”: I.e. to have an intention in all the cleansing rites.

“It is mandatory to maintain its respective ruling”: That is to have an intention in all of the cleansing rites. Intention should partner all acts that involve purification. If one decides to invalidate his niyyah in the midst of wudhu, it becomes nullified and the actions that preceded his change of mind were void. The niyyah and wudhu must be repeated once more from the beginning.

The method of ablution: making the intention, then saying “ bismillah ”, then washing the palms thrice, then gargling the mouth whilst drawing water into the nose and expelling it, then washing the face lengthwise from where the hairs of the head begin, down the two cheeks and the beard. The area from one ear to the other is washed breadth-wise. It includes all hairs; light or thick hair, however long, then he washes his arms to his elbows.

“The method of ablution”: The author now mentions the Sunnah acts of wudhu, the mandatory acts and the conditions that one should abide by. He does so to put forth the wudhu in its entirety. He also explains the method of performing wudhu.

“Making the intention”: This is a condition for the validity of wudhu as the Prophet(pbuh) said, “Verily deeds are by intentions and verily for every person is

what he intends.”(Reported by al-Bukhari (1/2,12) (3/190) and M uslim (6/48) from the narration of Umar ibn al-Khattab.) Wudhu is an act and so intention is a requisite. If he does something similar to wudhu to cool himself or to freshen up, it cannot be considered wudhu as he did not make the intention o f making wudhu. It is a rule that if a criteria of an act of worship is not fulfilled, then that act is futile.

“Then saying ‘bismillah’” The Prophet(pbuh) said, “There is no wudhu for he who

does not mention the name of Allah upon it.”(Reported by Ahmad (4/70), al-Tirmidhi (25, 26) and Ibn Majah (398) from the narration of Sa’id ibn Zayd.The narration of Abu Sa’id al-Khudri is found in Ahmad (3/41), Ibn Majah(397).)

“Then washing the palms thrice”: Palms refer to the hands. One washes them after the niyyah and basmallah. If he had awoken from a deep sleep that nullifies wudhu, then washing his hands is mandatory. Otherwise washing his hands is only recommended and falls under the category of optional acts of wudhu.

“Then gargling the mouth as he draws water into his nose and expels it”: These are parts of the face. Hence if one washes his face in wudhu but leaves out either the mouth or the nose, then his wudhu is invalid. All ahadith relating to the wudhu of the Prophet mention that he gargled his mouth and drew water into his nose.

“Gargling the mouth”: I.e. to fill the mouth with water and rinse the mouth thoroughly before spitting it out.

“Drawing water into the nose and expelling it”: I.e. to inhale water into the nose and blow it out.

Filling the mouth and inhaling water into the nose are done with the right hand while blowing of the nose is with the aid of the left hand as it is an action that removes impurities and harm. One uses only his palm to gather water, fill his mouth and draw water into his nose in a swift simultaneous action.

“Then wash the face lengthwise from where the hairs o f the head begin, down the two cheeks and the beard. The area from one ear to the other is washed breadth-wise. It includes all hairs; light or thick hair, however long”: He proceeds to wash his whole face. The length of the face is from the edge of the forelock area to the tip of the chin or the long beard as an extension. This is because the beard is considered to be a part o f the face. If water does not reach any spot within this area, wudhu is invalid.

As for the width, it is from one ear to the other. Water is smeared on the face, both lengthwise and breadth-wise. Water has to penetrate light hair for example the eyebrows, eyelashes and beard as all of these are considered part of the face. If the beard is thick, having such an amount of hair that it prevents the water from penetrating to the skin, then it is mandatory to wash it on the exterior. Using the hand to rub between the hairs is only recommended as mentioned earlier.

“Then he washes his arms to his elbows”: As Allah says: {And your hands until the elbows.}(Al-Maidah: 6) The elbow bone is inclusive as was shown to us by the Prophet(pbuh).(Reported by al-Daraqutni in his Sunan (1/83) and al-Bayhaqi in al-Sunan al-Kubra (1/S6) from the narration of jabir ibn ‘Abdullah who said, “The Messenger of Allah used to pour water over his elbows when performing wudhu.”)

Then he wipes over his whole head, which includes his ears, once.

“Then he wipes over his whole head”: After washing his arms he wipes his head as ordained by Allah(swt), (And wipe over your heads.}(Al-Maidah: 6) The word “masha” linguistically means to wipe the hands over something. However, in this context it does not just refer to wiping the hands over the head, it refers to the wiping action of a wet hand (i.e. wet with pure water). If the wiping of the head is done with a dry hand, then the wudhu is invalid.

The wiping is done by placing both palms upon the forehead and slowly moving them to the back of the head. One then retraces the wiping action to the forehead from where he started. This was the method that the Prophet(pbuh) taught.(Reported by al-Bukhari (1/58) and Muslim (1/145) from the narration of Abdullah ibn Zayd in the hadith describing how the Prophet made wudhu.)

If a person wipes over just a small part o f the head, then his wudhu becomes invalid. He is judged to have contradicted the ordainment of Allah. He revealed to mankind to wipe the whole head and not just a part of it. Therefore this is not sufficient and falls short of being defined as, “Wiping over the whole head.”

“Which includes his ears, once”: He inserts his wet index fingers into his ear canal, placing his thumbs on the exterior of the ear lobe and moving the thumbs up and down while the index finger runs along the folds of the ear canal. Thus the ear is washed inside and out as it is considered a part of the head. The hands are dipped and made wet before wiping the head. The remnant of this wetness is sufficient for the wiping o f the ears. One does not have to wet his hands after wiping the head so as to wipe the ears. This was how our Prophet taught us to wipe the head and ears. The hadith contradicting this is not authentic.(Reported by al-Bayhaqi (1/65) from the narration of ‘Abdullah ibn Zayd that he saw the Prophet wet his hands again after wiping the head so as to wipe his ear. This hadith is not authentic.) If a person fails to wipe his ears after wiping the head, then his wudhu is invalid.

Then he washes his feet up to his ankles.

“Then he washes his feet up to his ankles”: As Allah(swt) says, {And your feet till the ankle.}(Al-Maidah: 6) The ankle referred to here is up to the ankle bones that protrude at the feet. The Prophet washed his feet and ankles in this manner and taught us to do likewise. The Prophet was the illustrator o f the ordainments in the Quran.

The amputee can wash whatever that is remaining of the body parts that are mandatory in wudhu. He can wash the stump in place of the missing parts. Then he raises his sight towards the sky and says the supplication. It is permitted to ask someone to aid in pouring water. Wiping dry the wet body parts is also permitted.

“The amputee can wash whatever that is remaining of the body parts that are mandatory in wudhu”: If his palm has been amputated, then he can wipe his arm. Allah says in the Quran: {Therefore be careful of [your duty to] Allah as much as you can .}(Al-Taghabun: 16)

“He can wash the stump in place of the missing parts”: If his wrist has been amputated, he can wash his arm as a replacement. If he doesn’t have the lower arm up to the elbow, then he can wipe the stump on the elbow as it is a body part that is included in wudhu. However if it is cut above this point, then he is not obliged to wash it as he has no remains of the area obligatory to wash. Likewise is the case for one whose leg is cut above the ankle.

“Then he raises his sight towards the sky and says the supplication”: When the individual has washed these body parts, he is in a state of physical purity. Then he hopes to achieve spiritual purity by reciting the shahadah, “There is none worthy of worship except Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.” This cleanses one of associating partners with Allah {shirk) and innovations {bid’ah). The pledge that there is none worthy of worship except Allah removes shirk and the other pledge that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah removes innovation. This is because it becomes incumbent now for the one uttering this to follow the way of the Prophet and to avoid the contradictions and heresies introduced into Islam. Bid’ah is a filth and so is shirk. These are spiritual impurities that should be rid of by a person.

“Then he raises his sight towards the sky”: Why does he do this? The sky’s the place where Allah(swt) ascends His throne. This is yet another evidence that Allah(swt) ascends to His throne in the heavens. Those who falsely claim that Allah is everywhere and deny that Allah ascends His throne in the heavens bring forth a false explanation. They say that the reason one looks upwards to the sky is that it is the qiblah of those who supplicate. In fact there is no such thing. There is only one qiblah for our prayers and for any other form of worship and that is the Ka’bah which Allah(swt) instructed us to face. There is no ordainment for those who make supplications or pray to look skywards. It is even prohibited in prayers.( Reported by al-Bukhari (1/191) from the hadith o f Anas ibn M alik, who heard the Prophet say, “What is wrong with this group who look skywards during their prayer?” And then he added, “Let them desist from this lest their eyesight be snatched.” Also reported with different wordings in Muslim (2/29) from the narration of Abu Hurairah. )Their claim that it is the qiblah o f those who supplicate is complete falsehood and a heresy. Their objective is to reject the attribute of ‘uluw (ascension) of Allah(swt) above His creation. The reason one faces skywards is to recognise that Allah is above his creations.

“And says the supplication”: “Ashadu an la ilaha illallah, wahdahu la sharika lahu, wa ashadu an muhammadan ‘abduhu wa rasulahu, allahumma aj’alni min al-tawwabin wa aj’alna min al-mutatahhirin (I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and I bear witness the Muhammad is His slave and messenger. O Allah! Make me of those who are repentant and make me of those who purify themselves.)”(Reported by al-Tirmidhi (55) from the narration of ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab.) This supplication is said immediately after completing wudhu. The wisdom behind this supplication is to unify both physical purity from najasah and spiritual purity from shirk and innovations in

the din.

“It is permitted to ask someone to aid in pouring water”: If one needs another to help him make wudhu by pouring water for him or he has a disability like paralysis and requires someone to help him perform wudhu, it is permitted. Allah(swt) says, {And help one another in goodness and piety.}(Al-Ma’idah: 2)

“Wiping dry the wet body parts is also permitted”: However, to let it dry by itself is better. This is because wudhu is an act of worship and letting it linger on your body has more merit. It is permitted to dry oneself as the Prophet(pbuh) did so.(Reported by al-Tirmidhi (53) from the chain of narrations of Abu Mu’adh from al-Zuhrl from ‘Urwah from ‘Aishah said, “The Messenger of Allah had a coarse cloth that he used to dry himself with after performing wudhu.” Al-Tirmidhi said, ‘“Aishah’s hadith is not authentic. All ahadith pertaining to this topic are not authentic and Abu Muadh (a narrator in the chain) is a weak narrator as classified by the scholars of hadith.”) It has also been recorded that the Prophet was offered a towel to wipe himself dry after performing wudhu and he refused it.( Reported by al-Bukhari (1/75,76-77) and Muslim (1/174-175) from the narration of Maymunah bint al-Harith who said, “I prepared water for his bath and held a screen for him .” She goes on to describe the bath of the Prophet(pbuh). She concludes by saying, “I held out a towel for him to dry himself and he waved it off with his hand due to not wanting it.” ) This is proof that it is better to leave the remnants of water on the body after making wudhu and not dry it with a towel. Doing so however is permitted.

By Shaykh Salih ibn Fawzan al-Fawzan

Comments

John Doe

23/3/2019

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.

John Doe

23/3/2019

John Doe

23/3/2019

6.0 CHAPTER: OBLIGATORY ACTS OF WUDHU AND ITS DESCRIPTION

Share with a friend

Comments

John Doe

John Doe

John Doe

Comment