(Ablution (Wuduᶦ

Ablution (Wuduᶦ)

Its Legitimacy: 

It has been made obligatory in the Night Journey of the Prophet Muhammad from Makkah to Jerusalem and his Ascent to the Seventh Heaven. It has been made obligatory together with prayer.

 It was an obligation to perform ablution before each prayer. But then, this provision has become abrogated in the Battle of the Trench, in the fifth year of Hijrah (5 A.H). It has become obligatory only to remove the minor ritual impurity.

Ablution Validity Conditions:

1) Water is pure, not mixed with other substances.

2) Water must be not previously used for purification.

3) There is not any barrier which prevents the reach of water to the skin. But if there are wounds dressed in bandages that can be endangered, sand ablution upon them is a must.

4) Perfect ablution, which means to be sure of washing an organ carefully, and beyond what is required.

● ᶦUthman ibn Affan (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (P.P.B.U.H) said, “He who performs ablution perfectly (i.e., according to Sunnah), his sins will come out from his body, even coming out from under his nails.” [Muslim]. 

● It was narrated from Abi-Hurairah, that the Messenger of Allah said: “Do you think that if there was a river by the door of any one of you, and he bathed in it five times each day, would there be any trace of dirt left on him?” They said: “No trace of dirt would be left on him.” He said, “That is the likeness of the five daily prayers. By means of them, Allah erases sins.” [The Two Scholars].

● It was narrated from Abi-Hurairah, that the Messenger of Allah said: “On the day of Judgment, my followers (Ummah) will come with bright faces, hands, and feet from the traces of ablution. Whoever can increase the area of his radiance, should do so.” [AL Bukhari]. 

● Ibn ᶦAmr ibn EL-ᶦAs (May Allah be pleased with them) reported: A group of people hurried and performed ablution hastily, so their heels appeared not touched with water. So, the Messenger of Allah said, “Woe to the heels because of the hell-fire… Make your ablution thorough.” [Muslim].

Ablution Obligations:

1) Intention.

2) Washing the whole face, lengthwise: from the hair root (the top of forehead) to the down of chin bone, and widthwise: in between the ears.

3) Washing the hands along with the elbows.   
4) Wiping some of the head or all of it.

5) Washing the legs along with the heels.

6) Previous steps have to be performed in the same order in which they are mentioned.

● The Prophet said: “Begin with what Allah had begun with.” [Reported by AL-Nasaᶦi].

God says ﴾O you who believed, when you rise to [perform] prayer, wash your faces and your forearms to the elbows and wipe over your heads and wash your feet to the heels﴿ Chapter of the Table (AL-Maᶦidah).

The Sunnah Practices of Ablution:

1) Mentioning the name of Allah.            

2) Washing the hands.

3) Wiping all of the two ears.                    

4) Rinsing the mouth and rinsing the nose.
5) Entering water through the thick beard, and in between fingers and toes.

● The Prophet said: “Perform ablution perfectly and let water run between your fingers.” [AL-Tirmidhi].

6) Beginning with the right organ, then followed by the left organ.
7) Succession of ablution acts.

Ablution Disliked Acts:

1) Wasting water. 
                                     
2) Washing the organ more or less than three times.

●Ibn ᶦUmar (May Allah be pleased with them) reported: The Prophet (P.P.B.U.H) passed by Saᶦd when he was performing ablution, and he said: “What is this extravagance?” Saᶦd said, “Can there be any extravagance in ablution?” The Prophet said: “Yes, even if you are on the bank of a flowing river.”

3) If a person gets someone else for ablution, in spite of his ability to do it on his own.

4) Exaggeration in rinsing water in the mouth, and in rinsing water in the nose during fasting.

● Laqit ibn Sabra (May Allah be pleased with him) said, “I said to the Messenger of Allah: ‘Tell me about ablution.’ And he said: ‘Perform a perfect ablution, run water between the fingers and toes, and if not fasting, sniff water up well inside the nose.’” [Abu-Daoud and AL-Tirmidhi].

● It was narrated that Amr ibn Absah said: “The Messenger of Allah said, ‘When a person performs ablution and washes his face, as God commanded, his sins exit through his face with water. When he washes his hands along with his elbows, his sins exit through his fingertips with water. When he wipes his head, his sins exit through his hair ends with water. When he washes his feet along with his heels, his sins exit his toes with water.’” [Muslim]. 

Invalidators of ablution (things that cause the minor ritual impurity):

1) Sleeping.                         
2) What comes from the two natural orifices (front or back private parts).    
3) When there is no mind due to syncope, drunkenness, illness, or madness. A person, in one of these states, is to perform ablution after he becomes awake.                                4) When an adult male touches an adult female, who is not a Mahram to him, without a barrier, even if she is dead.

N.B Mahram means: Unmaritable relation – husband or any other relative to whom a woman is prohibited to marry (like her uncle, father, brother). Or, wife or any other relative to whom a man is prohibited to marry (like his aunt, mother, sister).

5) When a person touches his private part or the private part of someone else with his palm either the toucher or the touched one is young or old.

● The Prophet (P.P.B.U.H) said, “Whoever touches his sexual organ, let him perform ablution.”   [AL-Tirmidhi].

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