Significance of Wudu in Salah Preparation

Purity and Impurity

• Impurities (Najasat) are categorized into two types:
  • Haqeeqi (real): These are visible and tangible impurities, like dirt or bodily fluids.
  • Hukmi (implied): These are unseen impurities, like the presence of something like urine where it cannot be seen, but is still there, hence needing cleansing rituals.
• Cleansing procedures are required to remove impurities
  • Wudu (ablution): A cleansing ritual for the body, involving washing specific parts.
  • Ghusl (full bath): A ritual cleansing of the entire body, typically required after certain events or conditions.

Types of Cleaning

• There are three types of cleaning rituals:
  • Istinja: Cleaning after relieving oneself.
  • Wudu: An ablution ritual.
  • Ghusl: A full body wash.

Istinja (Purification)

• Procedure:
  • Say Bismillah (In the name of Allah) and make a dua (supplication) before entering the toilet.
  • Thoroughly cleanse the affected areas.
  • If unsure, wash three or seven times.
  • Make dua'a (supplication) after leaving the toilet.
  • Exit the toilet with the right foot.

Things to Avoid During Istinja

• Talking unnecessarily
• Coughing unnecessarily
• Reading the Quran, Hadith, or venerated things
• Touching objects on which venerated things are written
• Relieving oneself in a standing position without a valid reason
• Removing all clothes at once
• Using the right hand for Istinja
• Entering the toilet with the left foot
• Facing the Qibla (direction of prayer)
• Using materials like bones, impurities, coal, glass, edibles for Istinja
• Entering the toilet with a bare head
• Taking God's name
• Doing Istinja near a river, pond, or under trees

Ablution (Wudu)

• Compulsory Acts:
  • Washing the face once.
  • Washing both hands up to the elbows once.
  • Wiping the head with water once.
  • Washing the feet up to the ankles once.
• Sunnah Acts (additional recommended actions):
  • Making the intention.
  • Reciting Bismillah and al-Hamdulilah.
  • Washing both hands to wrists.
  • Using Miswak to clean the mouth.
  • Gargling the mouth three times.
  • Putting water into the nostrils by blowing three times.
  • Wiping the head and ears.
  • Washing each part three times.
  • Doing Khilal (ritual passing) to the toes and fingers.
  • Reciting the Shahadah (affirmation of faith) after Wudu.
  • Completing the Wudu systematically, without pausing between parts.

Things that Break Wudu

• Passing urine
• Passing stool
• Passing air (flatulence).
• Flowing impurity (blood, pus, etc)
• Vomiting
• Sleeping while in a reclining position or leaning against something.
• Laughing during prayer (specifically when it involves ruku and sujud).
• Consuming intoxicants
• Mental illness
• Unconsciousness.

Full Bath (Ghusl)

• Compulsory Acts (Farz):

  • Gargling the mouth to make sure that the mouth is clean and water reaches the entire mouth.
  • Placing water in the nose up to the soft portion.
  • Making sure that water reaches the entire body.

• Sunnah Acts (recommended actions):

  • Washing hands to wrists.
  • Washing private parts and parts where impurity is present.
  • Making the intention of washing off impurities (Najaasat).
  • Performing Wudu before the Ghusl.
  • Passing water over the whole body thrice.

Dry Ablution (Tayammum)

• When permitted: Performing Tayammum is allowed if water is unavailable due to certain situations, such as illness, travel, danger, inability to find water, or shortage of water.
• Compulsory Acts (Farz):
  • Striking hands on the ground and rubbing the face with those hands.
  • Striking hands on the ground and rubbing the forearms including the elbows with the hands,
• Sunnah acts:
  • Making the intention.
  • Striking both hands on clean earth or dust and Dusting (rubbing) the hands.
  • Blowing excess dust or earth off the hands.
  • Rubbing both hands over the complete face without leaving a hair's breadth of space.
  • Striking both hands again on the ground.
  • Dusting the hands and blowing off excess dust.
  • Rubbing the left hand over the complete right hand, including the elbow.
  • Rubbing the right hand over the complete left hand, including the elbow.
  • Doing Khilal (ritual passing) of the fingers.
  • Doing Khilal (ritual passing) of the beard.

Substances for Tayammum

• Permitted: Substances from the earth family that do not burn, melt, or turn into ash (soil, sand, stone, sea sand, etc).
• Not permitted: Wood, silver, gold, etc.

When Tayammum is Broken

• When water becomes available.
• When a person is cured from an illness preventing water use.
• If one performs an act that would break Wudu.

Masah on Socks

• Possible materials: Leather socks which water cannot penetrate.

• How to do it:

  • At least three fingers of the hand have to be wet while doing Masah.
  • Spread the fingers from the sock's front in an upward motion towards the ankles.

• Important points:

  • Masah does not need to be repeated.
  • Masah is not allowed under the surface of the Khuffain.

• Validity: A Muqeem (non-traveller) has 24 hours, while a Musafir (traveller) has 72 hours for the validity of Masah on socks. The period starts from when Wudu was broken, not the time the socks were worn.

This quiz explores the importance of wudu, or ablution, in Islamic prayer preparations. It covers various aspects such as the body parts that must be washed, the sequence of actions, and the spiritual significance behind the procedure. Test your knowledge of the practices and meanings associated with wudu.