Wudu’ and Invalidators of Wudu'. Full Shower Ghusl Purification

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيم

Praise be to God the Creator of the world, the One Who exists without beginning, without end, without location, without a “how” and Who does not depend on time. Nothing resembles Him in anyway and He hears and sees everything without organs. Whatever you imagine, God is different from that. May the elevation in degree and preservation of his community of what he fears for it, be granted to our master Muhammad Al-‘Amin, the Honest One, who called for following Islam, the religion of truth, the religion of all the Prophets: of the First, Adam, to the last Muhammad.

The Muslim must have the proper purification (Taharah) before performing the prayers. This comprises the removal of filthy substances (najas) and performing wudu’ (ablution) or ghusl (full shower).

How to perform Ablution (Wudu')

Allâh said:

﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ إِذَا قُمْتُمْ إِلَى الصَّلاةِ فاغْسِلُواْ وُجُوهَكُمْ وَأَيْدِيَكُمْ إِلَى الْمَرَافِقِ وَامْسَحُواْ بِرُؤُوسِكُمْ وَأَرْجُلَكُمْ إِلَى الْكَعْبَينِ﴾

( yâ ‘ayyuha l-ladhîna ‘âmanû ‘idhâ qumtum ‘ila S-Salâti faghsilû wujûhakum wa ‘aydiyakum ‘ila l-marâfiqi wa msaHû biru’uçikûm wa ‘arjulakum ‘ila l-ka`bayn )

This verse from the Qur’ân means: « 0 you who believe, if you stand up for prayer, wash your face and arms up to (and including) athe elbows and wet wipe (part of) your head and wash your feet up to (and including) the ankles. » [Surat Al-Mâ’idah, Ayah 6]

Wudu' (Ablution) has obligatory and recommended parts. The obligatory parts are those parts which if left out the wudu' is not valid. The recommended parts are those parts which if left out the wudu' would still be valid, but one misses out on that reward. The wudu’ must be made with water only.

The obligatory parts

Wudu' (Ablution) has obligatory and recommended parts. The obligatory parts are those parts which if left out the wudu' is not valiWudu' (Ablution) has obligatory and recommended parts. The obligatory parts are those parts which if left out the wudu' is not valid. The recommended parts are those parts which if left out the wudu' would still be valid, but one misses out on that reward. The wudu’ must be made with water only.

1- The intention. When the water touches the first part of your face say in your heart: (nawaytu l-wuDû’) « I intend to perform wudu'. »

2- To wash the face, from the normal hairline to the chin and from one ear to the other including the hair and skin. The inner part of the man’s thick beard is excluded. If a string was put at the middle of the forehead at the normal hairline and drawn to the top of the ear, then one washes all that would be below that string, both hair and skin, with the ears excluded.

3- To wash the hands, forearms, and elbows.

4- To wet wipe part of the head, between the normal hairline and the occiput.

5- To wash the feet with the ankles.

6- Do the obligatory parts in the aforementioned order.

The recommended parts

Invalidators of Wudu'The recommended parts are those parts which if left out the wudu' would still be valid, but one misses out on that reward. The wudu’ must be made with water only.

1- To say « Bismillah » (with the Name of Allâh) while washing the hands.

2- To wash the two hands with the wrists three times.

3- To use the siwak - the toothbrush -.

4- To rinse the mouth three times using the right hand.

5- To draw water into the nose with the right hand and to blow it out of the nose with the left hand three times.

6- To wash the face three times.

7- To wash the hands three times each. Start with the right and then the left.

8- To wet wipe both ears three times.

9- To wash the feet three times starting with the right foot.

10- To say a supplication after finishing wudu’:

« أشهدُ ألاّ إله إلاّ الله وحده لا شريك له وأشهد أنّ محمدا عبده ورسوله اللهم اجعلني من التوّابين واجعلني من المتطهرين »

( ach-hadu ‘an lâ ‘ilâha ‘il-la l-Lâh wa ‘ach-hadu ‘anna MuHammadan `abduhu wa raçûluh, ’Allâhumma j`alnî mina t-tawwâbîn wa j`alnî mina l-mutaTahhirîn )

which means: « I testify that no one is God but Allâh, alone, without a partner, and I testify that Muhammad is His slave and messenger. 0 Allâh, make me among the frequent repenters and make me among the purified. »

Benefit

It is preferred to use a small amount of water in wudu’ and ghusl. It is mentioned in SaHîH Muslim that the Messenger of Allâh used a mudd (about half a cup) of water for wudu' and a sa` (about a pint) for ghusl. A mudd is the fill of a pair of average-sized hands cupped together. The sa` is four mudds. It is also mentioned in SaHÏH Muslim that the Messenger of Allâh used six (6) mudds (about 3 cups) of water for wudu’ and thirty (30) mudds (about one cup less than a gallon) for ghusl.

Invalidators of Wudu'

If you have wudu' and any of the matters which invalidate wudu’ takes place, you must not pray until you make a new wudu'. Among the invalidators of wudu':

1- The emission of any substance from the eliminatory outlets, such as urine, defecation, or gas, except maniyy.

2- Touching the penis or vagina, or the anus with the inside of the bare hand (the palm).

3- Losing the mind or losing consciousness.

4- Sleeping without having the buttocks firmly seated, such as sleeping on the stomach, back, and on the side.

5- Skin to skin contact with a member of the opposite sex, who has reached an age where he or she is normally desired (the females whom one is not allowed to marry in any circumstance such as his mother, sister etc. are not included).

6- If one of these matters happens to you during prayer, you stop the actions of the prayer, perform wudu' and then start the prayer from the beginning.

Full Shower (Ghusl)

You must perform a ghusl (full shower) in order to pray after:

1- You perform sexual intercourse.

2- Your menstruation ends.

3- Your postpartum bleeding ends.

4- You give birth to a child, even if it was without bleeding.

5- Your maniyy is emitted.

How to Perform Ghusl

After removing any najas from the body, the ghusl is performed in the following way:

1- It is obligatory for you to intend in the heart to perform the obligation of ghusl when the water first touches your body.

2- It is obligatory to wash the whole body with water, including all of the hair. It is recommended to to do this three times.

When performing either the wudu' or ghusl, all substances which prevent water from reaching.