Wudu«Ablution»

The Chapter of Purification

Lesson Two: Wudu (Ablution) and Its Nullifiers

First: What Is Wudu?

Linguistic Meaning

Wudu comes from brightness and cleanliness.

Islamic Definition

Wudu is using pure water to wash specific parts of the body in a prescribed manner with the intention of purification.

In other words, it is washing certain body parts with water for the purpose of ritual purity.

Second: The Virtue of Wudu

Wudu is a great act of worship and has immense reward.

The Prophet ﷺ said:

“When a Muslim performs wudu and washes his face, every sin his eyes committed is washed away with the water.”

He also said:

“When a servant performs wudu properly, his sins leave his body, even from beneath his fingernails.”

Wudu:

Erases sins

Raises ranks

Is a (condition) for the validity of prayer

Is a sign of the believers on the Day of Judgment

Third: Obligatory Acts of Wudu

These are the pillars without which wudu is not valid:

Intention

Washing the face

Washing the hands up to the elbows

Wiping the head

Washing the feet up to the ankles

Performing the actions in order

Continuity (without long breaks)

Fourth: Sunnah Acts of Wudu

Among the Sunnah practices of wudu:

Saying Bismillah

Using the miswak

Washing the hands three times

Rinsing the mouth and nose

Washing each limb three times

Starting with the right side

Fifth: Nullifiers of Wudu

Nullifiers are actions that invalidate wudu and require a new wudu.

The main nullifiers include:

Anything that exits from the private parts

(urine, stool, wind, madhy, wady)

Deep sleep that removes awareness

Loss of consciousness

(due to fainting, insanity, or intoxication)

Touching the private parts directly without a barrier

(according to many scholars)

Eating camel meat

(according to some scholars)

Sixth: Matters That Do Not Break Wudu

Among the things that do not invalidate wudu:

Touching a woman without desire

Vomiting

Nosebleed

Doubt about breaking wudu

(The original state is purity)

An Important Jurisprudential Rule

Certainty is not removed by doubt.

If a person is certain he has wudu and doubts whether he broke it, he remains in a state of purity.

Lesson Summary

Wudu is a great act of worship

Prayer is not valid without wudu

Wudu has obligatory acts and Sunnah acts

There are clear nullifiers of wudu

The original state is purity unless one is certain otherwise

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