Wudu (Ablution)

Wudu is the minor ritual purification performed with water before prayer and certain other acts of worship. Allah Most High commands: "O you who believe, when you rise for prayer, wash your faces and your forearms to the elbows, wipe your heads, and wash your feet to the ankles" (al-Ma'idah 5:6). The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "Allah does not accept the prayer of anyone in a state of ritual impurity until he performs wudu" (Bukhari and Muslim).

Conditions (Shurut) of Wudu: For wudu to be valid, several conditions must be met. The person must be Muslim and of the age of discernment. The intention (niyyah) must be present in the heart at the moment of beginning — it need not be spoken aloud. The water used must be pure and purifying. Any barrier that would prevent water from reaching the skin — such as paint, wax, or a substance forming a film — must be removed. The water must reach all required parts of the body without obstruction.

Integrals (Arkan) of Wudu: The Hanbali school identifies six obligatory acts: (1) Washing the face, which includes rinsing the mouth (madhmadhah) and drawing water into the nose (istinshaq), since these are considered part of the face in the Hanbali view; (2) Washing both hands and forearms up to and including the elbows; (3) Wiping the entire head, including the ears, which is obligatory — the wiping must cover the full head; (4) Washing both feet up to and including the ankles; (5) Performing these acts in the prescribed sequence (tartib); (6) Performing them without interruption (muwalah), meaning one part must not dry before the next is washed under normal conditions.

Recommended Acts (Sunan) of Wudu: These include beginning with the basmalah, washing the hands before inserting them into the vessel, using the siwak, exaggerating in rinsing the mouth and nose (except when fasting), wiping the neck, washing each part three times, and beginning each limb from the right side.

Acts that Nullify Wudu: The Hanbali school identifies several nullifiers: (1) Anything that exits from either of the two passages (urethra and anus), whether urine, stool, gas, blood, or other; (2) Deep sleep that removes awareness; (3) Loss of consciousness, whether through fainting, intoxication, or insanity; (4) Touching the private parts directly with the hand without a barrier, according to the Hanbali position; (5) Eating camel meat, which is specific to the Hanbali school based on a hadith of the Prophet, peace be upon him; (6) Washing or shrouding a deceased person, which nullifies wudu in the Hanbali view.