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Purification

the conditions, etiquettes, and steps of purification before engaging in the prayer

Purification is both essential and a prerequisite to performing the prayer (ṣalāḥ). It is broken down into two categories: Wuḍū’ (Ritual Ablution) and Ghusl (Ritual Bath).

“O you who believe! When you rise up for prayer, wash your faces, and your hands up to the elbows, and wipe your heads and (wash) your feet up to the ankles.”

Sūrah Al-Ma’idah [5:6]

The Prophet ﷺ said, “Anyone who performs ritual ablution and does so well, their mistakes (sins) leaves their body, even from under their nails.”

[Muslim]

Wudu’ (Ritual Ablution)

Wuḍū’ (ritual ablution) is one of the most important acts of worship in Islam. Wuḍū’ consists of the purification of one’s body and, at its completion, renders one in a state of ritual purity. It is a precondition to performing the Ṣalāḥ and has virtues in and of itself. It is a means of outward and inward purification and a cause for the expiation of sins. In order to get the most out of this act of worship, it is vital for one to know how to perform it in the best way possible.

“…and Allāh loves those who purify themselves.”

Sūrah At-Tawbah [9:108]

“He has certainly succeeded who purifies himself and mentions the name of his Lord and prays.”

Sūrah Al-A’lā [87:14-15]

The Messenger of Allāh ﷺ said, “When a Muslim or a believer washes his face in ablution, every sin that he committed with his eyes will be washed away with the last drop of water. When he washes his hands, every sin that he committed with his hands will be washed away with the last drop of water. When he washes his feet, every sin that he committed with his feet will be washed away with the last drop of water, until he emerges purified from sin.”

[Muslim]

The Messenger of Allāh ﷺ said, “A Muslim man does not perform ablution in an excellent manner and then performs prayer, but that Allāh will forgive him for what occurred between his prayer and the next.”

[Bukharī]

The act of wuḍū’ is broken down into two categories: the obligatory integrals and the emphasized sunnahs. Following the list of the two categories, a detailed step-by-step process on how to make wuḍū’, integrating the sunnahs, is provided.

Obligatory Integrals:

  1. Washing the face, whose lengthwise demarcation is from the top of the forehead to the bottom of the chin for someone without a thick beard or [for one with a thick beard] to the bottom of the beard [that lies on the face, as opposed to the hair that hands below the chin]. Its demarcation in width is from one earlobe to the other, even for someone with a beard.
  2. Washing the two arms up to, and including, the elbows
  3. Wiping a fourth of the head
  4. Washing the two feet up to, and including, the ankles

Emphasized Sunnahs:

  1. The intention (niyyah)
  2. Using the tooth stick (miswāk)
  3. Mentioning the Name of Allāh – to say “Bismillaah hir-Rahmaan nir-Raheem” [In the name of Allāh, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate]
  4. Washing the hands up to, and including, the wrists in the beginning of wuḍū’
  5. Maintaining the correct order of limbs, as Allāh has listed in His Book
  6. Continuity (to continue washing the limbs of wuḍū’ without pausing)
  7. Washing [those limbs that are washed] three complete times
  8. Rinsing the [entire] mouth [three times]
  9. Rinsing the [soft part of the] nose [three times]
  10. Running one’s wet fingers through the beard
  11. Running one’s wet fingers in between the fingers and toes
  12. Wiping the entire head [once, and the ears with the same water]
  13. Rubbing [the limbs when washing them]
  14. Starting with the right limb [when washing the arms and feet]
  15. Starting with the tips of the fingers and toes [when washing the arms and feet]
  16. Starting with the front of the head [when wiping it]
  17. Wiping the back of the neck, but not the throat

How to Make Wuḍū’ (step-by-step):

  1. Make an intention in your heart, such as, “I intend to perform ritual ablution for the sake of Allāh”
  2. Wash the hands up to and including the wrist
  3. Invoke the name of Allāh, such as saying “Bismillaah hir-Rahmaan nir-Raheem” [In the name of Allāh, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate]
  4. Rinse the entire mouth three times, with three handfuls of water
  5. Brush your teeth, with a tooth stick (miswaak) or toothbrush
  6. Rinse the nose three times, with a handful of water each time. It is recommended to take water into the nostrils with the right hand and blow it out using the left hand.
  7. Wash the entire face. The face is defined as being from the top of the forehead to the bottom of the chin, and from earlobe to earlobe. This is the first of the four obligatory acts of the ritual ablution. It is sunnah to wash the face three complete times. After this, pass the wetted fingers through the beard (if applicable). It is recommended to start washing from the forehead. Also, one should avoid slapping water onto the face, as this is improper.
  8. Wash your arms completely, up to and including the elbows. This is the second of the four obligatory acts of ritual ablution. It is sunnah to wash the arms three complete times. After this, it is sunnah to pass the fingers through each other. It is recommended to start washing from the fingertips.
  9. Wipe a quarter of the head once (above the ears). This is the third of the four obligatory acts of ritual ablution. It is sunnah to wipe the entire head starting from the top of the forehead, and recommended to also wipe the back of the neck.
  10. Wipe the ears (without taking new water). It is recommended to wipe the outsides of the ears with the thumb, the insides with the index fingers and to insert the little fingers into the ear canal.
  11. Wash the feet up to and including the ankles. This is the fourth and final obligatory action of the ritual ablution. It is sunnah to wash three complete times, and to pass fingers through the toes. It is recommended to start washing from the tips of the toes, to rub with the left hand, and to pass the little finger through the toes starting with the little toe of the right foot and ending with the little toe of the left foot.
  12. During the ritual ablution, it is sunnah to observe the above-mentioned order, to wash the limbs successively without undue delay, and to rub the limbs during the first washing. It is recommended to face the qiblah throughout the ritual ablution, and to avoid splashing water onto oneself. It is improper to engage in worldly speech without need, to waste water, or to leave any of the sunnahs without excuse.

Etiquettes

Among the etiquettes of wuḍū’ are the following:

  1. Facing the qiblah [direction of the Ka’bah in Makkah]
  2. Avoiding the water used in wuḍū’ [from getting on one’s body or clothes]
  3. Making supplication (du’ā) with those words that have been narrated
  4. Mentioning the Name of Allāh when washing each limb
  5. Performing wuḍū’ by oneself
  6. Rushing to perform wuḍū’ before the prayer time comes in, unless one has a chronic excuse
  7. Reciting the two testifications of faith after wuḍū’
  8. Drinking from the leftover water afterwards

Among the things disliked (makrūhāt) in wuḍū’ are the following:

  1. Wasting water (isrāf)
  2. Using too little water when washing
  3. Striking or slapping the face with water when washing it
  4. Speaking during wuḍū’, other than making supplications
  5. Having someone else assist one in wuḍū’ without a valid excuse

Conditions

The conditions of being legally responsible to perform it are the following:

  1. Islam
  2. Puberty
  3. Sanity
  4. Termination of menstruation, postnatal bleeding, or the state of ritual impurity
  5. Access to and ability to use sufficient purifying water
  6. Ability to perform the prayer (ṣalāḥ)
  7. The Divine command being directed to the person due to the near expiration of the prayer time

The conditions of the validity of wuḍū’ are the following:

  1. That purifying water completely encompass the skin [of those limbs that must be washed; i.e., the obligatory integrals]
  2. The removal of anything that blocks water from reaching the surface of the skin
  3. The ending of any state that contradicts it [wuḍū’] while washing [i.e., while performing wuḍū’], such as the appearance of urine at the tip of the male organ

Invalidations

Wuḍū’ is nullified by any one of the following things:

  1. Filth (najāsa) or air that exits from the private parts
  2. Filth that flows from any part of the outer body, such as blood or pus
  3. Vomiting a mouthful or more
  4. Sleeping while lying down, reclining, or on one’s side
  5. Loss of consciousness
  6. Insanity (loss of intellect)
  7. Drunkenness
  8. Laughing out loud while performing the prayer (ṣalāḥ)
  9. Intimate contact between a man and a woman, such that the private parts touch directly

Ghusl

Ghusl can be broken down into three categories:

  1. Obligatory (farḍ), when any one of the following things occur:
    1. The emission of sperm/sexual fluid (manī)
    2. The disappearance of the head of the male organ into the female organ [even if without omission of sexual fluid]
    3. The ending of menstruation or postnatal bleeding
  2. Mandatory (wājib), for someone who becomes Muslim while in a state of major ritual impurity, although the sounder opinion is that the bath is obligatory (farḍ) on them, not mandatory (wājib)
  3. Recommended (nafl), for any of the following reasons:
    1. The Friday prayer (Jumu’ah)
    2. The two Eid prayers
    3. Entering into the state of pilgrim sanctity (ihrām)
    4. The Day of ‘Arafāh
    5. Entering Makkah
    6. Entering Madīnah, the illuminated city
    7. Visiting the Prophet ﷺ

Obligatory Integrals:

  1. Rinsing the mouth [once]
  2. Rinsing the nose [once]
  3. Washing whatever is possible, without undue difficulty or hardship, of the entire body [once]

Emphasized Sunnahs:

  1. Intention (niyyah)
  2. Washing the hands until the wrists
  3. Washing one’s private parts [front and rear]
  4. Washing off any filth from the body
  5. Performing wuḍū’ first, followed by pouring water over the entire body, starting with the head [for a total of three times]

How to Perform Ghusl (step-by-step):

  1. Before performing the ritual bath itself, it is preferred to first perform the emphasized sunnahs detailed above
  2. Wash your entire body three times, starting each time from the head, followed by the right side of the body, then the left, until you reach the toes
  3. It is an emphasized sunnah to rub one’s body the first time. There is no harm in using soap and the like during the ritual bath
  4. It is important to note that the following are disliked and should be avoided while performing ghusl:
    1. Facing the qiblah (direction of prayer) or supplicating during the ritual bath
    2. Wasting water (excessive waste of water is sinful, while wasting is generally blameworthy)

Tayammum

Dry ablution (tayammum) is permissible when there is a valid excuse, such as:

  • Being roughly one Hashimite legal mile [1.16 mi / 1.86 km] away from water
  • Extreme cold
  • Sickness
  • Wound on most of the body
  • Fear of thirst
  • Fear of an enemy or a wild beast [around the water]
  • Lack of apparatus [to take water out of the well]
  • Fear of missing the funeral prayer (Janāzah) or the Eid prayer, even if building upon one’s prayer [if one’s wuḍū’ is nullified during the prayer], as opposed to the Friday prayer or a normal prescribed prayer

Tayammum may be performed with any pure substance of the earth, such as dirt, sand, limestone, stones, or dust, and even the dust on clothes.

Women

Menstruation (ḥayḍ) is defined as blood that exists from the uterus of a woman free from disease or pregnancy, after the age of adolescence. Its minimum duration is three days (72 complete hours), while its maximum is ten days (240 complete hours); its average is between the two (approximately five days). If the bleeding is for less than three days, or more than ten days, then it [the excess blood] is not menstruation; rather, it is dysfunctional uterine bleeding (istiḥaḍah).

During the period of menstruation [its maximum ten complete days], any color that is seen, as well as intermittent breaks from bleeding [again, within the possible ten complete days], is considered menstrual blood, [thus] preventing her from praying or fasting. The fasts must be made up [if during Ramaḍān], as opposed to the prayers.

The following things are also unlawful during menstruation:

  • Sexual intercourse
  • Tawāf (circumambulating the Ka’bah)
  • Entering a mosque [even if only to pass through]
  • Being touched from [right below] the navel to [right below] the knee
  • Reciting the Qur’ān (that is, even a part of a verse, if with the intention of recitation; she is, however, allowed to recite Qur’ānic verses of praise, supplication, or protection, such as Sūrah Al-Fātiḥah or the last three sūrahs, with the intention of praise, supplication, or protection)
  • Touching a copy of the Qur’ān, unless with a [non-attached] barrier

If her period ends within ten days [but after the duration of her regular habit], she may not have intercourse except after one of three things:

  1. Performing the ghusl (ritual bath)
  2. Performing tayammum [if there is a valid excuse], as well as praying [ṣalāḥ] with it [that tayammum], even if a voluntary prayer
  3. Missing an obligatory prayer, which occurs her periods end with enough time to at least perform the ghusl and say the taḥrīmah before the prayer time expires; if that occurs, it is permissible to have intercourse with her afterwards [even if she did not perform the ghusl]. If, however, the time between the ending of her period and the expiration of the prayer time is very slight, such that she would not have enough time to take the ghusl [coupled with the taḥrīmah], then she is not considered to have missed an obligatory prayer [and intercourse would remain impermissible].

If her period goes past ten days, it is permissible to have intercourse with her as soon as it passes the tenth day [240 complete hours], due to the certainty [that the menstruation is complete and] that the extra bleeding is dysfunctional uterine bleeding.

The minimum duration of tuhr (the interval of purity between two menstrual cycles, or between a lochial cycle and menstrual cycle) is fifteen [complete] days [360 complete hours], yet it has no maximum duration, except when establishing a standard menstrual habit in a situation of continuous bleeding.

Nifās (postnatal bleeding or lochia) is defined as blood [that exits] after delivery, or after most of the baby has exited, even after miscarriage of a fetus whose body had [some sort of] physical development. Postnatal bleeding has no minimum duration, while its maximum duration is forty days [960 complete hours]. It is from the first of twin (if the woman delivers twins). Its ruling [of postnatal bleeding] is like that of menstruation.

The following cases are considered to by dysfunctional uterine bleeding:

  • Any bleeding of a pregnant woman, even [bleeding] during delivery before most of the baby has exited
  • Bleeding [after delivery] for more than forty days [the excess blood is dysfunctional uterine bleeding]
  • If she bleeds past her normal habit, of either menstruation or postnatal bleeding, and the bleeding exceeds the maximum duration [of either one; in that case, the bleeding after the duration of her habit is considered dysfunctional uterine bleeding]
  • Any bleeding of a girl that has not yet reached adolescence

Dysfunctional uterine bleeding (istiḥaḍah) is like a continuous nosebleed [in its legal ruling]; it does not prevent [the permissibility of] fasting, praying, sexual intercourse, or tawāf.

If such bleeding continues for the duration of an entire prayer time, then the woman must perform wuḍū’ at the beginning of each prayer time, just like someone with chronic urinary incontinence, constant diarrhea, constant gas release, or continuous bleeding [from any part of the body].

There are three conditions for people with chronic excuses; the condition of establishing the excuse, the condition of its continuity, and the condition of its termination.

  1. The condition of establishing the excuse, as stated above, is for the excuse to continue for the duration of an entire prayer time, such that the person is unable to perform wuḍū’ and the prayer without the occurrence of the excuse. Afterwards, the person is considered chronically excused; therefore, he may pray any amount of obligatory or voluntary prayers, after having performed wuḍū’ with it [the excuse], despite the occurrence of that excuse [after the wuḍū’]. The wuḍū’ [performed in such a state] is invalidated only by the expiration of the prayer time.
  2. The condition of continuity of the excuse is its occurrence in every prayer time afterwards, even if only once [within each prayer time]
  3. The condition of its termination [whereby one is no longer excused] is for a prayer time to elapse without a single occurrence of the excuse