Why is Wudu’ Important and How to Perform it Perfectly

5 mins read

Outline

In this guideline you will learn:

✅ What Wudu’ really is? (Complete Introduction) 

✅ Meaning of Wudu’ 

✅ Merit of Wudu’ (according to Prophet PBUH)

✅ Step-by-step Guide to Perform Wudu’

✅ Major Benefits of Wudu’ 

✅ Salah Sunnah Wudu’ 

Introduction

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ إِذَا قُمْتُمْ إِلَى الصَّلاةِ فاغْسِلُواْ وُجُوهَكُمْ وَأَيْدِيَكُمْ إِلَى الْمَرَافِقِ وَامْسَحُواْ بِرُؤُوسِكُمْ وَأَرْجُلَكُمْ إِلَى الْكَعْبَينِ وَإِن كُنتُمْ جُنُبًا فَاطَّهَّرُواْ وَإِن كُنتُم مَّرْضَى أَوْ عَلَى سَفَرٍ أَوْ جَاء أَحَدٌ مَّنكُم مِّنَ الْغَائِطِ أَوْ لاَمَسْتُمُ النِّسَاء فَلَمْ تَجِدُواْ مَاء فَتَيَمَّمُواْ صَعِيدًا طَيِّبًا فَامْسَحُواْ بِوُجُوهِكُمْ وَأَيْدِيكُم مِّنْهُ مَا يُرِيدُ اللّهُ لِيَجْعَلَ عَلَيْكُم مِّنْ حَرَجٍ وَلَكِن يُرِيدُ لِيُطَهَّرَكُمْ وَلِيُتِمَّ نِعْمَتَهُ عَلَيْكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ

 

"O you who believe! when you rise up to prayer, wash your faces and your hands as far as the elbows, and wipe your heads and your feet to the ankles; and if you are under an obligation to perform a total ablution, then wash (yourselves) and if you are sick or on a journey, or one of you come from the privy, or you have touched the women, and you cannot find water, betake yourselves to pure earth and wipe your faces and your hands therewith, Allah does not desire to put on you any difficulty, but He wishes to purify you and that He may complete His favour on you, so that you may be grateful."

Islam has greatly emphasized on both physical and spiritual cleanliness. When it comes to the physical aspect of cleanliness, a true Muslim has been suggested to keep his body, clothes, house and community cleaned in order to get rewarded by Allah SWT for doing so. This cleansing was also mentioned in the Bible and is practised in Christianity as well. 

 

But Islam gave equal preference to spiritual aspect of cleanliness as well. Allah SWT says in Qur’an: 

"He has succeeded who purifies the soul, and he has failed who corrupts the soul." 

(Qur'an, 91:9-10)

So in order to purify our hearts and souls from spiritual sins such as malice, greed, envy, worldliness and arrogance, Islam introduced a ritual called “Wudu”. 

It's an act for both physical and spiritual preparation before prayer. Prayer cannot commence without it as it provides the much-needed 'purification' before communicating with Allah SWT. 

 

Jabir ibn Abdullah reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, 

“The key to Paradise is prayer, and the key to prayer is ablution.” 

(Sunan al-Tirmidhi)

Meaning Of Wudu: 

Wudu’ (Ablution) is an Arabic word which means "the specific action of washing certain body parts". It's a form of worship and considered an obligatory ritual in our faith that makes sure we are in a physical sense, as well as a spiritual sense; completely “purified” from head-to-toe before we stand for prayer and face Allah SWT.

Merit of Wudu’:

Abu Malik at-Ash'ari reported that The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said : 

"Cleanliness is half of faith and al-Hamdu Liliah (Praise be to Allah) fills the scale, and Subhan Allah (Glory be to Allah) and al-Hamdu Liliah (Praise be to Allah) fill up what is between the heavens and the earth, and prayer is a light, and charity is proof (of one's faith) and endurance is a brightness and the Holy Qur'an is a proof on your behalf or against you. All men go out early in the morning and sell themselves, thereby setting themselves free or destroying themselves."

Step By Step Guide To Perform Wudu’: 

Step 1: 

Make Niyyah (intention in your heart) to perform Wudu’, and say "Bismillah" (in the name of Allah) silently or loudly before starting Wudu’.

 

Step 2: 

Wash your hands properly. Use your left hand to wash your right hand. Repeat it three times.

Then, use your right hand to wash your left hand (again 3 times). Make sure to wash in between your fingers and all the way up to your wrists.

 

Step 3: 

Put water into your mouth by using your right hand. Do it 3 times. Swish the water around in your cheeks properly and thoroughly. 

 

Step 4: 

Inhale water into your nose by using your right hand and then blow out. Repeat it three times. 

 

Step 5: 

Wash your face thoroughly from your right ear to the left, and from the hairline to the chin. Wash your face three times.

 

Step 6: 

Wash your lower arms from your wrists to elbows thoroughly without leaving any part dry. Wash your right arm with your left hand (3 times) and then wash your left arm with your right hand (3 times).

 

Step 7: 

Gently wipe your head once, from the forehead to the back of the head by using your wet hands and wipe it again forward from the back of your head to the forehead.

 

Step 8: 

Wipe your ears inside out (once). Clean behind your ears from the bottom upward by using your thumb. 

 

Step 9: 

Entirely wash both of your feet up to the ankles. Make sure that water goes between the toes. Go through each toe by using your pinky finger to eliminate anything in between. Wash with your right foot first and then go to the left foot. Scrub each foot 3 times. 

 

Step 10: 

Once you are done with your Wudu’, recite this Du'a: 

Ash-hadu ‘an laa ‘ilaaha ‘I'll allaah  wahdahu laa shareeka lahu wa ‘ash-hadu ‘anna Muhammadan ‘abduhu wa Rasooluhu.

Allaahummaj’alnee minat-tawwaabeena waj’alnee minal-mutatahhireen.

Subhaanaka Allaahumma wa bihamdika, ‘ash-hadu ‘an laa ‘ilaaha ‘illaa ‘Anta, ‘Astagh firuka wa ‘atoobu ‘ilayk..

Translation: 

I testify that there is no one worthy of worship besides Allah. He is all by Himself and has no partner and I testify that Muhammad ﷺ is Allah’s servant and Rasul (Messenger) O Allah, count me (include me) among those who seek forgiveness and amongst those who stay clean O Allah, You are pure, I praise You and testify that only You are worthy of worship and I seek forgiveness from You I turn to You for repentance".

 

Benefits Of Wudu’: 

1. Wudu’ teaches good attitude, helps to rinse off small sins, raises the status of a Muslim in the sight of Allah SWT and forms strong positive aura in human body. 

2. Similarly, performing Wudu’ in the correct way has been scientifically proven to prevent Muslims from gazillions of chronic diseases. 

 

Salah Sunnah Wudu’: 

 The Prophet SAW. asked Bilal RA during the time of Subuh prayer:

 

 يَا بِلاَلُ حَدِّثْنِي بِأَرْجَى عَمَلٍ عَمِلْتَهُ فِي الإِسْلاَمِ، فَإِنِّي سَمِعْتُ دَفَّ نَعْلَيْكَ بَيْنَ يَدَىَّ فِي الْجَنَّةِ.

قَالَ: مَا عَمِلْتُ عَمَلاً أَرْجَى عِنْدِي أَنِّي لَمْ أَتَطَهَّرْ طُهُورًا فِي سَاعَةِ لَيْلٍ أَوْ نَهَارٍ إِلاَّ صَلَّيْتُ بِذَلِكَ الطُّهُورِ مَا كُتِبَ لِي أَنْ أُصَلِّيَ‏.

 

"O Bilal, Tell me of the best deed you did after embracing Islam, for I heard your footsteps in front of me in Paradise." Bilal replied, "I did not do anything worth mentioning except that whenever I performed my ablution during the day or night, I prayed after that ablution as much as what was written for me."

 (Sahih Al-Bukhari)

 

This topic pretty much sums up all you need to know about Wudu’ and its significance in Islam with regard to Al Qur'an and Ahadith.