The Manners of Wudu: A Mandatory Understanding for a Muslim

Cleanliness is a part of faith (Iman). Therefore, it is a given to clean ourselves up before we do a good deed. As well as the time when we are about to perform prayers, it is mandatory for us to do ablution (Wudu) first.

Allah Ta’ala commandment:

“O you who have believed, when you rise to [perform] prayer, wash your faces and your forearms to the elbows and wipe over your heads and wash your feet to the ankles.” (Surah Al-Maidah: 6)

As for the ablution in Islam, there are some manners of wudu must be fulfilled. What are they? Read the content below!

1. Choosing the source of Wudu water

If you are performing a Wudu, find a water source that is not polluted, clean and clear. If you have a well as your water source, then do use the water inside the well to perform a Wudu. However, if you can also perform Wudu in the closest musalla or a mosque which provided a public washing room or an exclusive place to take Wudu.

One of the verse of Qur’an that we need to know is:

إِذْ يُغَشِّيكُمُ النُّعَاسَ أَمَنَةً مِنْهُ وَيُنَزِّلُ عَلَيْكُمْ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مَاءً لِيُطَهِّرَكُمْ بِهِ وَيُذْهِبَ عَنْكُمْ رِجْزَ الشَّيْطَانِ وَلِيَرْبِطَ عَلَىٰ

قُلُوبِكُمْ وَيُثَبِّتَ بِهِ الْأَقْدَامَ

[Remember] when He overwhelmed you with drowsiness [giving] security from Him and sent down upon you from the sky, rain by which to purify you and remove from you the evil [suggestions] of Satan and to make steadfast your hearts and plant firmly thereby your feet. [Qur’an Al-Anfal: 11)

2. Niyyah

Every good deed that will be done ideally started with niyyah (intention). For niyyah determine the outcomes of the good deed about to be done. As how described in this hadith:

Muhammad shallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam commandment:

إِنَّمَا الْأَعْمَالُ بِالنِّيَّاتِ وَإِنَّمَا لِكُلِّ امْرِئٍ مَا نَوَى

“Verily actions are by intentions, and for every person is what he intended.” (Hadith Al-Bukhari: 1; Muslim:3530)

3. Pronouncing Bassmalah

After niyyah, then perform the act of Wudu with pronouncing basmala:

لاَ صَلاَةَ لِمَنْ لاَ وُضُوءَ لَهُ وَلاَ وُضُوءَ لِمَنْ لَمْ يَذْكُرِ اسْمَ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى عَلَيْهِ

“There is no prayer for one who is not in a state of ablution, and there is no ablution for one who does not invoke the name of Allaah upon it.” (Hadith Ibn Hibban: 339, Tirmizi: 26, Abu Dawood: 101, Al-Hakim: 7000)

[AdSense-B]

4. Washing the part of body that is mandatory to be washed

In the fundamental law of Islam, there are manners of wudu which is a mandatory understanding of a Muslim, namely washing the part of the body that needs to be washed. As how the verse below explained:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا قُمْتُمْ إِلَى الصَّلاةِ فَاغْسِلُوا وُجُوهَكُمْ وَأَيْدِيَكُمْ إِلَى الْمَرَافِقِ وَامْسَحُوا بِرُءُوسِكُمْ وَأَرْجُلَكُمْ إِلَى

الْكَعْبَيْنِ

“O you who have believed, when you rise to [perform] prayer, wash your faces and your forearms to the elbows and wipe over your heads and wash your feet to the ankles.” [Qur’an Al Mai’dah: 6)

Manners and steps of Wudu according to Al- Mai’dah ayah 6:

• Rinse your face

فاغْسِلُواْ وُجُوهَكُمْ

• Rinse both of your hand to forearm

وَأَيْدِيَكُمْ إِلَى الْمَرَافِقِ

• Wipe your head (with water)

وَامْسَحُوا بِرُءُوسِكُمْ

• Rinse your feet to your ankle

وَأَرْجُلَكُمْ إِلَى الْكَعْبَيْنِ

[AdSense-C]

Total of rinse in Wudu

According to the verse and agreement of the Islamic scholars and Syaikh, we only need to rinse once in Wudu.

Ibn Abbas narrated:

تَوَضَّأَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَرَّةً مَرَّةً

“The Prophet (ﷺ) performed ablution by washing the body parts only once.” (Hadith Al-Bukhari: 153)

Imam an-Nawawi said: The scholars agreed that the obligatory of rinsing body parts in Wudu to be done only once. (Majmu’s Syarh al-Muhazzab, 1/385)

Other than the manners of Wudu, we also need to understand the things that prohibited after performing Wudu. One of those is: to touch a woman after performing wudu.

Those are some of the manners of wudhu based on the Qur’an and Hadith. May we are given the chance to manifest it in an acceptable manner so our love for Islam will grow even stronger. Aamiin.