Chapter Regarding Rulings of Wudhu

يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓاْ إِذَا قُمۡتُمۡ إِلَى ٱلصَّلَوٰةِ فَٱغۡسِلُواْ وُجُوهَكُمۡ وَأَيۡدِيَكُمۡ إِلَى ٱلۡمَرَافِقِ وَٱمۡسَحُواْ بِرُءُوسِكُمۡ وَأَرۡجُلَڪُمۡ إِلَى ٱلۡكَعۡبَيۡنِ‌ۚ وَإِن كُنتُمۡ جُنُبً۬ا فَٱطَّهَّرُواْ‌ۚ

O you who believe! When you intend to offer As-Salât (the prayer), wash your faces and your hands (forearms) up to the elbows, rub (by passing wet hands over) your heads, and (wash) your feet up to ankles. If you are in a state of Janâba (i.e. after a sexual discharge), purify yourself (bathe your whole body). [Soorah Maa’ida verse 6]

Wudoo has shuroot (conditions), furood (obligations), and sunan (recommended acts) a person should strive to fulfil the conditions and obligations to fulfil the validity of his wudoo, regarding the sunan if a person performs them he gets extra reward and if he leaves them he is not sinful.

Conditions of Wudoo

Conditions of wudoo are eight with Shaykh Fawzaan and others. However, there is a difference of opinion regarding one condition with some of the scholars.

  1. Muslim; so, if a non-Muslim was to make wudoo it would not be correct.
  2. Sound Intellect; therefore, an insane person wouldn’t fulfil the condition.
  3. Tamyeez (ability to distinguish between right and wrong), i.e. young child who is of intellect but isn’t able to distinguish between affairs, then his wudoo wouldn’t be correct.
  4. Intention – The intention to make wudoo has to be present for the validity of wudoo.
  5. Pure water – impure water is not sufficient to make wudoo.
  6. Using Legally Obtained Water – difference of opinion if stolen water was used, one position is it is not correct, the second is that it is correct (this is the position of the permanent committee of scholars (lajnah ad-daa’imah) and others).
  7. Wudoo is preceded by Istinjaa or istijmaar (using stones or toilet paper etc) IF there is a need, i.e. if an individual has just used the toilet.
  8. Removing what may prevent water from reaching the skin of the ablution body parts.

Lesson taken from the series: The Explanation of Fiqh.