Wudu


Wuḍūʾ is the Islamic procedure for cleansing parts of the body, a type of ritual purification, or ablution. Wudu consists of washing the face, arms, then wiping the head and finally washing the feet with water and is an important part of ritual purity in Islam. What activities require wuḍūʾ, what rituals constitute it and what breaks or invalidates it are governed by fiqh and specifically its rules concerning hygiene.
Wuḍūʾ is typically done in preparation for formal prayers and before handling and reading the Quran. Impurifying activities that invalidate wudu include urination, defecation, flatulence, deep sleep, light bleeding and sexual intercourse.
Wuḍūʾ is often translated as "partial ablution", as opposed to ghusl, washing the whole body, or tayammum, replacing water with sand or dust due to its scarcity, its harmful effect on the person or some other reason. Purification of the body and clothes is called taharah. it is the most important thing in the islamic purification.

Basis in Quran and hadith

The Qur'an says In regard to Muslims being required to be clean when handling and reading the Qur'an, the Qur'an says, The Islamic prophet Muhammad said that "Cleanliness is half of faith".

Water requirements

Permitted water types

There are other acts that are performed during wuḍūʾ and the detailed acts of the wuḍūʾ can be classed into 3 types:

Farā'id according to Sunni Muslims

According to Sunni Muslims, the Qur'anic mandate for wuḍūʾ comes in the sixth ayat of sura 5. The ayat has been translated by Muhammad Muhsin Khan, Rashad Khalifa, Abdullah Yusuf Ali, Pickthal and Maulana Muhammad Ali as follows. Note that these scholars' translation refer to washing the feet.
Referencing the above verse, the Sunni schools of thought have consensus that the following four actions are obligatory in wudu, i.e. necessary for wudu to be valid:
  1. Washing the face
  2. Washing both arms from the tips of the fingers up to and including the elbows
  3. Wiping the head. However, there is a difference of opinion on the sufficient portion.
  4. Washing both the feet up to and including the ankles.
The obligation of the following actions is debated among the schools of thought, though if not deemed obligatory they are considered recommended:
It's not sufficient for one to pass wet hand over the feet. Under certain conditions masah can be done over leather footgear known as khuffs. This is confirmed in several

Farā'id according to Shia Muslims

According to Shia Muslims the Qur'anic mandate for wuḍūʾ comes in the sixth ayat of sura 5. The ayat has been translated by Muhammad Habib Shakir as follows. Note this scholars translation refers to wiping the feet.
A handful of mustahabb acts that are considered to make the wuḍūʾ better. If one of these acts is omitted, the wuḍūʾ is still considered valid.
Muslims who are unable to perform the prevailing form of ablution, due to skin disease, a disability or lack of clean water, etc. are recommended to perform tayammum, sometimes called "dry ablution", using sand or dust instead of water. Such an alternative form of ritual purity may also be accepted in cases where one fears hypothermia in cold weather.

Performance

Sunnism

“Ash-hadu-Allah-illaha-illahah wa-ash-hadu ann-muhamaddan ab-duhu wa rasuluhu”
And then recite this Dua after wudu:
“allahummaz aal-ni minttwwabi-n waz-aal-ni minal mu-ta-tahhirin”
Theoretically, one can perform one wuḍūʾ for salat and this wuḍūʾ would be considered valid for the rest of the day,unless you nullify it by certain means.Muslims believe that certain acts invalidate the wuḍūʾ and these can be stated generically thus, although the Quran does not explain most of these.

According to Sunni Muslims

According to Sunni Islam, the follow invalidate wudhu:
In Shia theology, wudhu is invalidated when waste or matter exits the lower most extremities of the body, the anus and urethra, as either feces, urine, semen or gas. For wudhu to be invalid through flatulence, one must actually hear or smell the passing, otherwise it is not considered void. In addition, wudhu is considered void when someone falls into a deep sleep in which they have no alert consciousness.
Belching and vomiting do not invalidate wudhu, however it is strongly recommended that the individual rinses his or her mouth following the latter. Bleeding is not considered to invalidate wudhu either, as Ja'far al-Sadiq made it clear in Hadith that a bad wound is not cause to repeat wudhu. This concept further extends to parasites that may exit the body through the two extremities. Cutting one's hair or nails does not invalidate wudhu but he or she should wipe the area with water.

Tayammum

Tayammum is a "dry ablution" using clean soil or dust, to be performed when water is not readily available to perform ablution or when one is defiled and could not perform ghusl, and is authorised under specific circumstances.

Wuḍūʾ description in Hadith

Wuḍūʾ in Hadith Abu Hurairah, in reference to the Day of Resurrection, reported that Muhammad, when asked if he would be able to recognise Muslims, said, "Yes, you would have a mark which other people will not have. You would come to me with a white blaze on your foreheads and white marks on your feet because of the traces of ablution."
Abu Hurayra said, "I have heard prophet say. In a believer adornment would reach the places where ablution reaches."
Uthman stated that Muhammad, said, "He who performed ablution well, his sins would come out from his body, even coming out from under his nails."
Umar reported that Muhammad said, "No one among you does wuḍūʾ and does wuḍūʾ thoroughly – or adequately – and then testifies, 'There is no god but Allah Alone with no partner and I testify that Muhammad is Allah's Messenger', without the eight doors of the Garden being opened to him so that he can enter by whichever of them he wishes."

Hadiths on Performing Wudu from Large Bodies of Water

It is mentioned in numerous Hadiths by Ja'far al-Sadiq that it is permissible to make wudu with water that is not overwhelmed with the stench of dead animal. If there is a dead animal, it is recommended to take wudu from the opposite side of the location of the animal. He also said it is permissible to take wudu from the ponds between Mecca and Medina in which people perform ghusl, dogs and beasts drink, and animals die so long as the water level is at least up to the knees.

Hadiths on Performing Wudu from a Well

It has been narrated by Ali al-Ridha that if a drop of urine, blood or animal feces falls into a well, one must remove about ten buckets from it before performing wudu. If the feces has disintegrated into the water, forty to fifty buckets must be removed. Ja'far al-Sadiq has also mentioned that if an animal falls into the well, and has not disintegrated in it, remove five to seven buckets of water from it or until the smell or taste of the water changes. However, If the animal is bleeding or has an open wound, one must draw out thirty to forty buckets before it becomes purified for wudu. If a camel dies in the well or wine is poured into the well, all the water must be drained.

Impact on health