Conditions of Wudhu

The conditions for a correct Wudhu are mentioned as below:

1. The water should be clean.
2. The water should be pure (unmixed).
3. The water must be Mubah, i.e. it should not be usurped. Wudhu with usurped water is not correct.
4. The container of the water used for Wudhu should not be made of gold or silver.
5. The container or vessel which contains water should Mubah, unusurped.
6. Parts of the body on which Wudhu is performed should be Pak, at the time of washing and wiping.
7. The seventh condition is that the person doing Wudhu should have sufficient time at his disposal for Wudhu and prayer.
8. Wudhu should be performed in the prescribed sequence.
9. The acts of Wudhu should be done one after the other, without time gap in between.
10. A person doing Wudhu should wash his hands and face and wipe his head and feet himself.
11. There should be no constraint for using water.
12. There should be no impediment in the way of water reaching the parts of Wudhu.

How to perform Wudhu

The conditions for a correct Wudhu are mentioned as below:

Before every daily obligatory prayer it is necessary for a person to do Wudhu (ablution).

Niyyat (Intention):

Niyyat should be performed in ones mind as follows: "I perform the wudhu in order to cleanse myself from impurity and to make myself eligible for Salat, wajib qurbatan Ilallah." It is not therefore necessary to verbally recite the Niyyat.

Washing the face:

The portion of the face to be washed is from the forehead (from the point where the hair starts growing), to the end of the chin in length and its width is as much of the face that comes between the thumb and the middle finger when they are spread (wide open).
Even if the small portion of the face is not washed, Wudhu will be void. As a precaution, one must wash a little bit beyond the required limit. Any dirt on the face (or hands) which may prevent water from reaching the skin must be removed before you start the wudhu.
While washing the face, it is desirable to say: Alla humma bayyiz wajhi yawma taswaddufihil wujuh wala tusawwid waj hi yawma tabyazzul wujuh (O Lord! Make my face bright on the Day when the faces will turn dark. Do not darken my face on the day when the faces are bright).
The face and hands should be washed from above downwards, and if one washes the opposite way, his Wudhu will be void.

Washing the hands from the elbows to the tip of the fingers:

After washing the face, one should first wash the right hand and then the left hand, from the elbows to the tips of the fingers. In order to ensure that each elbow has been washed thoroughly, one should include some portion above the elbow in washing. If before washing his face, a person has washed his hands up to the wrist, he should, while performing Wudhu, wash them up to the tips of the fingers, and if he washes them only up to the wrist, his Wudhu is void.

While pouring water over the right elbow, it is Mustahab (desirable) to say: Alla humma a'tini kitabi bi yamini wal khulda fil jinani bi yasari was hasibni hisaban yasira (O Lord! Give my book of deeds in my right hand, and a permanent stay in Paradise on my left, and make my reckoning an easy one).

While pouring water over the left elbow, it is Mustahab to say: Alla humma la tutini kitabi bishimali wala min wara'I zahri wala taj alha maghlu latan ila unuqi wa a'uzu bika min muqat ta'atin niran (O Lord! Do not give my book of deeds in my left hand, nor from behind my back, nor chain it to my neck. I seek refuge in You from the Hell-fire).

While performing Wudhu, it is obligatory to wash the face and the hands once, and it is recommended to wash them twice. After washing both the hands, one performing Wudhu should wipe the front part of his head with the wetness which is in his hand.

While performing the wiping of the head, it is Mustahab to say: Alla humma ghashshini bi rahmatika wa barakatika wa 'afwika (O Lord! Cover me with Your Mercy, Blessings and Forgiveness).

After wiping the head, one should wipe with the moisture present in one's hands, one's feet from any toe of the foot up to the joint. As a recommended precaution, the right foot should be wiped with the right hand, and the left foot with the left hand.

While performing the wiping of the feet, one should say: Alla humma thabbitni alas sirati yawma tazillu fihil aqdam. Waj'al sa'yi fi ma yurzika 'anni (O Lord! Keep me firm on the Bridge (to Paradise) on the Day when the feet will slip, and help me in my efforts to do things which will please You).

What Invalidates Wudhu

Wudhu becomes void on account of the following seven things:

• Passing of urine
• Excretion
• Passing wind from the rear
• A sleep, deep enough to restrict sight and hearing
• Insanity
• Intoxication
• Unconsciousness
• Every state which requires Ghusl, like Janabat

Tayammum

Tayammum should be performed instead of Wudhu or Ghusl in the following seven conditions:

1. When it is not possible to find sufficient water for performing Wudhu or Ghusl.

2. If a person is unable to find water on account of old age or weakness or due to fear of a thief or a beast or because he does not possess means to draw water from a well, he should perform tayammum. The same order would apply in case the trouble to acquire water is usually considered to be unbearable.

3. If a person fears that if he uses water his life will be in danger or he will suffer from some ailment or defect in his body or the ailment from which he is already suffering will become acute or some complications will arise in its treatment. However, if warm water is not injurious for him, he should perform Wudhu with it and also do Ghusl with it in cases in which Ghusl is obligatory.

4. If a person fears that if he uses water to do Ghusl, or to perform Wudhu, he will be involved in hardship, he should perform Tayammum under the following 3 cases:

• In case he fears that if he uses the water for Ghusl or Wudhu, he will be involved in an acute thirst, which may result in his illness or death, or which it will be very hard for him to bear;
• In case he fears that in the event of his doing Ghusl or Wudhu, the people whose care is obligatory for him may become ill or die on account of thirst,
• and, In case he fears, on account of lack of water, for others ( whether human beings or animals ) besides himself, and their death, illness or restlessness is unpleasant for him.

In the absence of anyone or more of the three conditions mentioned above it is not permissible to perform Tayammum when water is available.

5. If the body or dress of a person is impure and he possesses only so much water that it is likely to be exhausted if he takes a bath or washes his dress he should, on the basis of precaution, take a bath or wash his dress, and offer his prayer after performing Tayammum. However, if he does not possess anything with which to perform Tayammum he should use the water for bathing or for Wudhu and offer his prayers with impure body or dress.

6. If fetching water would mean humiliation and insult for him.

7. If fetching water would require him to pay high price for it.

8. If a person possess unlawful water or container, he should perform Tayammum instead of Ghusl or Wudhu.

9. When the time left for offering prayers is so short that if a person does the Ghusl or Wudhu he would be obliged to offer the entire prayers or a part thereof after the prescribed time, he should perform Tayammum.
If a person intentionally delays offering the prayers so much that no time is left for Ghusl or Wudhu he will have committed a sin, but the prayers offered by him after performing Tayammum will be in order, although recommended precaution is that he should also offer the prayers in question again after performing the Ghusl or Wudhu, whatever the case maybe. In case a person is doubtful whether or not any time will be left for prayers, in case he does the Ghusl or Wudhu, he should perform Tayammum and then offer prayers.

How to do Tayammum.

1. Niyyat: I am doing Tayammum in place of Wudhu or Ghusl, so that my prayer or fast may be correct, Wajib or Sunnat Qurbatan ilallah.

2. Strike palms of both hands together upon things on which Tayammum is correct. Just putting the hands upon earth etc. is not enough.

3. Pull both palms together from the beginning of the forehead down to the point of the nose. Both sides of the forehead joining the ears should be included.

4. Then pull the left palm upon the back of the right hand from the projecting small bone on the joint of palm and arm up to the fingertips.

5. Then pull the right palm on the back of the left palm likewise.

6. Strike the palms together upon earth etc. second time.

7. Pull the left palm on the back of the right hand, as explained above.

8. Pull the right palm on the back of the left hand, as explained above.

While performing tayammum one should remove the ring he or she is wearing and also remove any obstruction which may be present on his forehead or on the palms or back of his hands.