How to do ablution before prayer?

2024 Author: Miguel Ramacey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 06:11

Many Muslim converts are concerned about the question of how ablution is done before prayer. This is a very important procedure that cannot be omitted, since prayerful standing before God is possible only in a state of ritual purity. Below we will talk about how this ablution is performed.

Types of ablutions

In Islam, there are two types of ritual ablution: small and full. In the minor version, only the hands, mouth, and nose are washed, while the full version requires the washing of the entire body. The result of both procedures is purity, called taharat in Arabic.

Full bath

This variant is called ghusl in Arabic. Below we will tell you how to do a full ablution, but first you need to say about the cases in which it is necessary. So, if we are talking about a woman, then she is prescribed to do ghusl after the end of the period of menstruation and postpartum bleeding. In addition, sexual intimacy is considered the reason for complete ablution. If we are talking about a man, then for himsuch a reason is also sexual contact and the fact of ejaculation in general. If a person has just converted to Islam or for some reason has not practiced namaz, then he is also ordered to perform ghusl, since the likelihood that in a previous life he did not have such moments when the rules of Islam required a full bath is close to zero.

Rules for full body washing

Sharia rules tell about how to do ablution before prayer. According to them, the nose, mouth and whole body should be washed. But, before doing ablution, you need to get rid of everything that can interfere with the penetration of water. It can be wax, paraffin, cosmetics, paint, nail polish and more. During washing, it is especially necessary to wash the parts of the body into which water can hardly get. For example, auricles, navel, areas behind the ears, holes from earrings. The skin on the head should also be washed with water along with the hair. Regarding how to perform ablution on women with long braided hair, the rules of Islam explain that if they, when braided, do not prevent the penetration of water, then they can be left as they are. But if water cannot get on the scalp because of them, then the hair needs to be untangled. Another recommendation on how to do ablution for women concerns their female genitals. Their outer part also needs to be washed, preferably while squatting.

Mouth rinse

Regardingrinsing the mouth, then this procedure must be performed three times. At the same time, everything that prevents the penetration of water to the surface should be removed from the teeth and from the oral cavity, if possible. When asked how to properly perform ablution if there are fillings, dentures or crowns in the teeth, the rules of the ghusl answer that these things should not be touched. Also, you do not need to remove various devices, such as corrective plates and braces, which only a doctor can safely remove. It is necessary for the time of bathing to get rid of only those things that are easily removed and easily inserted back. Regarding how to do ablution correctly, it must be said that certain sunnats and adabs are attached to this action, that is, some ritual actions that are generally not required. But if they are fulfilled, then the reward from Allah, as Muslims believe, will be increased. But since these are optional things, we will not touch on them in this article.

What is forbidden without full ablution other than prayer?

There are things that are forbidden for Muslims who have not performed a full ablution. In addition to actually praying, these include bowing to the ground while reading certain lines of the Koran and bowing to the ground out of gratitude to Allah. In addition, it is forbidden to touch the Koran or its individual parts printed in other books. While still in a state of impurity, it is forbidden to read the Quran, even if you do not touch it. It is allowed to read only individual words, the totality of which is less than one ayat, that is, a verse. This rule, however, has an exception. So, suras, which are prayers, are allowed to be read. Without a ritual full ablution, it is forbidden to go to the mosque and go around the Kaaba during the Hajj.

There is one subtlety - the state without ritual washing is classified into three levels. In one of them, it is allowed to fast Ramadan, while in others it is not. But this is another topic, and we will not touch on this issue.

Small ablution

Now let's talk about how to do a small ablution. First, it must be said that this method of washing is called wudu in Arabic. It is also important to note that it does not replace a full bath - ghusl.

When is wudu done?

To understand how to properly perform ablution before prayer in accordance with the rules of wudu, you need to learn when it is necessary. Let's say you did a full bath, but then, before prayer, you visited the toilet. In this case, you should do a little washing. It is also necessary if you fall asleep or faint, as the state of unconsciousness leads to a partial loss of ritual purity. A voodoo ceremony is also required when a person has blood, mucus or pus. Similarly, the situation is with the situation when there was an attack of nausea, and the person vomited. Severe bleeding in the oral cavity (if there is more blood than saliva) is also considered a reason for passing a small ablution. Well, the situation of alcohol intoxication or other clouding of reason concludes this list.

When not to do wudu?

There are things about which it is not entirely clear whether it is necessary to do ablution after them or not. And, probably, the most common question among them is expectoration. The rules of ritual cleanliness in Islam say that expectoration of mucus does not lead to the need to perform ablution. The same applies to cases where small parts of the flesh are separated from the body - hair, pieces of skin, and so on. But only if it didn't cause bleeding. Touching the genitals (it doesn’t matter if it’s your own or someone else’s) does not lead to the fact that repeated washing is required. Touching a person of the opposite sex, if he is not included in the category of mahrams, is also not considered a reason to repeat wudu.

Vudu treatment

Now we will tell you directly about how to do ablution before prayer according to the order of wudu. In accordance with Sharia law, it includes four mandatory items - washing the face, hands, feet and nose.

To wash your face, you need to understand what is considered a face in Islam, that is, where its borders pass. So, if in width, then the border of the face will run from one earlobe to the other. And along the length - from the tip of the chin to the point from which hair growth begins. Sharia law also teaches how to wash hands: hands must be washed up to the elbows, including the last. Similarly, the legs are washed up to the ankle. How to perform ablution before prayer, if there is something on the surface of the skin that can prevent the penetration of water,the rules unequivocally say that such things should be removed. If the water does not fall on the entire area of the indicated parts of the body, then ablution cannot be considered valid. Therefore, it is necessary to remove all paints, decorations, etc. However, henna drawings do not interfere with ablution, since it does not interfere with the penetration of water. After all parts of the body are washed, it is necessary to wash the head. How to do the washing of the head according to a small rank, again, the rules suggest. In fact, ablution would be simply wiping a quarter of the area of the head with a wet hand. But at the same time, you need to be careful, since rubbing the hair not on the head, but on the forehead, back of the head, or rubbing the hair twisted on the head, will not be considered valid.

It should also be noted that without a small ablution (unless, of course, you have just completed a full one), some ritual actions are prohibited. Their list is identical to those that are prohibited in the absence of a performed ghusl. There are also adabs and sunnats for small ablution, which we do not consider in this article. Another important point is that when performing wudu, you do not need to remove contact lenses from your eyes, as this is not required by Sharia law.