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Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books The Ritual and Spiritual Purity II. Wudu A. Introduction Wudu and ghusl both are ritual ablutions; the former is a minor ablution while the latter is a major ablution. In Islamic laws, the wudu is considered a ritual act of wor­ship which is done with the intention of seeking the pleasure of Allah. The act of wudu consists of washing the face and the fore-arms, and wiping the head and the feet.

These six parts of human body -face, both fore-arms, head and both feet are known as “the organs of wudu ”. Wudu by itself is always a recommendable act in Islamic rituals, but it becomes obligatory in certain cir­cumstances. One of such circumstances is the daily ritual prayers; and therefore it is important for every Muslim to know the method of wudu and its rules. The Qur'an says: “O you who believe!

When you stand up for ritual prayer (sala), wash your face and your hands up to the elbows, and wipe a part of your head and your feet up to ankles.” (5:6) B. Manner of performing Wudu The manner of performing wudu as explained below is based on the Qur'an and the authentic sunnah of the holy Prophet as narrated by his Ahlu 'l-bayt and his most reliable companions. The relevant verse of the Qur'an and the ahadith will be discussed in section J. Wudu is done in the following four stages : 1.

Washing the face After doing the niyyat [Intention], pour water over the face from the top. Then using the right hand, wipe the face from the top to bottom, in such a way that the water reaches all parts vertically from the hair­line to chin, and every place horizontally within the reach of the span of the hand from the middle-finger to the thumb.

It is not obligatory to wash the parts which do not come within the middle-finger and the thumb; however, there is no harm in including those parts to ensure that all the necessary parts have been washed. It is not obligatory to wash the inside of the eyes, the lips, the mouth, the nose, and the eyelids. If one has beard or mustache, it is enough to wash the hair which are apparent; it is not necessary to make the water reach the inside of the hair or to the skin.

However, if the hair are so sparse that they do not hide the skin, then one should make the water reach the skin. Bald person or those with receding hair-line should wash their face as if the hair were growing normally.