Tahara or purification is a must for worship in Islam. One cannot offer Salah and other worships if he is not pure. This is why ablution is made a must before every salah, whether fard or voluntary. There is a proper way of making ablution. We all know that there are seven steps for making ablution, but how to perform those seven steps is not known by many. If wudu is not properly made, then any worship after it might not be accepted. Therefore it is a must to know how to do ablution properly.
Allah SWT says In Quran
Bukhari, Volume 8, Book 78, Number 660:
1: First of all, there are some schools of thought who say that uttering niyah ( intention) loudly or slowly is a must. The fact is, everything that we intend to do, we do it for the sake of doing it. So there is no need to give words to your intentions loudly or slowly. Its an innovation and has nothing to do with islam.
2: Then, everything should be started from Bismillah ( in the name of Allah). The same goes for wudu.
3: washing hands thrice. And its just not the washing of hands but it means to wash hands up to wrist in such way that every part of the skin and nails is wet. If there is something on nails, then it must be washed or wiped. There should not be anything on hands or nails which stops water from touching the skin.
4: Mouth should be washed from inside as well. Therefore, gargling and moving the water within the mouth for complete cleanliness is a must.
5: Nose should also be washed, by sniffing the water in and then out so that the question of cleanliness is satisfied.
6: Washing face: face should be washed up to its limits. That is, from one ear to the other, from forehead to chin, not leaving nay part of face dry.
7: Washing arms up to elbows, not leaving any part from wrist to elbow dry.
8: Performing masah i.e, wetting one forth of forehead, ears from inside and from their back.
9: washing feet, starting from fingers and ending at ankles not leaving nay part of foot from upside or downside, dry.
10: Recite shahadah after completing wudu by raising the right index finger towards sky.
Every part of ablution should be started from right side. All steps must be performed thrice, no more no less.
In case of impurity, a proper bath is required for, certain impurities like menses and after intercourse would leave you with wudu. Wudu is not valid after call of nature, passing wind ( except that there is a medical condition involved), sleep, unconsciousness, intoxication. Whereas, eating, drinking etc do not break wudu nor does wearing surma or make up or perfume break it.
Perfect ablution is not only required tahara but it is also a source of earning reward as it is mentioned in the following sahih hadith;
Bukhari, Volume 8, Book 76, Number 441:
Allah SWT says In Quran
[005:006] O you who believe! when you rise up to prayer, wash your faces and your hands as far as the elbows, and wipe your heads and your feet to the ankles; and if you are under an obligation to perform a total ablution, then wash (yourselves) and if you are sick or on a journey, or one of you come from the privy, or you have touched the women, and you cannot find water, betake yourselves to pure earth and wipe your faces and your hands therewith, Allah does not desire to put on you any difficulty, but He wishes to purify you and that He may complete His favor on you, so that you may be grateful.The following hadith indicates its important in these words;
Bukhari, Volume 8, Book 78, Number 660:
Narrated Abu Huraira:Below are given step wise instructions to do wudu in sunnah way:
A man entered the mosque and started praying while Allah's Apostle was sitting somewhere in the mosque. Then (after finishing the prayer) the man came to the Prophet and greeted him. The Prophet said to him, "Go back and pray, for you have not prayed. The man went back, and having prayed, he came and greeted the Prophet. The Prophet after returning his greetings said, "Go back and pray, for you did not pray." On the third time the man said, "(O Allah's Apostle!) teach me (how to pray)." The Prophet said, "When you get up for the prayer, perform the ablution properly and then face the Qibla and say Takbir (Allahu Akbar), and then recite of what you know of the Quran, and then bow, and remain in this state till you feel at rest in bowing, and then raise your head and stand straight; and then prostrate till you feel at rest in prostration, and then sit up till you feel at rest while sitting; and then prostrate again till you feel at rest in prostration; and then get up and stand straight, and do all this in all your prayers."
1: First of all, there are some schools of thought who say that uttering niyah ( intention) loudly or slowly is a must. The fact is, everything that we intend to do, we do it for the sake of doing it. So there is no need to give words to your intentions loudly or slowly. Its an innovation and has nothing to do with islam.
2: Then, everything should be started from Bismillah ( in the name of Allah). The same goes for wudu.
3: washing hands thrice. And its just not the washing of hands but it means to wash hands up to wrist in such way that every part of the skin and nails is wet. If there is something on nails, then it must be washed or wiped. There should not be anything on hands or nails which stops water from touching the skin.
4: Mouth should be washed from inside as well. Therefore, gargling and moving the water within the mouth for complete cleanliness is a must.
5: Nose should also be washed, by sniffing the water in and then out so that the question of cleanliness is satisfied.
6: Washing face: face should be washed up to its limits. That is, from one ear to the other, from forehead to chin, not leaving nay part of face dry.
7: Washing arms up to elbows, not leaving any part from wrist to elbow dry.
8: Performing masah i.e, wetting one forth of forehead, ears from inside and from their back.
9: washing feet, starting from fingers and ending at ankles not leaving nay part of foot from upside or downside, dry.
10: Recite shahadah after completing wudu by raising the right index finger towards sky.
Every part of ablution should be started from right side. All steps must be performed thrice, no more no less.
In case of impurity, a proper bath is required for, certain impurities like menses and after intercourse would leave you with wudu. Wudu is not valid after call of nature, passing wind ( except that there is a medical condition involved), sleep, unconsciousness, intoxication. Whereas, eating, drinking etc do not break wudu nor does wearing surma or make up or perfume break it.
Perfect ablution is not only required tahara but it is also a source of earning reward as it is mentioned in the following sahih hadith;
Bukhari, Volume 8, Book 76, Number 441:
Narrated Ibn 'Abbas:Wudu should not be taken just as purification measure but also as a mean to earn reward.
I brought water to Uthman bin 'Affan to perform the ablution while he was sitting on his seat. He performed the ablution in a perfect way and said, "I saw the Prophet performing the ablution in this place and he performed it in a perfect way and said, "Whoever performs the ablution as I have done this time and then proceeds to the mosque and offers a two-Rak'at prayer and then sits there (waiting for the compulsory congregational prayers), then all his past sins will be forgiven." The Prophet further added, "Do not be conceited (thinking that your sins will be forgiven because of your prayer)."