Salah (prayer) is not valid without Wudu' or Tayammum(dry Ablution)

        Bismillahir rahmanir rahim      

..................Is Your Wudu Valid  ?........

Water is an amazing creation; it is unique in many ways and life cannot exist without it. It has some extraordinary properties. One cannot help but conclude that it was specifically created in order for life to exist.

“Have not those who disbelieve known that the heavens and the earth were joined together as one united piece, then we parted them? And we have made from water every living thing. Will they not then believe? (Qur'an 21:30)

Water is the usual medium used to cleanse oneself. Water has different types (e.g. Rain water, sea water, melted ice water, etc) and each can be in different states (used, pure, impure, etc)

Before praying Muslims go through a routine washing ritual, cleansing themselves in preparation for prayer. The ritual washing, called Wudu, can be done in any clean place where there is water. There are special rules to allow for situations when water is not available (e.g. in a desert). Before starting Wudu you 'make your intention'.

Physical purity means cleanliness of the body, clothing and environment. According to the rules of Islam, Muslims should keep their bodies and clothing clean from any impurities, especially the body wastes of humans and animals.

Cleanliness (Taharah) is an important precondition of Islamic worship. Wudu is an essential part of Cleanliness. Salah (prayer) is not valid without Wudu' or Tayammum(dry Ablution).  Islam encourages cleanliness. To ensure this is preformed, it is mandatory that your body and clothing be clean before performing your salaat. Your prayer will not be valid unless your body and clothing are clean. Clothing must be considered tahir and removed of all impurities. Impurities include blood, urine, and excrement
This is based on the 6th Ayat of Surah al-Ma'ida (Qur'an 5:6) which states:

"O ye who believe! when ye prepare for prayer, wash your faces, and your hands (and arms) to the elbows; Rub your heads (with water); and (wash) your feet to the ankles."[3]

Wudu according to the four maddhab is a description of the principles of wudu according to the four major schools of Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh): Hanafi, Hanbali, Maliki and Shafi'i. The issues discussed are how to perform wudu and when wudu is considered invalid.
............Hanafi
.......... Maliki
......... Shafii
........hanbali



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 the water should be 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.

Steps of Wudu are [2]:

   1. Make the intention to perform wudu in the heart.
  
2. Shape the right hand like a cup and take water into it. Afterwards, splash the water on the top of the head and wipe down ONCE with the right hand, washing the parts of the face only between the middle finger and thumb (when stretched out). It isn't necessary to wash the mustache and beard unless you can see the skin. Then, it is obligatory to wash the visible skin. It is obligatory to wash from the area where the hair normally grows to the chin. You must also wipe the topmost part of the neck (across the jaw).
 
 3. Shape the left hand like a cup and take water into it. Afterwards, splash this water onto your right forearm and wash your right forearm ONCE (covering the right forearm in water, leaving no spot dry). Wipe from the elbow to the fingers, and not from the fingers to the elbow.
  
4. Repeat this process except with the left forearm.
  
5. WITHOUT taking more water, wipe your hair from the middle to up to the forehead using your right hand; three fingers ONLY. If you are balding, you would wash your hair as if it were growing when you had a full head of hair. It is NOT allowed to wipe the hair using an obstacle (such as wiping a hat or a turban instead of the hair/skin). It is not obligatory to wipe the actual skin on the head.
 
 6. WITHOUT taking more water, wipe the top of your right foot with your right hand. You only must wipe with a swiping motion once and it is recommended to use three fingers. It is NOT allowed to wipe the feet using an obstacle (such as wiping the shoes or socks instead of the skin).
  
7. Do the same thing, except using your left hand and wiping your left foot.

This is based on the 6th Ayat of Surah al-Ma'ida (Qur'an 5:6) which states:

"O ye who believe! when ye prepare for prayer, wash your faces, and your hands (and arms) to the elbows; Rub your heads (with water); and (wash) your feet to the ankles."[3]

Wudu is considered invalid ('broken') when certain conditions prevail. These conditions differ in the various fiqh.
 Hanafi

    * Passing wind or fluid from any part of the body.
    * Deep sleep in a reclining position; sleeping in a sitting, kneeling or standing position does not break the wudu.
    * Loss of senses.
    * Vomiting.
    * Spitting saliva consisting mainly of blood.
    * Laughing very loudly during prayer
    * To lose blood to a point where it begins to run.

 Hanbali

    * Going to the bathroom or passing wind.
    * Deep sleep.
    * Emission of semen.
    * Vomiting.
    * Emission of blood or pus.
    * Eating the meat of an animal not slaughtered in the name of Allah.
    * Coming in contact with the saliva of a dog or unclean animals (except cats).

Maliki

    * Defecation, urination or passing wind.
    * Deep sleep.
    * Loss of ones senses.
    * Emission of semen.
    * Having doubts regarding whether one's wudu is valid.

 Shafii

From Reliance of the Traveler, e7.0 - e7.6:

    * Anything that exits from the private parts.
    * Loss of intellect through sleep, etc (except for sleep while continuously and firmly seated on the ground).
    * Touching the private parts with bare hands.
    * Touching the skin of someone of the opposite sex when they are not each other's unmarriable kin


Allah says in the Qur'an :
"Surely Allah loves those who turn to Him and those who care for cleanliness" (2:22).

Islam insists on the use of clean water to cleanse the body of impurities, and only when water is not available can a person use other things. Even the clothing should be perfectly clean from any impurities. For that reason, Muslim bathrooms have a source of running water or pitchers of water next to the toilet.
The prerequisite for offering prayers is to be in the state of purity. This is achieved by making wudu(ablution). If one does not make wudu then the prayer is invalid.

   
How to Perform Wudu

 Before we begin to say As-Salah, we must make ourselves ready for it.  We must make sure that our body, clothes an the place of As-Salah are clean.  Cleansing parts of the body for the purpose of As-Salah is called Wudu.

Allah (SWA) says in the Qur’an: “Oh you who believe, when you prepare for As-Salah, wash your faces and your hand to the elbows; rub your heads and wash your feet up to the ankles.  And if you are unclean, purify yourself”.  (Suratul Ma idah 5:6).

This verse clearly points out the compulsory aspects of wudu.  These are

               1.  Washing face
               2  .Washing hands up to elbows
               3. Wiping head with wet palms
               4. Washing feet up to ankles

There are also the Sunnah (Practice) of the Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh).

Wudu is a must for performing As-Salah,  We cannot offer As-Salah without making Wudu.  The steps to take for Wudu are:



         1. First make Niyyah (Intension) saying Bismillahir rahmanir rahim (In the name of Allah the most Merciful, the most Kind); then wash both hands up to the wrists three times making sure that water has reached between the fingers.
         2. Next, put a handful of water into the month and rince it thoroughly three times
         3. After this sniff water into the nostrils three times to clean them and then wash the tip of the nose.
         4. Wash the face three times from right ear to left and from forehead to throat.
         5. Wash the right arm and then left arm thoroughly from wrist to elbow three times.
         6. Then move the wet palms of both hands over head, starting from the top of the forehead to the back of the head.
         7. Then pass the wet tips of index fingers into the grooves and holes of both ears and also pass the wet thumbs behind the ears.
         8. Next pass the backs of wet hands over the nape.
         9. Finally, wash both feet to the ankles starting from the right foot making sure the water has reached between the toes and all other parts of the feet.

    If you made a complete Wudu before putting on your socks, it is not necessary to take them off every time you repeat your wudu.  It is enough to wipe the upper part of the socks with wet fingers.  Leather socks are preferred for this, but any durable, untorn think socks can serve the purpose.  This type of wiping is valid for twenty four hours only (three days in case of journey).
    At the end of all of the steps, recite:

    Meaning: “I testify that there is no god but Allah and He is one and has no partner and I also testify that Muhammad is His servant and messenger.”

    You should repeat your Wudu after:

         1. Natural discharges, (e.g. urine, stool, wind and the like)
         2. Flow of blood or pus from any part of the body
         3.. Full mouth vomiting
         4.. Falling asleep

    Tayammum (Dry Ablution)
    Islam is a very practical way of life. It has not laid down any impossible duties for us.  For instance, if you cannot make Wudu for any of the following reasons:

         1. Water is not available at all
         2. Enough water is not available (e.g. available water is enough for drinking only)
         3. Use of water is harmful (e.g. in sickness)

    You are allowed to make tayammum and offer your salah.  What you are required is:

         1. Make niyah by saying bismisllah irrahmaaniraheem and place both your hands lightly on earth, sand , stone or any other object having dust on it.
         2. Blow the dust of the hands and wipe your face with the hands once in the sameway as you do in wudu
         3. Repeat as in (1) and wipe the right arm from wrist to the elbow with thelfet hand left arm with the right hand.

........Wudu while wounded...........
What should a person do if one of the areas normally washed during wudu'is wounded?

If a person is wounded in one of the areas of wudu' and is not able to cover the wound with a bandage, he should perform wudu' except for the wounded body part, for which he should then perform ablution with sand (tayammum).1 (Note that this means one performs normal tayammum, not actually placing the sand on the wound itself.)
Purification Before Salaat :

Allah's Messenger SAW said, The key to Paradise is prayer and the key to prayer is cleanliness (Ablution). Tirmidhi, Transmitted Ahmad, Narrated Jabir ibn Abdullah

A desert Arab came to Allah's Apostle SAW and asked him about ablution. He demonstrated (washing each part of his body) thrice, and then said: That is (the method) of the ablution. And he who does more than this has done wrong, transgressed the limit and has oppressed (himself). [Tirmidhi #417, Transmitted by Nasa'i, Ibn Majah, and AbuDawud transmitted something to the same effect.]

Allah (SWT) said, "O you who believe! When you intend to offer prayer, wash your faces and your hands (fore-arms) up to the elbows, rub (by passing wet hands over) your heads, and (wash) your feet up to ankles…" (Al-Ma'idah 5:6)

The Prophet (SAW) said, "Allah does not accept prayer without purification ..."  (Sahih - Muslim and others)

Hadith - Bukhari 1:161, Narrated Humran

(The slave of 'Uthman) I saw 'Uthman bin 'Affan(R.A) asking for a tumbler of water (and when it was brought) he poured water over his hands and washed them thrice and then put his right hand in the water container and rinsed his mouth, washed his nose by putting water in it and then blowing it out. Then he washed his face and forearms up to the elbows thrice, passed his wet hands over his head and washed his feet up to the ankles thrice. Then he said, "Allah's Apostle SAW said 'If anyone Performs ablution like that of mine and offers a two-rak'at prayer during which he does not think of anything else (not related to the present prayer) then his past sins will be forgiven.' " After performing the ablution 'Uthman said, "I am going to tell you a Hadith which I would not have told you, had I not been compelled by a certain Holy Verse (the sub narrator 'Urwa said: This verse is: 'Verily, those who conceal the clear signs and the guidance which we have sent down...)' (2:159). I heard the Prophet SAW saying, 'If a man performs ablution perfectly and then offers the compulsory congregational prayer, Allah will forgive his sins committed between that (prayer) and the (next) prayer till he offers it.'