Source: Fatawa Arkan al-Islam
These are clearly mentioned in the Qur’an, and without them, wudu is invalid:
﴿يـأَيُّهَا الَّذينَ ءامَنوا إِذا قُمتُم إِلَى الصَّلوةِ فَاغسِلوا وُجوهَكُم وَأَيدِيَكُم إِلَى المَرافِقِ وَامسَحوا بِرُءوسِكُم وَأَرجُلَكُم إِلَى الكَعبَينِ﴾ (Surah al-Ma’idah: 6)
These complete and beautify the wudu:
❀ Begin with Bismillah.
❀ Wash both palms three times.
❀ Rinse the mouth and nose three times.
❀ Wash the face three times.
❀ Wash the arms up to the elbows three times, starting with the right.
❀ Wipe the head once – moving wet hands from the front to the back of the head and back again.
❀ Wipe the ears – index fingers inside and thumbs outside.
❀ Wash both feet up to the ankles three times, starting with the right.
Duas after Wudu:
Virtue: Whoever performs wudu in this complete manner will have all eight gates of Jannah opened for him. (Muslim 234)
Shari‘ah provides ease for the sick:
Qur’anic Basis:
Prophetic Guidance:
✔ If able, wudu or ghusl with water is obligatory.
✔ If water is harmful or worsens illness – perform tayammum.
Tayammum Method:
✔ If unable to perform wudu/tayammum – someone else may assist.
✔ For an injured limb: if washing is harmful – wipe with wet hand or perform tayammum.
✔ For plaster or bandaged limb – wiping is sufficient; tayammum not needed.
✔ Tayammum can be done on a dusty wall or any clean object with dust.
✔ If nothing is available – place soil in a container/cloth and use for tayammum.
✔ One tayammum suffices for multiple prayers as long as the state of purity remains.
✔ Keep the body free from najasah as much as possible.
✔ If clothes are impure – wash or change; if unable, pray as is.
✔ If prayer mat is impure – wash it, cover it with a clean cloth, or pray according to ability.
✔ Illness is not a valid excuse to delay prayer beyond its time; pray with whatever purification you can achieve.
ھذا ما عندي واللہ أعلم بالصواب
Two Basic Categories of Wudu in Shari‘ah
① Fara’id (Obligatory Acts) of Wudu
These are clearly mentioned in the Qur’an, and without them, wudu is invalid:
﴿يـأَيُّهَا الَّذينَ ءامَنوا إِذا قُمتُم إِلَى الصَّلوةِ فَاغسِلوا وُجوهَكُم وَأَيدِيَكُم إِلَى المَرافِقِ وَامسَحوا بِرُءوسِكُم وَأَرجُلَكُم إِلَى الكَعبَينِ﴾ (Surah al-Ma’idah: 6)
- Washing the face once – including rinsing the mouth and nose.
- Washing both arms up to the elbows once – including the hands.
- Wiping the head once.
- Washing both feet up to the ankles once.
② Mustahabbat (Recommended Acts) of Wudu
These complete and beautify the wudu:
❀ Begin with Bismillah.
❀ Wash both palms three times.
❀ Rinse the mouth and nose three times.
❀ Wash the face three times.
❀ Wash the arms up to the elbows three times, starting with the right.
❀ Wipe the head once – moving wet hands from the front to the back of the head and back again.
❀ Wipe the ears – index fingers inside and thumbs outside.
❀ Wash both feet up to the ankles three times, starting with the right.
Duas after Wudu:
- "أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا الله..." (Muslim 234)
- "اللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْنِي مِنَ التَّوَّابِينَ..." (Tirmidhi 55)
Virtue: Whoever performs wudu in this complete manner will have all eight gates of Jannah opened for him. (Muslim 234)
Purification Rulings for the Sick
Shari‘ah provides ease for the sick:
Qur’anic Basis:
- ﴿وَما جَعَلَ عَلَيكُم فِى الدّينِ مِن حَرَجٍ﴾ (Al-Hajj: 78)
- ﴿يُريدُ اللَّهُ بِكُمُ اليُسرَ وَلا يُريدُ بِكُمُ العُسرَ﴾ (Al-Baqarah: 185)
- ﴿فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ مَا استَطَعتُم﴾ (Al-Taghabun: 16)
Prophetic Guidance:
- “Indeed the religion is ease.” (Bukhari 39)
- “When I command you with something, do of it as much as you are able.” (Bukhari 7288; Muslim 1337)
Key Instructions for the Sick:
✔ If able, wudu or ghusl with water is obligatory.
✔ If water is harmful or worsens illness – perform tayammum.
Tayammum Method:
- Strike both hands once on clean earth/dust.
- Wipe the face once.
- Wipe one hand over the other.
✔ If unable to perform wudu/tayammum – someone else may assist.
✔ For an injured limb: if washing is harmful – wipe with wet hand or perform tayammum.
✔ For plaster or bandaged limb – wiping is sufficient; tayammum not needed.
✔ Tayammum can be done on a dusty wall or any clean object with dust.
✔ If nothing is available – place soil in a container/cloth and use for tayammum.
✔ One tayammum suffices for multiple prayers as long as the state of purity remains.
✔ Keep the body free from najasah as much as possible.
✔ If clothes are impure – wash or change; if unable, pray as is.
✔ If prayer mat is impure – wash it, cover it with a clean cloth, or pray according to ability.
✔ Illness is not a valid excuse to delay prayer beyond its time; pray with whatever purification you can achieve.
ھذا ما عندي واللہ أعلم بالصواب
