Salah is Not Accepted Without Purification (Taharah)

Hadith Reference:​

It is narrated from Abu Hurairah (رضي الله عنه) that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
"Allah does not accept the prayer of any one of you if he is in a state of impurity until he performs Wudu (ablution)."
(Sahih al-Bukhari: 6954 | Sahih Muslim: 225)

Key Lessons from This Hadith:​

❶ Salah is not accepted without proper purification (Taharah).

• A person must perform Wudu (ablution) before prayer.
• If a person is in a state of major impurity (Janabah), Ghusl (ritual bath) is required.

❷ If Wudu is broken during Salah, one must perform Wudu again.

• If someone's ablution breaks (e.g., passing wind, urination, defecation, or deep sleep), they must stop the prayer, renew Wudu, and then repeat the Salah.

❸ Acceptance of Salah is solely in Allah’s hands.

• A person cannot assume their prayer is accepted based on their feelings.
• The best practice is to perform proper purification and offer prayer with sincerity and devotion.

❹ Breaking Wudu (e.g., passing wind) is not a sinful act.

• It is a natural occurrence that affects ritual purity (Taharah), not spiritual merit.
• However, maintaining cleanliness and purity is an essential requirement for Salah.

Source:
This content is taken from Sheikh Taqi al-Din Abi al-Fath's book "Diya' al-Islam fi Sharh al-Imam bi Ahadith al-Ahkam", translated by Maulana Mahmood Ahmad Ghaznfar.