The Superiority of Wudu
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
- Wudu is the key to prayer:
عَلِىٍّ رضى الله عنه قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- مِفْتَاحُ الصَّلاَةِ الطُّهُورُ وَتَحْرِيمُهَا التَّكْبِيرُ وَتَحْلِيلُهَا التَّسْلِيمُ
Ali (May Allah be pleased with him) narrated that Allah’s Messenger (صلى الله عليه و سلم) said: “The key to prayer is purification and its sacredness begins with the Takbir and its release is the tasleem[1]
- Wudu removes sins:
عُثْمَانَ بْنِ عَفَّانَ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- مَنْ تَوَضَّأَ فَأَحْسَنَ الْوُضُوءَ خَرَجَتْ خَطَايَاهُ مِنْ جَسَدِهِ حَتَّى تَخْرُجَ مِنْ تَحْتِ أَظْفَارِهِ
Uthman ibn Affan (may Allah be pleased with him) said the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه و سلم said: “Whoever perfects his Wudu, has his sins removed from his body even under his fingernails.” [2]
** AL-Qurtubi said “This applies to the minor sins”.
- The Muslims will be called on the Day of Judgment from the traces of Wudu.
رَسُولَ اللَّهِ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- يَقُولُ إِنَّ أُمَّتِى يَأْتُونَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ غُرًّا مُحَجَّلِينَ مِنْ أَثَرِ الْوُضُوءِ …
Allah’s Messenger (صلى الله عليه و سلم) said “My nation will come of the Day of Judgment being called Al-Ghurr-ul Muhajjalun from the traces of Wudu..[3]
** Ibn Taymeeyah said” This hadeeth proves that Wudu is a special trait of this nation”
- Wudu is a condition for prayer:
ابْنِ عُمَرَ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- لاَ يَقْبَلُ اللَّهُ صَلاَةً إِلاَّ بِطُهُورٍ وَلاَ صَدَقَةً مِنْ غُلُولٍ
Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “Allah’s Messenger (صلى الله عليه و سلم) said: Allah doesn’t accept any prayer without purification and any charity from Ghulul.”[4]
- 5. Going to Masjid after performing Wudu raises your status.
أَبِى هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- إِنَّ أَحَدَكُمْ إِذَا تَوَضَّأَ فَأَحْسَنَ الْوُضُوءَ ثُمَّ أَتَى الْمَسْجِدَ لاَ يَنْهَزُهُ إِلاَّ الصَّلاَةُ لَمْ يَخْطُ خَطْوَةً إِلاَّ رَفَعَهُ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ بِهَا دَرَجَةً وَحَطَّ عَنْهُ بِهَا خَطِيئَةً حَتَّى يَدْخُلَ الْمَسْجِدَ.
Abu Hurayah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) said: “When anyone of you makes Wudu and does it correctly, then he comes to the masjid for no other reason than prayer, every step he takes Allah raises his degree. Allah also removes one sin from him until he enters the masjid.[5]
- Wudu is half of faith:
أَبِى مَالِكٍ الأَشْعَرِىِّ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- قَالَ « إِسْبَاغُ الْوُضُوءِ شَطْرُ الإِيمَانِ…
Abu Malik Ash’ari (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه و سلم) said: “Performing Wudu properly is half of faith…[6]
- Wudu breaks the knots Shaytaan ties.
رسُولَ اللَّهِ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- يَقُولُ رَجُلاَنِ مِنْ أُمَّتِى يَقُومُ أَحَدُهُمَا مِنَ اللَّيْلِ فَيُعَالِجُ نَفْسَهُ إِلَى الطَّهُورِ وَعَلَيْهِ عُقَدٌ فَيَتَوَضَّأُ فَإِذَا وَضَّأَ يَدَيْهِ انْحَلَّتْ عُقْدَةٌ وَإِذَا وَضَّأَ وَجْهَهُ انْحَلَّتْ عُقْدَةٌ وَإِذَا مَسَحَ رَأْسَهُ انْحَلَّتْ عُقْدَةٌ وَإِذَا وَضَّأَ رِجْلَيْهِ انْحَلَّتْ عُقْدَةٌ فَيَقُولُ الرَّبُّ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ لِلَّذِينَ وَرَاءَ الْحِجَابِ انْظُرُوا إِلَى عَبْدِى هَذَا يُعَالِجُ نَفْسَهُ مَا سَأَلَنِى عَبْدِى هَذَا فَهُوَ لَهُ
Allah’s Messenger (صلى الله عليه و سلم) said: “Two men from my nation, one wakes up during the night and cures himself with purification. He has a knot tied to him, so he makes wudu. When he washes his hands a knot is untied. When he washes his face another knot is untied. When he wipes his head one more knot becomes free. When he washes his feet a different knot is undone. Hence Allah says to those behind the veil, “Look at my slave. He cures himself and whatever this slave asks for is his.”[7]
- Dua after Wudu opens eight gates in Jannah:
قَالَ (صلى الله عليه و سلم) « مَا مِنْكُمْ مِنْ أَحَدٍ يَتَوَضَّأُ فَيُبْلِغُ – أَوْ فَيُسْبِغُ – الْوُضُوءَ ثُمَّ يَقُولُ أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولُهُ إِلاَّ فُتِحَتْ لَهُ أَبْوَابُ الْجَنَّةِ الثَّمَانِيَةُ يَدْخُلُ مِنْ أَيِّهَا شَاءَ
The Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) said: “Any Muslim performs wudu correctly then afterwards says “I bear witness that there is absolutely no deity worthy of worship; but Allah ,and Muhammad is His Slave and Messenger. Eight gates of paradise will open and he’ll be able to enter anyone he chooses.”[8]
** Al-Qurtubi said” This hadeeth proves that thikr after Wudu is a special characteristic among the traits of wudu. It proves there are eight gates in Jannah. Those who enter Jannah can choose any door they want to enter”[9]
- Making Wudu before bedtime removes sins throughout the night.
قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ – صلى الله عليه وسلم – :«مَنْ بَاتَ طَاهِراً ، بَاتَ فِي شِعَارِهِ مَلَكٌ ، فَلَمْ يَسْتَيْقِظْ إِلاَّ قَالَ الْمَلَكُ : اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِعَبْدِكَ فُلاَنٍ ، فَإِنَّهُ بَاتَ طَاهِراً
Ibn Umar (Radi Allahu anhuma) said Allah’s Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said: “Whoever spends the night in a state of purity an Angel stays the night with him in his closest garment. When he wakes up the Angel says “ Oh Allah forgive your slave so and so because he slept last night in a state of purity.”[10]
- Allah loves those purify themselves.
Allah (تعالى ) said:
إنَّ اللّهَ يُحِبُّ التَّوَّابِينَ وَيُحِبُّ الْمُتَطَهِّرِينَ
Truly, Allah loves those who turn unto Him in repentance and loves those who purify themselves [11]
Shaykh Al-Imam Mujeerudeen Ibn Muhammad Al-Hanbali(927H) said: Allah love those repent from sins and don’t return to them again, and He loves those purify themselves from Shirk and use water to remove all ritual impurities.[12]
Prepared and translated by Abu Aaliyah Abdullah ibn Dwight Battle
Doha, Qatar 1431©
republished with minor additions on April,4th,2016
[1] Abu Dawud 61 Hasan
[2] Muslim 601
[3] Bukhari 136 and Muslim 603
[4] Ibn Majah 272 Saheeh
[5] [ Ibn Majah 281 Saheeh]
[6] [ Muslim 166]
[7] [ Ahmed 4/ 159 Al-Haythamee graded this isnad as being Hasan]
[8] [ Muslim 179]
[9] [ Explanation for Saheeh Muslim]
[10] Collected by Ibn Hibban in his Sahih, 1051 graded as being hasan by Shuaib Al-Ar-naut
[11] Al-Baqarah(222)
[12] Fathur Rahman fi Tafsiril Quran