By
Umm Zahra – Hiba magazine’s team writer
“Can I skip the Wudu?” or “I still have my ablution from the last two Salahs.” Says your son after a two hour football match. And you are wondering how in the world can it be possible?
We have all heard this from our children at home about performing Wudu before their prayer. In fact many adults too are lazy or negligent about their Wudu. They either perform it mindlessly, neglectfully or try to save their Wudu in between two prayers by suppressing their bathroom needs.
“The only thing between a person and disbelief is leaving the prayer.” (Bukhari). We know this hence the importance of Salah is clear to us, but we are ignorant about the significance of the gateway to Salah that is Wudu.
Shaitan’s strategy is to place hurdles even before our spiritual journey of Salah begins. Besides he neither wishes us to be clean physically or spiritually. Hence he creates a disliking for the very first step to salvation, by making us overlook or deliberately ignore our Wudu.
The reality of Wudu can change the way we think about it and remember that this too is an act of worship and a mercy from our Lord among million others.
1, Intention is the game changer
Abdullah Bin Mubarak said: “How many deeds that are considered small are elevated because of the intention (behind it)? And how many deeds that are considered great are made lowly because of the intention (behind it)?”
Our intention is the seed that we sow for our worship. It decides what fruit will be borne.
As Ibn Al Qayyim said: “A person may do something small but he is more beloved to Allah (swt) than a person who does a lot, simply because the former person’s heart is present.”
When we consciously perform ablution arousing our heart that it’s for you Allah (swt), the seed of worship will in sha Allah be nurtured right.
We may forget initially or struggle to remember this intention but with constant effort eventually we will learn to enter this mode of worship until it becomes our second nature bi izn Allah.
- An opportunity to live the Sunnah
When the Prophet (sa) performed Wudu, the Sahabah are known to advance and grasp the falling droplets of the water. Their love and reverence for the Prophet (sa) was such that they could not bear to watch the water that touched his blessed skin go to waste, hence they would scoop it up and wipe themselves of it for Barakah (abundance in blessings).
Similarly, once a Sahabi came to the Prophet (sa) after performing Wudu, but the Prophet (sa) sent him back to repeat his Wudu. Why would he do this? Simply because Wudu denotes a state of mind. Our commitment to worship Allah (swt). It unites us with the millions in the Ummah, who this very second must be performing ablution somewhere in the world according to their time zones of offering Salah.
Most of all, for those of us who never saw the Prophet (sa), it is our chance to follow in his footsteps and appear before him on the Day of Judgment where he will instantly recognize us. How?
Once the Prophet (sa) passing by a graveyard, making Dua for the deceased, said: “Peace be upon you, dwelling of believing people and we will (all) if Allah wills, join you soon… I would like to have seen our brothers.”
The companions were surprised at this and asked: “Are we not your brothers, O Messenger of Allah?”
“You are my companions and our brothers are those who have not yet come.”
They inquired: “How will you know those who have not yet come from your Ummah?”
The Prophet (sa) replied: “Have you not seen that if a man had a horse with a white blaze and hoof along with a totally jet black horse, then would he not know his horse?”
The Sahabah replied: “Certainly, messenger of Allah.”
The Prophet (sa) explained further: “So they will come with white blazes and marks from the Wudu and I will be present before them at the Hawd (the pool).” (Muslim)
Imagine our Sunnah of performing a perfect Wudu will become our means to be recognized by the beloved messenger (sa) longing to meet us.
The easiest means to erase minor sins
Allah (swt) is Al Hameed, the Most Praiseworthy and Al Ghani, The Most Sufficient. He by no means needs us to worship Him. It is a human’s need to worship Allah (swt) to be elevated in ranks and to have his sins erased. Hence among the countless chances Allah (swt) has granted the believers to distance from their minor sins, one is performance of Wudu.
Usman (rta) narrated that the Prophet (sa) gave us glad tidings: “A person who performs Wudu properly will have his sins removed from his body, so much that the sins are removed even from underneath his nails.” (Muslim)
The narration by Abu Hurairah (rta) states that: “The sins leave with the last drop of water.” (Muslim)
In another Hadeeth narrated by Usman (rta) he explained more explicitly: “When a servant (of Allah) washes his face (in the course of Wudu), every sin which he committed with his face will be removed, when he washes his arms, the same thing happens, when he wipes his head, the same thing happens and when he cleans his feet the same thing happens.” (Ahmed)
Abu Hurairah (rta) once narrated about the Prophet’s (sa) saying: “Shall I not guide you to that by which Allah wipes away the sins and raises the ranks?” The companions responded: “Certainly, O messenger of Allah.”
He listed: “Performing the ablution thoroughly despite odds, traversing of more paces toward the mosque and waiting for the next prayer after observing a prayer, and that is mindfulness.” (Muslim)
External purification is as important as internal purification. Imam Ibn ul Qayyim explains to us that: “If the servant is to meet his Lord on the Day of Judgment without complete purification (i.e. from sins) then he will not be allowed to enter (Jannah) – Similarly one is not allowed to meet his Lord in prayer except in a state of purity.”
This is Allah’s (swt) Divine mercy that He has made all such acts obligatory for us that benefit us and take us to Jannah.
We recite the Dua after making ablution: “O Allah make me of those who repent often (to you) and of those who purify themselves.” (Tirmidhi)
May Allah (swt) perfect our Wudu for the pleasure of Allah (swt) and as per the ways of the Prophet (sa) so we can embark on our worship perfectly. Ameen.
(Partially adapted from Virtual Mosque)
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