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A recent convert getting very confused and overcome by misgivings and doubts about wudu

Answered as per Hanafi Fiqh by Qibla.com

Answered by Ustadha Naielah Ackbarali

I’m a recent convert to Islam. I’ve been learning about this beautiful religion, but am getting very confused and overcome by misgivings and doubts about wudu. As a result, I’m always worried about whether my wudu and (consequently) my prayer are fine or not, and whether they’re valid or not….

 

Answer:
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful 

Assalamu aliekum.

 

We’d first like to congratulate you on your conversion to Islam.

 

Secondly, the best thing to do when one is experiencing waswasa or any type of doubt in his religious practice is to do as stated by Shaykh Faraz Rabani in a previous post about waswasa:

 

There is a basic principle (qa`ida fiqhiyya) of Sacred Law that all people prone to misgivings in their worship should keep in mind, namely that:

 

Certainty is not lifted by a doubt . [Ibn Nujaym, al-Ashbah wa’l Nadhair, andMajallat al-Ahkam al-`Adiliyya]

 

The important fiqh principles related to this matter include:

 

1. Certainty is not lifted by doubt;

2. Certainty is only lifted by another certainty;

3. The default assumption about a matter is akin to certainty;

4. The default assumption about all matters is validity and soundness;

5. Mere doubts and suppositions are of no legal consequence.

 

A related point of advice is that when in doubt, one should not make up legal rulings. Rather, one should seek reliable knowledge, either from a reliable book one is able to understand or from persons of sound traditional learning.

 

Furthermore, as specified in the Qur’an, the fard (obligatory) actions of wudu are the following:

 

1.Washing the entire face once (earlobe to earlobe, top of the forehead to chin and the skin underneath a thin beard or the area outlining the face for a thick beard).

2.Wiping the top of your head. (Any quarter of the head and the head in the Hanafi mathab is the area above the ears)

3.Washing both arms up to and including the elbows once.

4.Washing both feet up to and including the ankles once.

 

One should make sure that water reaches all these areas and that there are no barriers such as nail polish or paint on any of these parts.

 

To leave any of the actions listed above would invalidate one’s ablution because it would be rendered incomplete. Thus, if a believer prayed without washing those areas, his prayer would be considered invalid and he would have to redo his wudu and repeat his prayer.

 

Furthermore, many of the things that you are having doubts about are considered confirmed sunnas in the Hanafi mathab. As such, one’s wudu would be valid if he left these actions. However, the ruling for a confirmed sunna is that if one left it once without excuse, he would deserve blame, and if one made it a habit, then he would be sinful. Indeed, incorporating the actions of our beloved Prophet may peace be upon him in our daily worship is essential.

 

In regards to washing the limbs, one should take a new handful of water each time and pour it on the limb beginning from the top of the limb so that the water flows down to the remaining body part. In addition, rubbing is a recommended sunna and an action that is helpful to perform if one is having waswasa of if the water is reaching the entire limb or not.

 

Nur al-Iydah states the confirmed sunnas in prayer and they are the following:

 

1. Making the intention to perform ablution.

2. Reciting the basmallah.

3. Washing the hands up to and including the wrists three times.

4. Rinsing the mouth three times using three different handfuls of water.

5. Rinsing to the soft part of the nose three times using three different handfuls of water.

6. Combing fingers through a thick beard.

7. Wiping the entire head. The head in the Hanafi mathab is the area above the ears.

8. Cleaning in-between the toes with the left little finger. Note: Using the left little finger is sunna but actually ensuring that all water reaches in-between the toes and fingers is obligatory because it is part of the obligatory areas to wash.

9. Begin with the tips of ones fingers and toes when washing the hands and feet.

10. Do the actions in the correct order

11. Not having any excessive delays in between each action such that the part you just washed becomes dry.

12. Interlacing the fingers of the hand to clean in between fingers.

13. Rubbing each limb.

14. Brushing the teeth. The best thing to use is a wooden toothbrush called the siwak. However, regular toothbrushes or even ones finger will suffice.

15. Begin with the right limb when washing the hands and the feet

16. Wiping the back of the ears and the inside of the ear canal with the same water used to wipe the head.

17. Wiping the neck but not the throat with the same water used to wipe the head and ears.

 

The following is a brief overview from Talim al-Haq of an ideal wudu:

 

1 . Make an intention to perform wudu and say BismAllah. The intention is just a firm resolve to perform wudu. If someone asked you What are you doing? you would inevitably say I am making wudu. However one is permitted to recite it aloud in order to have concentration in wudu.

2. Wash the hands up to and including the wrists three times. Begin with the right hand.

3. Rinse the mouth three times using three different handfuls of water.

4. Brush the teeth either while rinsing the mouth or before rinsing the mouth.

5. Rinse up to the soft part of the nose three times using three different handfuls of water.

6. Wash the entire face (ear to ear, forehead to chin and skin underneath a thin beard and hair outlining the face for a thick beard) three times.

7. Comb the fingers through a thick beard.

8. Wash the right arm up to and including the elbows. Do the same for the left. Interlace the fingers to clean in between fingers.

9. Wipe the entire head with wet hands. Wipe the back of ears and inside the ear canal. Wipe the neck with back of the hand. All of this is done with the same water used to wipe the entire head.

10. Wash the right foot up to and including the ankles three times. Clean in between the toes with the left little finger and end with the little toe. Do the same for the left foot.

11. Recite the shahada and the dua: Allahumma Jaal ni minat tawwabeeana wa jaal ni minal mutatwahhirin. O Allah make of those who repent and make of those who purify themselves.

 

Jazzak Allah Khair.

 

And Allah Most High knows best.

Ustadha Naielah Ackbarali

Reviewed by Faraz Rabbani

 

This answer was indexed from Qibla.com, which used to have a repository of Islamic Q&A answered by various scholars. The website is no longer in existence. It has now been transformed into a learning portal with paid Islamic course offering under the brand of Kiflayn.