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The minimums of ghusl, wudu, and prayer

Answered as per Shafi'i Fiqh by Qibla.com

Answered by Ustadha Umm Abdullah

I want to know only the integrals of ghusl, wudu and prayer according to Shafi`i madhab, since I get them confused with the sunna. It will be very helpful if you can inshallah answer this for me.

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

In the name of Allah Most Merciful Most Compassionate

I pray you are well and in the best of health and iman.

Integrals of Ablution

1. To have the intention when one starts washing the face
2. to wash the face
3. to wash the arms up to and including the elbows
4. to wipe a little of the head with wet hands
5. to wash the feet up to and including the anklebones
6. to do these things in the order mentioned

Integrals of the Purificatory Bath

Two things are obligatory for the validity of the purificatory bath:

1. Having the intention when water is first applied to the parts that must be washed. the intention depending on the state to be lifted: eg. to lift a state of majore ritual impurity (janaba), or menstruation, or the general intention “to be permitted to perform the prayer”,
2. That the water reaches all of the hair and skin to the roots of the hair, under the nails,the outward visible portion of the ear canals,and the private parts of the non-virgin woman which are normally disclosed when she squats to relieve herself.

Unlike ablution, the sequence of washing the parts is not obligatory.

Integrals of Prayer

The integrals of prayer are seventeen:

1. To have the intention in the heart of performing the prayer and of its obligation when obligatory, and to specify the prayer which is performed for a particular reason or time;
2. To say ‘Allahu akbar’ loud enough to hear oneself, as is required in every verbal integral;
3. To stand (qiyam) for the obligatory prayer, when able;
4. To recite the Fatihah, including doubling the letters that should be doubled, in order and succession without lengthy interruption, articulating its letters properly, and avoiding any major error (lahn) in recitation. An error which does not breach the meaning is unlawful, but it does not invalidate the prayer unless done intentionally;
5. To bow until one’s palms could reach one’s knees (ruku^);
6. To remain motionless in ruku^ for the duration of saying ‘subhan-Allah’ (tuma’ninah);
7. To straighten up after ruku^ (‘i^tidal);
8. To remain motionless for the duration of saying ‘subhan-Allah’;
9. To prostrate twice by putting all or part of one’s uncovered forehead on one’s praying ground, with one’s lower body (buttocks) higher than one’s upper part, and putting part of one’s knees, the inside of one’s hands and the bottom of one’s toes on the ground;
10. To have tuma’ninah(by remaining motionless for a moment) in prostration;
11. To sit between the two prostrations;
12. To have tuma’ninah in this sitting;
13. To sit for saying the last tashahhud, as-Salatu ^alan-Nabiyy, and the closing salam;
14. To say the last tashahhud;
15. To say as-Salatu ^alan-Nabiyy, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam.the minimum being :Allahuma Salli Ala Muhammad
16. To say the closing salam. The minimum is:Assalamu alaikum
17. To observe the order. To intentionally perform the integrals of prayer out of order invalidates the prayer.

(Source: Reliance of the Traveler, translated by Sheikh Nuh Keller)

It is also worth mentioning the invalidators of prayer:

Invalidators of Prayer

Prayer is invalidated by:

1. Uttering even two letters of extraneous speech or one meaningful letter unless one forgets and it is little;
2. Performing many moves, which according to some scholars are as many as what would last for the duration of one rak^ah. According to other scholars three consecutive moves invalidate the prayer. The latter position is the relied-upon position in our school;
3. Performing a single excessive move (such as a jump);
4. Deliberately adding an extra integral which involves action;
5. Eating and drinking except if one forgets and it is little;
6. Making an intention to interrupt prayer contingent on the occurrence of an incident;
7. Hesitating about interrupting prayer;

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.

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