Wudu (Ablution) and Ghusl

“The key to Heaven is salah,
and the key to salah is wudu.” ¹⁹
(The Prophet Muhammad (saw))

According to Islam, a person should clean themselves both physically and spiritually and get purified before standing before Allah to worship. Wudu and ghusl are at the hearth of this purification.

A person who gets ready for worshiping gets purified both physically and spiritually by performing wudu if their wudu is nullified; or performing ghusl in case of being janabah. Because one cannot perform salah without wudu.

The fardhs of ablution are washing the face, the arms including hands, and the feet, and wiping the head with wet hands. The sunnahs of wudu taught by the Prophet Muhammad to his ummah to beautify the ablution are as follows: starting wudu by the name of Allah, taking water into mouth, blowing noise by taking water into it, wiping the front, back or all of the head with wet hands, cleaning the ears, washing and rubbing wudu parts of the body for three times, and wetting the spaces between the fingers.

Ghusl is one of the principles of cleanliness which enables the person to turn to Allah with a clean soul and boyd each moment. As the whole body is washed during ghusl, it cleans both physical and spiritual dirtiness of the person.

Ghusl becomes necessary when a person ejaculates, has a sexual intercourse whether they ejaculate or not, has a wet dream (both men and women); or after the end of a woman’s period of menses and lochia.

One should recite the Basmalah (Bismillah ir-rahman ar-rahim) and intend for ghusl before performing ghusl. Then, they should take water into their mouth and nose, and thoroughly clean them. Then they perform wudu and lastly, the whole body is washed without leaving any dry part.

Wasting water, and acting in hurry and carelessly are prohibited for wudu and ghusl. Numerous hadiths of the Prophet Muhammad (saw) gives glad tidings for those who perform wudu properly will be freed of their sins. Wudu allows the Muslims to be clean and decent, to freshen up, let loose of stress and tension, and have serenity as well as gaining reward, thus, it is a great blessing. The Muslim who performs wudu or ghusl based on the conditions becomes ready for performing salah.

¹⁹ Tirmidhi, Taharah, 1.