format_quote Originally Posted by
phunkadelicfu
What is Wudu/Ablution, why do we have to do it? Is this done everyday? Is it different for men than women?
It is like ritual baptism but practiced on a daily basis. We Muslims are basically “hemerobaptists” meaning people who ritually cleanse themselves with water on a daily basis. Wudu means you wash certain parts of your body (hands, face, arms including elbows, and feet including ankles). After you do Wudu, you are in a state of ritual purity. You have to be in a state of ritual purity to offer the Salat, our main form of worship, and to touch the Holy Qur’an. Wudu is broken when you answer the call of nature, fall asleep, bleeding, vomiting. Ritual purity is broken through sexual intercourse, which means you have to do Ghusl (ritual bath).
Basically it is the same for men and women, but there are some minor differences. For example, a woman’s ritual purity is broken due to menses. Also, during a Ghusl (ritual bath) a woman does not have to undo her braided hair as long as she makes the water reach the roots of her hair.
One of the reasons Muslim ladies are discouraged from wearing nail polish is because it prevents the water from touching the nails, and nails are part of the hands which have to be washed during Wudu, otherwise Wudu will not be valid.