Not Common Aspects of Wudu

I gave this thread that title because I am continually doing research on the Sunnah. For many years I performed Wudu much the same way as most Muslims. The average book on Prayer in the USA describes Wudu pretty much the same way. But over the last couple of years, I have learned that most of them are NOT wrong, but a few minor, yet very important details are missing. Although I am posting the rulings here from a very familiar website, this information can be found in other places and I did have a chance to speak to some of the people of knowledge (who studied with the Sheiks overseas in Saudi) and they did verify and support these facts. I hope that this post will benefit all the believers and that we all will continue to perfect our worship.

With regards to the rinsing of the mouth & nose:



The Sunnah indicates that one should snuff water up into the nose and expel it three times, as al-Bukhaari (186) and Muslim (235) narrated from ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Zayd that he demonstrated for them the wudoo’ of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): He rinsed his mouth and nose using one handful (of water), and he did that three times.

This hadeeth indicates that the Sunnah is not to separate the rinsing of the mouth and nose, and to rinse both the mouth and nose from a single handful of water, then rinse the mouth and nose from a single handful, then rinse the mouth and nose from a single mouthful. This is unlike what many people do by separating them; they rinse the mouth three times then they rinse the nose three times.

Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in Sharh Muslim:

Our companions said: However the water reaches the mouth and nose, this fulfils the aim of rinsing them. As to which way is better, there are five opinions, the first of which is that the mouth and nose should be rinsed with three handfuls of water, rinsing the mouth and then the nose each time… this method is the correct one, and is described in saheeh ahaadeeth in al-Bukhaari, Muslim and elsewhere. As for the hadeeth which indicates separating the two (actions), it is da’eef (weak). This leaves us with one correct way, of washing both the mouth and nose together with three handfuls, as we have indicated, because of the hadeeth of ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Zayd which is quoted in the book. End quote.

With regards to washing the arms:

What is the ruling on a person who washes his arm from the wrist to the elbow, without washing his hand, thinking that washing it at the beginning of wudoo’ is sufficient? Does he have to repeat his wudoo’?

Answer :

Praise be to Allaah.

It is not sufficient in wudoo’ to limit oneself to washing the forearm only, without washing the palm. When you have finished washing the face, you start by washing the two hands, then wash each arm from the fingertips to the elbows. If you washed them before you washed your face, the first washing is Sunnah, but washing them after washing the face is fard (obligatory). Whoever only washes the arms between the wrists and elbows has not completed the obligatory action that is required of him, so he has to repeat his wudoo’ after he finishes it, or he has to wash the parts he has omitted, if he did wudoo’ recently, so he has to wash his two hands and what comes after that.



Al-Lu’lu’ al-Makeen min Fataawaa al-Shaykh Ibn Jibreen, p. 77 (www.islam-qa.com)



With regards to wiping the neck:


Question :


Is it a prescribed part of wudoo’ to wipe the neck or is it not mentioned in the Book of Allaah or the Sunnah of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)?

Answer :


Praise be to Allaah.



There is no proof in either the Book of Allaah or the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) that wiping the neck is part of wudoo’, so it is not a prescribed part of wudoo’.



Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 5/235 (www.islam-qa.com)