The Reality of Wudhu

8/7/2019 The Reality of Wudhu

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THE REALITY OF WUDHU

Author

By Ibn Haider

Translation

By Sayyeda Tanveer F.Rizvi


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CONTENTS

ForewordPreface.Introduction.

Hadhrat Uthmans (r.a) method of wuhdu.

Hadhrat Abdullah ibn Zaids (r.a) method of wudhu.

Hadhrat Abdullah ibn Abbass (r.a) method of wudhu.

Abu Hurayras strange (r.a) method of wudhu.

Hadhrat Abdullah ibn Umars (r.a) method of wudhu.

Mother of believers, Hadhrat Ayeshas (r.a) method of wudhu.

Muawiya Ibn Abu Sufyans method of wudhu.

Wiping between the toes.

Wiping through the beard.

A strange joke.

Conclusion.

Effects of terminology of traditions.

Disagreement about gargling and putting water in the nostrils.

Disagreement about taking water.

Is it obligatory or recommended to gargle and wash the nostrils?

Disagreement about washing of ankles and elbows.

Disagreement about wiping the head.

Disagreement about wiping the ears.

Disagreement about wiping over the socks.

Disagreement about washing the feet.

Disagreement about the extent to which the foot should be washed.

Disagreement about brushing the teeth.

An astonishing revelation.

Wudhu of the 20th century.


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Method of wudhu of Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi Sahab.

Method of wudhu of Imam Ahmad Raza Sahab Barelvi.

Method of wudhu of Maulana Mukhtar Ahmad Nadwi Sahab.

Method of wudhu of Maulvi Abdul Munim Nazir Sahab.

Method of wudhu of Janab Mohammad Asim al Haddad.

Five wudhus.

Conclusion.

Conclusive wudhu.

Universal wudhu.

Wudhu of Saudi Arabia.

Reason for disagreements.

Who should be referred to?

Who are these chosen ones?Reason for not referring to Ahlul bayt (a.s).

Loss due to refusing to refer to them (a.s).

Allahs command regarding wudhu.

Unveiling.

The method of wudhu of Mohammad (s.a.w.a) and his progeny (a.s).

Difference between Mohammad (s.a.w.a) and his progeny (a.s) and

the companions.

Wiping the whole head.Wiping the ears.

Wiping the neck.

Washing the feet.

Those traditions which caused the washing of the feet.

Abu Hurayra.

Abdullah ibn Amr ibn Aas.

Mother of believers Ayesha (r.a).

Abdullah ibn Umar (r.a)Traditions regarding wiping the feet.

Prejudice of Allamah Ibn Kathir.

Interpretation of verses regarding wudhu by Ahlul bayt (a.s).

Conclusion.

Bibliography.


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FOREWORD

In the name of Allah the Beneficent the Merciful

And this is my straight path, then follow it and do not go after otherpaths lest you leave the path of God. It is this that the Lord has

commanded, that you may be pious.

(Sura Anam verse.154)

The Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali ibn Abi Tabib (a.s.) said,

Know that Allah has made Islam the most sublime path for the

attainment of His supreme pleasure and the highest standard of His

worship and obedience. He has favored it with noble laws, exalted

principles, irrefutable arguments, unchallenged supremacy and

undeniable wisdom.

It is up to you to maintain the dignity granted to it by the Lord, to

follow it sincerely, to obey its tenets and orders and give it the

proper place in your lives.

Islam is the religion of belief in One God. It is the religion of unity

and brotherhood. In this age of knowledge and progress, Muslims

should rise above the petty prejudices of the dark past. They should

discard blind loyalties based on ignorance and move forward

together on the straight path of enlightenment. This is only possible

if they dedicate themselves to follow the truth, however much it

contradicts the beliefs of the forefathers.


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And when it is said to them, come to what Allah has revealed and

to the Apostle, they say: That on which we found our fathers issufficient for us. What! Even though their fathers knew nothing and

did not follow the right way. (Surah Maidah v 104)

It is the promise of Allah that He will make Islam triumph over all

other tyrannical powers and establish this religion in the east and

the west. When Allah permits the reappearance of the promised

Mahdi (a.s.) he will bring about the universal revolution of truth

against falsehood, to fill the earth with justice and equity as it was

filled with oppression and wickedness. The banner of monotheismwill fly over the whole world.

The truthful believers should remain committed to the two precious

things (thaqalain), the Book of Allah and the Prophets holy progeny

(a.s.) and pray for the reappearance of the Promised One of Allah

(a.s.) and to be granted the tawfeeq to unite under his leadership

and be included among his followers.

Success is with Allah, upon Him do we rely and unto Him do we

return.

Sayyeda Tanveer F. Rizvi

7, March 2011


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PREFACE

I am returning to the world,

whatever it gave me,

from experiences and occurrences.

Thanks to Allah, religious ideas are spreading very rapidly among

the modern youth. It is very satisfying to see that a lot of work is

being done from this aspect, in the city of Bombay. If some topic is

mentioned in front of someone, he immediately quotes a few

traditions regarding it, but it is very sad when conflicting traditions

appear on a particular topic. This confuses the mind and after a

little study, a person finds himself entangled in the variations in thetraditions and loses sight of the straight path.

I said to a Salafi, Whenever I mention a tradition, you label it weak.

Name one book which contains only correct traditions. We will refer

to it, alone. Maulana replied, There is no such book. All contain

some reliable and some unreliable traditions. I exclaimed, Why

dont we collect all the correct traditions in one book? This way wecan resolve all conflicts. The Maulana softly replied, This is

impossible. I too, asked softly, Why? The Maulana remained

silent for a while and then said, Our elders have collected these

traditions after a lot of struggle and effort. Now it is our duty to

select the correct traditions and ignore the others. I asked, Who


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will perform this task? The Maulana replied, It is the intellectual

obligation of every Muslim to investigate his faith.

Today, every Muslim understands religion according to his own

mentality and gives rulings. These rulings and traditions are so

confusing that a group of Muslims have declared themselves,

People of the Quran (Ahle-e-Quran). They have presented a lot of

proofs to show that traditions contradict the Quran. Thus they

refuse to accept any traditions. An example of this is wudhu. Today,

all Muslims have different methods of wudhu. When these methods

are presented to the Maulana, he says with a slight smile, The Holy

Prophet (s.a.w.a) has said, Differences among my nation are amercy. You can adopt whichever way satisfies your heart. God sees

your intention. Actually, if someone asks the Maulana in private,

you will find his heart too is uneasy. These differences in the nation

have increased to such an extent that till today, no one has been

able to describe the correct wudhu.

This is the reason, the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a) had advised in hiswill

I am leaving two precious things among you. One, the Book of

Allah, which is guidance and light, the other is my progeny. I

remind you of Allah with regards to my progeny I remind you of

Allah with regards to my progeny. (Sahih Muslim)

How sad it is that the Muslims have not honored even the will of the

Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a) and became attached to the Quran and

traditions and not the Quran and the progeny.


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In this short book, I have tried to make a small effort to show that

every religious act is based on Quranic text (nass) and whenever

anyone has left the Quran and made traditions his leader, he has

become deviated. The same thing applies to wudhu. Muslims have

left the command of the Quran and became entangled in the

traditions, thus becoming deprived of the correct wudhu.

Ibn Haider

Night of Ascension (30-07-2008)


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INTRODUCTION

I was sitting at my desk, lost in contemplation of the doubtful and

the evident matters, when suddenly the sound of the doorbell

interrupted my reverie. There was no one at home so I had to open

the door myself. Standing at the door, was one of my old friends

Nasir Bhai, accompanied by three strange men dressed in kurtapyjama, their red hair covered by skull caps, their beards growing

wild in all directions. Seeing the cuffs of their trousers reaching

only to their shins, I understood that these men have come to

reform me. After greetings, Nasir Bhai introduced them to me

saying, These men have come from London. I remarked,

Mashallah, have they brought something new in religion? Ignoring

my comment, he said, No, they wish to speak to you. I said,

Bismillah. Receiving my go ahead, he launched into a tirade onthe topic of the sacred pledge (kalema). After enduring this for two

or three minutes, I sneaked a look at Nasir Bhai who was sitting

with his head lowered, busy playing with the straps of his slippers.

The mans passionate tirade convinced me that he would continue

for quite some time. The manner in which he was twisting the Urdu

pronunciations recklessly, made me interrupt him, Excuse me sir.

Please state the purpose of your talk because you still have to visit

several more houses. Nasir Bhai sensed my irritation and

immediately said, Actually we have come to invite you to the world

Ijtema to be held at Kalyan. We wish that you too attend it and

benefit from it. At first, I brushed them off saying, Inshallah, Ill

try. Then I said to myself, why not visit this world Ijtema?


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poured it backwards over his arms. I was extremely surprised but

because this man was elderly, I couldnt say anything. After the

wudhu, he took out a gray towel and wiped his face and hands with

it. I looked carefully and saw that it was a white towel but because

of this wiping, it had turned gray. Then the third man came and the

fourth and the fifth. Thus several people performed their ablutions

but each one with some variation.

I was perplexed at how the people didnt even know the correct

method of wudhu. Who is responsible for this? The scholars? Have

they neglected their duties? My interest was aroused. On coming

home, I began searching all the books.

From Ashraf Ali Thanwi Sahab to Ahmad Raza Sahab and from

Mohammad Ilyas Sahab to Mukhtar Ahmad Nadwi Sahab, I

searched all the books. I found a different method with each

scholar. My curiosity increased and I combed through the Sihah

Sitta and even Muta. The result?

Oh! I seek refuge in Allah. I was besieged by the bees of rulings as

soon as I put my hand in the hive of disagreements. But each bee

had a difference story and a different tale to tell. I was perplexed.

After all, if such a small aspect of religion i.e. wudhu has so many

disagreements, what is the fault of the poor Muslims? No wonder,

every man performed a different wudhu.

There is no doubt that prayer is the pillar of faith. If prayers are

accepted, all the deeds are accepted and if not, all deeds are

wasted. The soul of prayers is wudhu. If your wudhu is correct,

your prayer will be accepted, otherwise it is just exercise. It has


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been related from Abu Hurayra in Bukhari and Muslim that Holy

Prophet (s.a.w.a) said, When your wudhu lapses, your prayers are

not accepted by Allah until you perform your wudhu again.

In brief, it would not be wrong to say that if your wudhu is correct,

then all your deeds are accepted or else, everything is rejected

because prayer is the pillar of faith and wudhu the pillar of prayer.

Now when we look closely at this pillar, wudhu, we find it has

become moth eaten and hollow due to the disagreements in the

rulings of the jurists. Each jurist presents a new method of wudhu.

Each traditionalist narrates a new concept. Each interpreter was

found performing the wudhu in a different way. Wudhu has beenwashed away in the flood of disagreements of the four Imams and

the new sects. We find ourselves on an island surrounded on all

sides by an ocean of rulings. We dont find a single secure boat

which can take us to the shore of salvation. Now, tell me where

should the simple Muslim go?

One of our scholars said that among the Muslims, there are twohundred disagreements on the topic of two units of prayers. I

thought this was an exaggeration. But when I saw the multitude of

differences on the topic of wudhu, I realized that he was right.

There are so many differences on the topic of wudhu, that I would

require a voluminous book to list them all. Todays writers are very

smart. After mentioning a new concept, they simply refer it to the

Sihah Sitta and absolve themselves of all responsibility. Thus,

instead of wandering here and there, why dont we start directlywith the Sihah Sitta?

The Sihah Sitta has described the method of wudhu from the

companions of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a) and each companion has


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claimed that he saw the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a) perform wudhu in

that particular way.

Come let us examine the truth of this claim.

METHOD OF WUDHU OF HADHRAT UTHMAN IBN AFFAN (R.A)

FIRST METHOD:

Umran ibn Abaan narrates, I saw Hadhrat Uthman perform wudhuso first he washed both his hands thrice, then he gargled and put

water in his nostrils then washed his face thrice, then washed his

arms up to his elbows thrice, then the same for his left arm then he

wiped his head then he washed his right foot thrice and likewise his

left foot. Then he said, I have seen the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a)

perform wudhu in this way. (Muslim V. 1 pg 364, Abu Dawud V 1

pg 74)

SECOND METHOD:

Ibn Abi Maleeka narrates, I saw Hadhrat Uthman. Someone asked

him about wudhu. He ordered water which was brought in a pot.

He poured water on his right hand, then he put his right hand

inside the pot and took out water. He then gargled thrice and put

water in his nostrils thrice and then washed his face thrice then he

washed his right arm thrice and similarly the left arm. Then he put

his hand into the water and wiped his head and ears, the inner part

once and the outer part once. Then he asked, Where are those who

are asking about wudhu? I have seen Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a)

perform wudhu in this way. (Abu Dawud V 1 pg 75)


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to his elbows and left out the wiping of the head and the ears. None

of the traditions show him brushing his teeth nor wiping his beard

nor wiping his toes.

METHOD OF WUDHU OF ABDULLAH IBN ZAID

FIRST METHOD:

Abdullah ibn Zaid ordered a vessel of water. First he lowered his

hands and washed them thrice and then he put his hand inside the

vessel and gargled and blew his nose thrice, using one handful of

water. Then he put both his hands inside the vessel and took out

the water with cupped hands and washed his face thrice. Then he

washed both his arms up to his elbows twice. Then he took water

with both his hands and wiped his head, taking his hands towards

the back of the head and then to the front. Then he washed his feet

and said, I have seen the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a) perform wudhu in

this way.

SECOND METHOD:

Abdullah ibn Zaid ordered water for wudhu and then he put water

on his hands and washed both hands twice, then he gargled and

put water in his nostrils thrice then he washed his arms up to his

elbows twice. Then he wiped his head with both his hands taking

them backward and then forward i.e. he began wiping by taking

both hands from his forehead to the nape of his neck and then back

from the nape of his neck to his forehead then he washed his feet.(Bukhari V 1 pg 181, Ibn Maja V 1 pg 151, Muta pg 27)

THIRD METHOD:


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He ordered water then washed both his hands thrice then

put his hand inside the vessel and took it out and gargled and put

water in his nostril with the same handful of water. He did this

thrice. Then he put his hand inside the vessel and took water and

washed his face thrice. Again he put his hand inside the vessel and

took it out and washed his arms up to his elbows twice. Then he

put his hand inside the vessel and took it out and wiped his head,

first bringing his hands towards the front then taking them

backwards then he washed his feet up to his ankles. Then he said

the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a) used to perform the wudhu in this

way.(Muslim V 1 pg 373)

FOURTH METHOD:

Abdullah ibn Zaid said that I saw the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a) that

when he performed wudhu, he washed his face thrice and washed

his arms twice and washed his feet twice and wiped his head twice.

(Sunan Nisai V 1 pg 37)

SUMMARY;

The above mentioned traditions state that there is a difference in

the four methods of Abdullah ibn Zaid. In the first method, he

washed his hands twice, in the second method twice. In the first

method, he blew his nose, in the second and third he didnt. In the

second and third method, he gargled and put water in his nostrils

with the same handful. He has left out wiping the ears in all the

four methods and washed his feet only once (not thrice). In thefourth method, he washed his feet twice and wiped his head twice

too. Here he washed his feet first and wiped his head last.

METHOD OF WUDHU OF ABDULLAH IBN ABBAS (R.A)


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FIRST METHOD:

Ibn Abbas said, Shall I show you how the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a)

used to do wudhu? Then he ordered a vessel of water and took one

handful of water in his right hand and gargled with it and put waterin his nostrils. Then he took another handful of water and washed

his face using both hands, then he took another handful and

washed his right arm and then took a handful of water to wash his

left arm, then he took a handful of water and threw it and wiped his

head and ears then he took a handful of water and sprinkled it on

his left foot while he was wearing his shoes. Then he passed his

hand over his foot and another hand under his shoe. He repeated

this with his left foot. (Abu Dawud V 1 pg 85)

SECOND METHOD:

Ibn Abbas performed wudhu and he washed his face. Taking a

handful of water, he washed his left hand then he wiped his head

then he took another handful of water and he sprinkled it over his

right foot and washed it. Then he took another handful of water and

washed his left foot and said, I have seen Holy Propket (s.a.w.a)perform wudhu in this way. (Bukhari V 1 pg 166)

THIRD METHOD:

Rabi (r.a) says that Ibn Abbas came to me and he asked me about

the tradition which states that Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a) performed

wudhu and washed his feet. Ibn Abbas said, People reject thewashing of the feet and I too have not seen anything except wiping

of the feet in the Quran. (Ibn Maja V 1 pg 156)

FOURTH METHOD:


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Ibn Abbas narrates that Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a) said that you should

blow your nose well, twice or thrice (Abu Dawud V 1 pg 86)

FIFTH METHOD:

It is narrated from Ibn Abbas that Holy prophet (s.a.w.a) wiped his

ears by putting his forefinger and index finger in his ears and put

his thumbs on the outer portion of his ear in such a way that both

the inner and outer parts were wiped.( Ibn Maja V 1 pg 152)

SUMMARY:

In all these five methods, Ibn Abbas first began his wudhu by

gargling and putting water in his nostrils and he didnt wash his

hands. Then, instead of washing his feet, he sprinkled water on

them and wiped them while wearing his shoes. In the second

method, he left out washing the hands and began by gargling. For

washing his face, he took water in one hand and then transferred it

to the other hand and then washed his face (the logic of this is

incomprehensible) and he did not wipe his ears and sprinkled water

on his feet. In the third method, he considers washing the feet to be

wrong. In the fourth method, he has ordered for the nose to be

blown. Also, he has done all the acts only once and he has never

blown his nose. The method of wiping the ears which he has

described in the fifth method is not included in any of his wudhu.

ABU HURAYRAS METHOD OF WUDHU

FIRST METHOD :


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It is narrated from Abu Hazim that I was behind Abu Hurayra while

he was preparing for prayer. He was washing his arms right up to

his underarms. I asked Abu Hurayra, what kind of wudhu is this?

Abu Hurayra replied O son of Farookh, are you present? If I knew

that you are here, I would not have done wudhu in this way. I heard

my friend (Holy Prophet s.a.w.a) say that on the day of Judgement,

the believer will be adorned with ornaments upto the part included

in the wudhu. (Muslim V 1 pg 380, Sunan Nisai V 1 pg 55)

SECOND METHOD :

Naeem ibn Abdullah narrates that he saw Abu Hurayra while he

was performing wudhu; he washed his face and both arms until he

reached his shoulders. Then he washed both feet until he reachedthe shins. After this he said that I have seen the Holy Prophet

(s.a.w.a.) perform wudhu in this way. (Muslim V1 pg 380)

THIRD METHOD :

It is narrated from Abu Hurayra that he said Whenever you

perform wudhu, you should clean your nostrils and then blow your

nose. Then he said Whenever you wake up you should blow your

nose thrice because the Satan lives inside the nose. (Muslim V 1 pg376, Sunan Nisai V1 pg 33)

FOURTH METHOD:

It is narrated from Abu Hurayra that Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) said

Whenever you perform wudhu you should sprinkle water on the

front portion of your trousers.(Ibn Maja V1 pg 158)

SUMMARY:

Here we come across the strange method of Abu Hurayra which is

neither mentioned nor applied by anyone. In the first method he

was seen (secretly) performing wudhu and washing his arms up to

his underarms. In the second method when he openly performed

wudhu, he neither washed his hands nor did he gargle or put water


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in his nostrils. He begins by washing his face and washes his arms

up to his shoulders and feet up to the shins. Neither does he wipe

his head nor his ears. In the third method he advises blowing the

nostrils but is not seen applying his own advice. The fourth method

is such which no decent person would ever follow it, which is that

after wudhu, water should be sprinkled on the urinary organ so

that self control is attained (and he makes an exhibition of himself

from house to masjid)

METHOD OF ABDULLAH IBN UMAR (R.A.)

FIRST METHOD :

It is narrated from Ibn Umar that once he performed wudhu and

said This is the wudhu without which Allah will not accept prayers.

Then he performed wudhu again and said This wudhu is

sufficient. Then he did wudhu the third time and said This is the

complete wudhu and my wudhu is the same as the wudhu of

Ibrahim, the friend of Allah. (Ibn Maja V1 pg 147)

SECOND METHOD:

Nafe narrates that Abdullah ibn Umar urinated in the market and

then performed wudhu and washed his face and hands and wiped

his head. Then he was called for performing burial prayers. When

he arrived at the Masjid, he wiped his feet over his socks and then

performed the burial prayers. (Muta V 1 pg 39)

THIRD METHOD:

It is narrated from Saad Ibn Abi Waqqas that Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a)

wiped his feet over his socks and when Abdullah ibn Umar asked


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Hadhrat Umar about it, he replied, Yes, the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a)

did wipe his feet over his socks. (Bukhari V 1 p 186)

FOURTH METHOD:

It is narrated from Ubaid ibn Jarrah that I said to Abdullah ibn

Umar, I have seen you wearing leather shoes and wiping your feet

while wearing them. He replied, I saw the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a)

wearing shoes and doing wudhu while wearing them. (Sunan Nisai

V 1 pg 44)

FIFTH METHOD:

Abdullah ibn Umar used to take water on his fingers for wiping his

ears. (Muta V 1 pg 37)

SUMMARY:

Abdullah ibn Umar is seen doing wudhu in five different ways. Inthe first method, he is seen doing wudhu once and then three

times. In the second method, neither did he wash his hands

although he had come from the toilet nor did he gargle or put water

in his nostrils. He only washed his face and hands and wiped his

head. After going a little distance, he reached the masjid, so he

wiped his feet over his socks (God knows from where he got the

wetness on his hands). In the third method, he makes his father

Hadhrat Umar a witness over the act of wiping over the socks. Inthe fourth method, he does wudhu while wearing shoes (i.e. he

must be wiping his feet because no one can wash their feet while

wearing shoes but can wipe). In the fifth method, he tells about

wiping the ears i.e. took water with two fingers while no companion

of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a) has been seeing doing this.


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METHOD OF WUDHU OF MOTHER OF BELIEVERS HADHRAT

AYESHA (R.A)

It is narrated from Abu Abdullah, whose name was Saam and was

famous as Sablan. Hadhrat Ayesha used to wonder at his

trustworthiness and employed him for her works. He says, Once

Hadhrat Ayesha showed me how the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a) used to

do wudhu. She first gargled and put water in the nostrils thrice

then washed the face thrice then washed the right arm thrice and

the left arm thrice. The she put her hand on her head and pulled it

backwards once. Then she passed her hands over her ears and then

over her cheeks. (Nisai V 1 pg 38)

METHOD OF WUDHU OF MUAWIYAH IBN ABU SUFYAN

Muawiyah ibn Abu Sufyan did wudhu to show the people as he had

seen the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a) do it. When he reached the point of

wiping the head, he took one handful of water and put it on the top

of his head such that it almost began to flow. Then he wiped


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backwards and forwards. It is narrated from Mahmud ibn Khalid

Walid, as the first narrator of the same tradition that Muawiyah did

wudhu thrice and washed his feet innumerable times. (Abu Dawud

V 1 pg 81)

SUMMARY:

The narrator says that Muawiyah did wudhu to show the people

how Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a) used to do i.e he performed this wudhu

while he was very particular about it. God knows how he used to do

wudhu in privacy. It is good that the narrator has only told about

the incomplete wudhu, only wiping the head and washing of thefeet. I wonder how he started the wudhu.

WIPING BETWEEN THE TOES

Mastoor ibn Shaddad saw the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) wipe between

his toes with his little finger. (Ibn Maja V1 pg 153)

SUMMARY:

If this is really a practice of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) then why did

the other companions not follow it? A number of traditions agree

regarding washing the feet and wiping the feet over the socks. None

of the highly revered companions were ever seen wiping between the

toes except for this tradition.

WIPING THE BEARD

It is narrated from Anas ibn Malik that when the Holy Prophet

(s.a.w.a.) used to do wudhu, he would take one handful of water


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2) Zaid ibn Haritha narrates from the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) that

Jibrael showed me the method of wudhu and instructed me to

sprinkle water on the clothes to avoid doubt of clothes being impure

with urine. (Ibn Maja V1 pg 157)

3) Abu Hurayra narrates that the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) said.

When you do wudhu, sprinkle water on the front part of your

trousers. (Ibn Maja V 1 pg 158)

4) Hakam ibn Sufyan narrates that the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) used

to urinate and after wudhu, sprinkle water (on his private parts).

(Abu Dawud V 1 pg 96)

SUMMARY:

This is so strange! Even Maulana Wahid-uz-Zaman has participated

in this joke. Instead of rejecting this tradition as weak, he has

explained it. He writes. Ahmad and Darqatni have narrated from

Zaid ibn Haritha that in the initial period Jibrael came to the Holy

Prophet (s.a.w.a.) and taught him the wudhu and prayers. When he

finished doing wudhu, he took a handful of water and sprinkled iton his private parts. (Abu Dawud V 1, pg 96)

If this is the reality of wudhu, then why didnt the people act on the

command and obey Allah and the Prophet? What is the reason that

the Prophets companions, the followers (tabeyeen) and the

followers followers (tab-e-tabeyeen), the four Imams and the

modern scholars did not obey the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.)?

CONCLUSION


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Now if the faith of a Muslim awakens and he wishes to follow the

prayers and fasting diligently, which method of wudhu will you

teach him? If you tell him, the method of Hadhrat Uthman, then

sometimes he will gargle first and put water in his nostrils and

sometimes begin by washing the hands. Sometimes, he wipes the

ears and sometimes not, wiping the head, sometimes once and

sometimes twice. He washes the feet sometimes and sometimes he

doesnt. If he follows the method of Abdullah ibn Zaid, he

sometimes blows his nose and sometimes doesnt. Sometimes he

uses one handful and sometimes two. He doesnt wipe his ears. At

times, he washes his feet after wiping the head. At other times, he

first washes his feet then wipes his head. Abdullah ibn Abbas does

wudhu while wearing his shoes because he doesnt like to wash hisfeet. He only wipes his head but does not wipe his ears. He does all

the acts once but blows his nose thrice. Abu Hurayra is so greedy

for rewards that he washes his arms up to his shoulders and his

feet up to his shins and sprinkles water on his private parts so that

people do not know whether this dampness is due to urine or water.

Abdullah ibn Umar doesnt like to wash his hands or gargle. He

begins his wudhu by washing his face. Like ibn Abbas, he does

wudhu while wearing shoes and instead of washing his feet, makesdo with wiping them. Albeit, he uses two fingers for wiping his ears.

The mother of believers Hadhrat Ayesha completes wiping her head

by pulling her hands from the front to the back but does not bring

it from the back to the front. Leaving the method of the Holy

Prophet (s.a.w.a.) of wiping the ears, she just puts her hands on her

ears and after this, she wipes her cheeks in the same way.

Muawiyah puts a handful of water on his head (God knows why)

and wholeheartedly washes his feet without counting.

Be honest! After seeing all these methods, is it possible to do a

proper wudhu? Impossible! If all the methods are brought together

and one method of wudhu is compiled, it cant be called wudhu. We


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will have to give it some other name. Now what should we reply to

the people ?

The four Imams and other jurists have said, Dont worry! We will

solve this problem. Actually, this is an intellectual problem and

beyond the purview of common people. Leave it to us and you

manage your own affairs. Then these jurists, using their insight

performed an operation of the traditions. Each jurist tried to

construct a wudhu according to his own knowledge and faith. As a

result, the door of disagreements has opened up. Every scholar

tried to prove his own wudhu as correct and others wrong and used

the Sihah Sitta to justify their views. They termed all the traditionswhich conformed to their ideas, reliable (even if their narrator was

untrustworthy) and stamped the traditions of others as weak (even

if they were unanimously accepted). They also formulated laws for

terminology of traditions so that they could escape all blame. These

laws have nothing to do with the religious principles. They are only

based on speculation of the scholars. It is clear that wherever

speculation is employed, corruption will raise its ugly head. Each

sect formulated laws, according to their own beliefs, although theselaws have neither been mentioned in the Quran nor in the

traditions of the Prophet (s.a.w.a). These are just masks for hiding

their defect. They do not dare to reject a tradition that casts a slur

on the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) and just content themselves with

calling it weak. The only reason for this is that the narrator of that

tradition has related seventy traditions. If they reject him as

unreliable, all those traditions will be termed unreliable. In this

way, the Sihah Sitta will become hollow. The Muslims are bearingthe brunt of these mistakes till this day.

If the Muslims had called truth correct and lie as wrong, then

matters would not have come to this stage. But by using the terms


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stopped (mauquf), unaccepted (ghayr maqbool), weak (dhaif) and

strange (ghareeb), they have confused the religious matters to such

an extent that they could not be resolved till today.

EFFECTS OF TERMINOLOGY OF TRADITIONS

Imam Nadwi has related its benefits and has mentioned its effects,

in the translation of Sahih Muslim,. Mohammad Asim al Haddad

Sahab has written a book Fiqh-us-Sunnah after a lot of effort and

struggle, in which he has stated the details of the Hanafis, the

Malikis, the Shafeis, the Hanbalis and other common schools of

jurisprudence and he has thrown light on these effects. Here is a

summary of the discussions of both these scholars.

DISAGREEMENTS ABOUT GARGLING AND PUTTING WATER IN

THE NOSTRILS

1) Three handfuls of water should be taken and each handful

should be used for gargling and putting in the nostrils.

2) One handful should be used for both, gargling thrice and then for

putting water in the nostrils thrice.

3) One handful should be taken and then first he should gargle

then put water in his nostril and he should gargle then put water in

his nostril and then he should gargle then put water in his nostril.


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4) Take two handfuls and then use each handful for gargling once

and then with the second handful, he should put water in his nose

thrice.

5) He should take six handfuls, the first three handfuls for garglingand the other three handfuls for putting water in the nostrils.

DISAGREEMENT IN TAKING WATER

1) Putting one hand for taking water

2) Putting two hands for taking water

3) Cupping both hands together to take water

4) Right hand should be taken for gargling and putting water in

nostril

5) Both hands should be washed before putting hands in the vessel

IS IT OBLIGATORY OR RECOMMENDED TO GARGLE AND PUT

WATER IN THE NOSTRILS?

1) They are recommended in both wudhu and ghusl, as per the

schools of Malik and Shafei. Among the early scholars, Hasan

Basri, Zuhri, Hakim, Qatada, Rabia, Yahya ibn Saeed Ansari, Uzrai

and Layth ibn Saad have favoured it and Ata and Ahmad have also

narrated it.

2) Both are obligatory and if they are left out, wudhu and ghusl is

not complete. This is the way of Ahmad ibn Hanbal and Ibn Abi


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Layla, Hammad and Ishaq ibn Rahawiya and there is also a

narration regarding it from Ata.

3) Both are obligatory in ghusl but not in wudhu. This is the

opinion of Abu Hanifa and his followers and Sufiyan Sauri.

4) Putting water in the nostrils is obligatory in both wudhu and

ghusl while gargling in both is recommended. This is the opinion of

Abu Saur, Abu Ubayda, Dawud Zahiri and Abu Bakr ibn Munzir

and there is also a narration of Ahmad regarding it.

DISAGREEMENT ABOUT WASHING ANKLES AND ELBOWS

Scholars are unanimous that washing of ankles and elbows is

obligatory while Zafar and Dawud Zahiri do not consider it

obligatory.

DISAGREEMENT ABOUT WIPING THE HEAD

1) According to Imam Shafei, the wiping of the head three times is

recommended just as the other parts are washed thrice.

2) According to Abu Hanifa, Malik, Ahmad and a majority of

scholars, it is recommended to wipe the head once.

3) Regarding the extent of the head to be wiped, Imam Shafei and a

group of scholars consider wiping of the whole head to be

obligatory.

4) Regarding the extent of the head to be wiped, Imam Abu Hanifa

considers wiping one fourth of the head to be recommended.


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DISAGREEMENT ABOUT WIPING THE EARS

1) Wiping of the ears is considered recommended by all except

Imam Ahmad and Ishaq ibn Rahawiya who consider it obligatory.

2) Water can be taken separately for wiping the ears but it is

recommended to wipe the head and the ears with the same wetness.

3) Imam Abu Hanifa, Sufiyan Sauri and others generally prescribe

taking water separately for the wiping of the ears. Imam Ibn Qayyim

states Taking water separately for wiping the ears is not proved.

Although it is established according to Abdullah ibn Umar .

4) As per Imam Malik, Shafei, Ahmad ibn Hanbal and some others,

water should be taken separately for wiping the ears after the

wiping of the head.

5) Abdullah ibn Zaid narrates that the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) took

water separately for wiping the ears after wiping the head.

6) As per a tradition by Ibn Abbas, the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) wiped

the head and ears with the same water.

DISAGREEMENT ABOUT WIPING OVER THE SOCKS

1) According to Nawwi, scholars are unanimous over the validity of

wiping over the socks. It is valid in both travel or otherwise and

whether needed or not.

2) Besides the Shia and the Khawarij, all accept its permissibility.

3) Hasan Basri says that seventy companions told me that they had

seen the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) wipe over his socks.


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4) Our companions (Salafis) state that it is better to wash the feet

and Hadhrat Umar (r.a.) and Abu Ayyub Ansari agree with this.

5) One group of followers (tabeyeen) believes that wiping is better

and this is the opinion of Shabi, Hakam and Hammad.

6) Hanbalis consider it better to wipe over socks than to remove

them and wash the feet. Some Hanafis agree with this.

7) According to Imam Malik it is permissible to wipe over leather

socks, not any other types of socks.

8) Imam Shafei considers it permissible to wipe over shoes worn

with socks, not otherwise.

9) Shafeis and Hanbalis believe that if shoes and socks have holes

in them, it is not permissible to wipe over them.

10) As per Malikis if the hole in the socks is more than one third of

the foot the wiping will not be permissible, otherwise it is allowed.

DISAGREEMENT OVER WASHING THE FEET

1) It is obligatory to wash the feet upto the ankles and wiping the

feet is not sufficient. After washing the feet, it is not necessary to

wipe them.

2) Shia consider it obligatory to wipe both feet.

3) As per Muhammad ibn Jurair and the Motazeli Imam, Jubai, it is

permissible to choose either of the two; washing the feet or wiping

them.

4) Some of the Zahiris state that it is obligatory to wash the feet as

well as wipe them.


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DISAGREEMENT ABOUT THE EXTENT OF THE FEET TO BE

WASHED

1) It should be washed more than the ankles and the elbows. How

much more? There is no limit.

2) Some say that up to half of the upper arm should be washed and

similarly feet up to the shins.

3) Some say that arms should be washed up to the shoulders.

DISAGREEMENT ABOUT BRUSHING THE TEETH.

1) Shaikh Abu Hamid narrates from Dawud Tai that it is obligatory

to brush the teeth but it is such an obligation leaving of which does

not make prayers void.

2) It is narrated from Ishaq ibn Rahawiya that brushing the teeth is

obligatory. If it is left out intentionally, prayers are void.

3) According to Imam Shafei brushing the teeth is disliked for one

who is fasting because Allah likes the smell of his mouth which

occurs due to not eating.

4) Nawwi says brushing is not obligatory.

5) A group of scholars which include most of the jurists, theologians

and companions consider it obligatory to brush the teeth.

AN ASTONISHING REVELATION


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Historians write that after the death of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.)

whenever anyone quoted or wrote a tradition of the Holy Prophet

(s.a.w.a.) he was told to desist, for fear that they may not be mixed

up with the Quran. At that time, all the companions were busy in

collecting the Quran. It is written that Hadhrat Umar was very

short- tempered and used to go around with a whip, ready to lash

anyone who tried to mix Quran with hadith. This continued till the

time of Hadhrat Uthman. He completed the task of compiling the

Quran. Since all the companions were steeped in the customs and

practices of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.), no one felt the need to write

and collect the traditions. Whenever any problem came up, people

solved it by consulting each other. The work of collection and

documentation of traditions began in the middle of HadhratUthmans reign and during Muawiyahs time. This is the reason

Muawiyah is called writer of divine inspirations. All the traditions

of the present day are a result of his efforts.

During the reign of Muawiyah, the court used to be full of narrators

of traditions. Each person was rewarded for relating traditions.

Thus some people appeared who used to relate traditions just due

to the greed for rewards. It is mentioned in Sahih Muslim that

Hadhrat Uthman said to his slave, Humran Some people relate

such traditions from the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) which I have never

heard.(Muslim V1 pg 369) This shows that in those times,

fabricated traditions were in circulation to such an extent, that even

the Caliph of the time, Hadhrat Uthman says that people are

relating things which he has not heard.

My heart says and I really believe that the companions of the Holy

Prophet (s.a.w.a.) must have said Bismillah and also made theintention but this was not included in the traditions. What could be

the reason for this? The Media? The real media in those times was

in the hands of Muawiyah. This is the reason that not a single

tradition regarding wudhu has come from the Ahlul Bayt (a.s.).

They have not taken a single tradition from Hadhrat Abu Bakr or


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Hadhrat Umar. Instead they have taken numerous traditions from

Hadhrat Uthman because he was related to Muawiyah.

Once Muawiyah called Jabir ibn Abdullah Ansari and asked him

the explanation of Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim. Jabir said I askedImam Ali (a.s.) the explanation of Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim. He

continued explaining until the night passed and it was dawn. Imam

Ali (a.s.) said Jabir, I will shorten the explanation. Know that

whatever is in the Quran is in Surah Hamd and whatever is in

Surah Hamd is in Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim. whatever is in

Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim is in the Ba of Bismillah and

whatever is in Ba is in the dot under it and I am that

dot.(Allahumma salle ala Muhammad wa Ale Muhammad) Hearingthis Muawiyah promptly asked Did Ali really say this? Jabir said

Yes Muawiyah said Yes, it is possible that Ali said this, he never

told a lie

After this incident Muawiyah announced (in hatred of Ali) Beware,

No one is permitted to say Bismillah before beginning recitation of

Surah Hamd. He even went as far as removing Bismillah from

prayers. Right up to this day the leader of prayers in the Holy

Kaaba does not recite Bismillah before Surah Hamd. It was in thisenvironment that Zuhri, a companion of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.)

came from Medina to Damascus (the capital of Muawiyahs

kingdom) and met Anas ibn Malik. There was such an atmosphere

of intrigue, deceit and fear that one had to take precaution even

before calling out to someone. The practice of the Holy Prophet

(s.a.w.a.) had been distorted and deformed in such a way that Anas

ibn Malik burst into tears. When Zuhri saw Anas crying, he was

surprised and asked Areyou all right? Why are you crying? Anasreplied I do not find anything that I found in the time of the Holy

Prophet (s.a.w.a.) except prayer and even that has been destroyed!

(Bukhari V1 pg 301) In another tradition it is written that Anas ibn

Malik said to Gheelan ibn Jurair I do not see anything from the

time of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) People said Thereare prayers.


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He replied Evenin prayers, you have done what you have done.

(Bukhari V1 pg 301) This sentence shows that there was so much

fear of Muawiyah in Damascus that even a common companion of

the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) could not openly express his views. This

is the reason he cautiously said You people have done what you

have done. Neither did he name Muawiyah out of fear nor did he

say that you have left out Bismillah from prayers. Imam Ali (a.s.) in

the time of his caliphate, conducted prayers in exactly the same

way as the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) used to do. Imam Bukhari has

mentioned this fact in his Sahih in the following way.

Once Mutrif ibn Abdullah ibn Shakhir and Imran ibn Haseen

followed in prayers led by Imam Ali (a.s.) After the prayers, Imranibn Haseen took the hand of ibn Shakhir and said Today this man

(Ali a.s.) has reminded me of the prayers of the Holy Prophet

(s.a.w.a.). (Bukhari V1 pg 387)

Didnt the Imams before him conduct prayers of the Prophet

(s.a.w.a.)?

Yes! It was the hatred of Ali (a.s.) that made them remove Bismillah

from wudhu and prayers. See how silently hypocrisy overcomes thepeople!

When narrators do not find mention of Bismillah and intention for

wudhu in the traditions, they get on with their job by simply adding

something from themselves. A sample of this is found in Sunan

Nisai. When they could not find a single tradition mentioning

intention for wudhu, they simply took a tradition about intention

and put it in the chapter of wudhu.

It is narrated from Umar ibn Khattab that once the Holy Prophet

(s.a.w.a.) said Actions are related to intentions. Each person will

receive (reward) for his actions according to his intention. Thus the

migration of a person for Allah and His Prophet, is for Allah and His

Prophet. And the migration of one who migrated to attain the world


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or for a woman he wishes to marry, will be for the world or the

woman. (Nisai V1 pg 26)

Actually this tradition is from the chapter of migration, but it has

been planted in the chapter of wudhu and on the basis of thistradition, they make the following conclusion It is obligatory to

make intention for wudhu

There is another example of this about Bismillah. The Holy Prophet

(s.a.w.a.) said to his companions Do you have water (for wudhu)?

Then he put his hands in the water and said Do wudhu in the

name of Allah. The companions saw that water was streaming out

from between his fingers. All of them did wudhu and none

remained. (Sunan Nisai V1 pg 28) This tradition clearlydemonstrates the importance of saying Bismillah.

There is no doubt that the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) ordered his

companions to make intention and also to say Bismillah as seen

above. He said Bismillah and water sprang from his hands but the

question arises: Why did the companions not obey his command?

Why was it taken out from the traditions? If the matter had been

confined to the time of Muawiyah, this matter would have beenburied long ago. But the fact that it has persisted shows that his

followers have continued his mission and made every effort to keep

people away from the blessings of Bismillah.

Alas! The hatred of Ali (a.s.) has brought the people to such a point

that they have openly rebelled against the practice of the Holy

Prophet (s.a.w.a.). Those traditions which mentioned Bismillahir

Rahmanir Rahim were altered and the scholars ordered Do not say

Bismillah. Here is an example:

Abu Hurayra narrates that the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) said A

person who does not perform wudhu, his prayers are not valid and

the person who does not say Bismillah, his wudhu is not walid.

(Abu Dawud V1 pg 73)


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It is absolutely clear from the above mentioned tradition that if

Bismillah is not said wudhu is void and thus prayers are

unacceptable. Allama Wahid-uz-Zaman was roused to demonstrate

his love for Muawiyah by opposing the practice of saying Bismillah.

He writes One should not say Bismillahir Rahman Rahim in the

beginning. The apparent meaning of the tradition proves the

necessity of saying Bismillah and according to a group of scholars it

is proved to be the prophetic practice. (Abu Dawud V1 pg 73)

On one side the Allamah accepts that a group of scholars consider

it necessary to say Bismillah and another group of scholars

consider it a prophetic practice. He also accepts that this tradition

proves the necessity of saying Bismillah. One the other hand heshows his loyalty to Bani Umayya by announcing that One should

not say Bismillah in the beginning. But why? Is this also an

innovation?

Sometimes you mingle with us,

Sometimes with others,

This I hesitate to say,

But you too are guilty of betrayal.

WUDHU OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY

After a detailed study of the numerous traditions on the topic of

wudhu, scholars have been able to describe the methods of wudhu.

One jurist says to use one handful for doing wudhu while the other

says to use three handfuls. One said it is obligatory to gargle and


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put water in the nostrils, another said it is recommended. One says

elbows should be included while washing hands while another says

it is not necessary. One considers brushing of the teeth obligatory;

the other says it is recommended. One is satisfied with wiping some

part of the head once while another insists on wiping the whole

head, thrice. One is happy to wash his feet while another wipes

them. Once while relating these differences, Imam Nadwi bursts out

and vents his frustration saying:

The person who considers the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) equal to

himself and does not accept all the commands of the Holy Prophet

(s.a.w.a.) as essential and necessary is the most ignorant, foolish,

dumb and idiotic person. (Muslim V1 pg 388)All right, Imam Nadwi has vented his anger but where should we

go? I asked the Maulana Please show me the way the Holy Prophet

(s.a.w.a.) used to do wudhu. Since the Maulana was affiliated to a

particular school of jurisprudence, he said Do wudhu is so and so

manner, as it is the best way. I asked Does this mean the other

methods are incorrect? He replied Theytoo are correct.

Then why did you give preference to that wudhu? Maulana replied

Thisway has been accepted by a majority. I said Maulana, butthe Quran says that the majority is deviated and the minority is

always on truth. This has been proved from the traditions too.

The Maulana changed his stance and said What do you want?

I said Thecorrect method of wudhu of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.).

Trying to brush me off, Maulana said You can use whichever

method you feel comfortable with, because Allah does not see your

wudhu, he sees your intention. If the intention is good all deeds are

good, otherwise it is all wasted. I thanked the Maulana and tookhis leave but I was not convinced. Till today, we have been told that

if wudhu is incorrect all deeds are void but here Maulana is telling

me that Allah sees only your intention. If intention is so important

then why dont they make intention?


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After being disappointed with the Maulana I thought, modern

scholars have derived the method of wudhu from the traditions.

Why dont I refer to them? Let us see how modern scholars have

described the method of wudhu.

1-MAULANA ASHRAF ALI THANWIS METHOD OF WUDHU

Maulana Ashraf Ali Sahab is connected with the Deoband ideology.

The Tablighi Jamaat and other Deobandis consider him their

patron. He writes the method of wudhu in his book Beheshti Zevar

pg 52:

Say Bismillah at the beginning of wudhu. First wash the hands up

to the wrists, then gargle thrice and brush the teeth. If tooth brush

is not available, a rough cloth or clean finger should be used to

clean the dirt off the teeth. If he is not fasting, he should put water

in all corners of his mouth and gargle thoroughly. If he is fasting he

should abstain, as water may reach his throat. Then he should put

water in his nose thrice and clean the nose with the right hand. If

he is fasting he should not put water in the portion beyond the soft

fleshy part. Then he should wash his face making the water flowfrom the hair on his head to the part below the chin and from the

lobe of the ears, from one side to the other. The water should soak

the skin below the eyebrows too and it should not remain dry. Then

he should wipe between the fingers of his left hand with his right

hand by twining his fingers through them, thrice. He should remove

the rings and anything else he is wearing, so that the part under it

does not remain dry. Then he should wipe the whole head once and

after that wipe the ears. He should wipe the inner part of the earwith the forefinger and the upper part with the thumb. Then he

should wipe the nape of the neck with the back of the hand but he

should not wipe the neck as this is wrong and forbidden. There is

no need to take new water for wiping the ears. The water remaining

on the fingers after wiping the head, should be used. Then he


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should wash his right foot up to the ankles thrice. Then he should

wash the left foot in the same way thrice, and then wipe between

his toes with the little finger of his left hand, starting from the toes

of the right foot and ending with the toes of the left foot. This is the

method of wudhu.

SUMMARY: Thanwi Sahab has not given importance to making

intention and not even mentioned it. Brushing the teeth after

gargling thrice is like drinking water before eating food. Cant the

teeth be brushed before wudhu? Doesnt brushing in between result

in a gap between the actions of wudhu? And doesnt its

performance in the middle of the wudhu imply its being essentialfor it? Actually it is recommended and gargling by circulating water

in the throat is not seen in the traditions. Doesnt such an action

cause discomfort to those in the vicinity? Isnt it impolite to do so in

civilized company? Our religion is the straightforward religion and

there is no defect in it. Religion (deen) means law. The laws relating

to everyday life are extremely balanced and there is no discrepancy

in it. These are such laws which apply in summer, winter, rainy and

every other season. The laws which keep changing like the seasoncan not be called Islamic. One wudhu for the fasting person and

another for the non fasting person, this matter looks shaky. It is

found neither in the Quran nor the practice of the Holy Prophet

(s.a.w.a.).

The Quran only orders wiping the head and there is no mention of

the ears or the neck. If the ears and neck are parts of the head,

then why not the throat? It is enough to just say Wipe the head

and include all the actions in this. This separate mention proves

that it is not included among the obligatory actions. If it is included

then why has the throat been left out? Isnt it part of the head?

Nearly all jurists have ruled that it is obligatory to wipe one fourth

of the head and it is recommended to wipe the whole head. All of


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them have mentioned wiping of the whole head. Would someone

please explain what is one fourth of the head and where do the ears

and neck come?

2-METHOD OF WUDHU OF IMAM AHMAD RAZA SAHAB BARELVI

The personality of Imam Ahmad Sahab does not require an

introduction. He is one of the foremost elders of the Barelvi school.

He describes the method of wudhu in the following way in his book

Al Malfuz-e- Kamil :

When you first sit to do wudhu, you should say Bismillah because

the wudhu which is commenced with the name of Allah will purify

the whole body, otherwise only that part will be purified on which

the water falls. Then he should wash his arms up to his shoulders

thrice, by first putting water on his right hand with his left hand

and putting water on his left hand with right hand and he should

be careful not to miss the web of his fingers. Then he should gargle

in such a way that water reaches the roots and gaps between the

teeth because this is the established practice. Then he should put

water in his nostrils till it reaches the soft flesh inside as this too isthe established practice. It there is a beard it should be thoroughly

soaked and if even one hair root remains dry, the wudhu is not

correct. The face should be washed lengthwise from the hair root on

the forehead to under the chin and breadth wise from one ear lobe

to the other. Then both arms should be washed up to the elbows in

a continuous stream of water. Water should not be poured from the

upper arm thrice in such a way that it follows to the elbows because

there is the possibility that water will not reach the inner part of theelbow or even the wrist. Care should be taken that not even a single

hair root is left dry. If water flows on the skin in such a way that the

root is wetted but the ends of the hair remains dry, wudhu will not

be valid. Then he should wipe the hair on the head. Wiping a fourth

of the head is obligatory while including the whole head is


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recommended. Leaving out the forefinger and the thumbs, he

should wipe both hands, fingers along with the palms from the

forehead to the nape of the neck. Then he should take the rest of

the palm from the nape of the neck towards the forehead. Then he

should wipe behind the ear with the back of his forefingers and

under the ear with the back of the thumbs and wipe the back of his

hands on the nape of his neck. He should not bring his hands

towards the throat because it is an innovation. Then he should

wash his feet up to his ankles. Each part should be washed first the

left side then the right and after each washing he should send

salutations on the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.).

SUMMARY: Ahmad Sahab has greatly emphasized saying Bismillahbut he too has been deprived of making intention. First he washes

the upper arms with six handfuls of water, taking water in his left

hand to wash the right arm, gargles and puts water in the nostrils

and then thoroughly soaks the beard. Then he washes the face.

Instead of washing once, twice or thrice he makes the water flow on

his face. He forbids flowing the water backwards. He uses three

fingers to wipe his head and neck. The number of times the feet are

to be washed is not specified. Wiping between the fingers and toes,

like wiping through the hair of the beard is left out.

3-METHOD OF WUDHU OF MAULANA MUKHTAR AHMAD NADWI

Maulana Mukhtar Ahmad Nadwi is connected with the Ahle Hadith.

In his book Namaz-e-Masnun whose 72 editions have been

published by Dar al Salafiyah, the method of wudhu has been

described as follows: It is necessary to say Bismillah before wudhu.After that the hands should be washed thrice up to the upper arms.

Then taking a handful of water, half should be used for gargling

and half for putting in the nostrils. Then the nose should be struck

with the right hand. This should be repeated thrice. Then the face

should be washed thrice and while washing, the water should be


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his face thrice from the hair on his forehead up to the chin and

from one earlobe to the other. Then he should wash his arms thrice

along with the elbows, first the right hand, then the left. Then he

should wipe the head thrice, by first wetting his hands then wiping

all over the head and then wipe the ears. Then he should wash both

feet along with the ankles, first the right one, then the left. Then

read the supplication after wudhu.

SUMMARY: We thank Allah that Maulavi Sahab has mentioned

both intention and Bismillah. After washing hands thrice, he orders

the brushing of teeth. Cant the teeth be washed before wudhu?

Like Ashraf Ali Thanwi Sahab, he has made a gap between theactions of wudhu. After gargling, water should be immediately put

in the nostrils. First gargle, then put water in the nostrils, then

gargle and put water in the nostrils, then again gargle and put

water in the nostrils. Similarly the head should be wiped thrice and

the ears should be wiped thrice and he takes fresh water for this.

5-METHOD OF WUDHU OF JANAB MUHAMMAD ASIM ALHADDAD

Janab Haddad is connected to the Jamaat Islami. He died after

writing the path breaking book Fiqh al Sunnah. It was completed

under the supervision of Markazi Maktabe Islami Publishers. Before

describing the method of wudhu, he has emphasized making

intention and says: Intention is necessary for wudhu. (meaning if it

is left out, wudhu is incomplete) because all religious acts require

intention. First he relates Hadhrat Uthmans method and further

elaborates in these words:( We bring here in brief)

In wudhu some things are obligatory and some are recommended.

The obligatory acts are : 1) Washing the arms 2) Wiping the head 3)

Washing feet up to ankles.


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The recommended acts are as follows : 1) Saying Bismillah 2)

Brushing the teeth 3) Washing hands up to wrists thrice 4) Gargling

thrice 5) Snorting water into nostrils thrice 6) Wiping between the

fingers and toes 7) Wiping through the hair of the beard 8) Washing

all parts thrice 9) Tayammum ie. Twin organs should be washed

first the right side, then the left 10) All parts should be rubbed well

while washing 11) Mawalat ie. All actions should be performed at

once and each part should be washed immediately, one after

another 12) Order (Tarteeb) 13) Wiping the ears 14) Wiping the

neck. This has not been proved from the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) but

some companions have been proved acting on it. Some Salafis

consider it recommended but a majority believes it is innovation.

15) Precaution in using water 16) It is recommended to sprinklewater on the private parts after wudhu. 17) Reading supplications

18) Reciting at least two units of prayer after wudhu.

After this the writer mentions some of the practices of Abu Hanifa.

1) Sitting on a raised place 2) Facing Qibla 3) Water container of

clay 4) Keeping the vessel on the right 5) Saying Bismillah and

making intention before every act 6) Remembering Allah and

speaking nothing else while performing wudhu 7) At the end of

wudhu, facing the Qibla and drinking the water left over from

wudhu.

FIVE WUDHUS

You have just seen the method of wudhu among the five

contemporary schools of jurisprudence. These include the Tablighi

Jamaat (Deobandi), Jamaat Islami, Barelvis, Shafei and Salafis (al

Hadith). These methods have been evaluated on the basis of Quran

and traditions. They have been compiled by trustworthy persons


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who have millions of followers. It is surprising that such sensible

persons have not been able to agree over one method of wudhu. Let

us review these methods once again:

1) Making intention: Only Jamaat Islami and Shafeis have givenimportance to making intention. Ashraf Ali Thanwi, Ahmad Raza

and Mukhtar Ahmad Nadwi have disapproved of it.

2) Reading Bismillah: All agree to it, May Allah be praised!

3) Washing hands up to wrists: They agree to wash thrice. Ahmad

Raza Sahab takes water in one hand to wash the other and uses six

handfuls.

4) Gargling: Ashraf Ali Thanwi, Ahmad Raza and Muhammad Asim

al Haddad agree on gargling separately but Mukhtar Ahmad Nadwi

and Abdul Munim Shafei use the same handful for gargling as well

as putting water in the nostrils.

5) Brushing the teeth: Ashraf Ali Thanwi Sahab orders gargling after

brushing the teeth and Abdul Munim Shafei brushes after gargling

but both brush during wudhu and make a gap in the actions of

wudhu. Only Muhammad Asim Sahab rules that teeth should bebrushed before wudhu. Ahmad Raza and Mukhtar Ahmad Nadwi

Sahab have not mentioned brushing.

6) Putting water in the nostrils: Thanwi Sahab puts water in the

nostrils with one hand and brushes them thrice, Al Haddad puts

water in the nostrils thrice and instead of striking them, blows

them. Ahmad Raza Sahab puts water right into the nostrils. The

Shafeis and Salafis use half a handful for gargling and half for

putting in the nostrils. Neither do they blow their noses nor do theystrike them.

7) Washing the face: All agree that it should be washed thrice but

they differ in the method.


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8) Wiping through the beard: Thanwi Sahab left out the wiping

through the beard although he does wiping for other parts. Instead

of this, Ahmad Raza Sahab soaks the beard well before washing the

face. Mukhtar Ahmad Nadwi Sahab splashes water on the beard

from below while washing the face and then wipes through it,

meaning he uses six handfuls of water, three for the face and three

for the beard. Abdul Munim al Haddad has not mentioned it.

9) Washing the hands: All agree on washing three times. Thanwi

Sahab, Nadwi and Abdul Munim Sahab have only mentioned it but

Ahmad Raza Sahab pours water on the hands and does not rub

them. They also consider it wrong to take water in the hands and

pour it backwards. According to Muhammad Asim Sahab it shouldbe rubbed properly or the wudhu will be invalid.

10) Wiping between the fingers: Besides Ahmad Raza and Abdul

Munim, all perform this.

11) Wiping the head: According to Shafei, wiping the head thrice is

necessary. Others agree on wiping once but their methods differ.

Thanwi, Nadwi and Muhammad Asim Sahab consider it incorrect to

take fresh water for wiping the head and wipe the whole head withboth hands. Ahmad Raza Sahab uses three fingers for wiping the

head and Abdul Munim Sahab takes fresh water and wipes thrice.

12) Wiping the ears: All agree for wiping once but Abdul Munim

Sahab wipes the ears thrice.

13) Wiping the neck: Ashraf Ali Thanwi and Ahmad Raza Sahab

consider it a recommended action but Mukhtar Ahmad Nadwi,

Muhammad Asim and Abdul Munim consider it an innovation and

forbid it.

14) Washing the feet: All have ordered for washing the feet up to the

ankles but Ahmad Raza Sahab washes above the ankles. Nadwi,

Thanwi and Muhammad Asim Sahab wash the feet thrice and

Abdul Munim and Ahmad Raza Sahab wash only once.


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15) Wiping between the toes: Thanwi, Nadwi and Muhammad Asim

wipe between the toes but Ahmad Raza and Abdul Munim have not

given any importance to it.

CONCLUSION

It is extremely unfortunate that the door of contention has been

reopened. My only objective was to seek out the wudhu which the

Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) used to do. Instead I found nothing except

disagreement. Here I am reminded of the remarks of Imam Nawwi

which he has made in connection with the Sahih Muslim. After

enumerating all the different opinions about the method of wudhuhe writes It is recommended to learn the conditions of wudhu and

then act upon them. Man should try to perform wudhu in such a

way that it is deemed correct by all the Imams and should leave out

the conflicting aspects while taking note of them and he should do

such a wudhu which is unanimously considered a purification.

(Sahih Muslim V1 pg 368)

According to Imam Nawwi, man should do wudhu in such a way

that it is approved by all the Imams. Look how he is asking thepeople to do such a wudhu which would be true purification

although he could not solve the problem himself. Has he handed

over such an important matter to the decision of the public?

Actually he is forcing all Muslims to give a ruling themselves. Is it

surprising that we see all kinds of wudhu among the people? Whom

should I blame for this? Today man is thinking of building

settlements on the moon while we are still struggling with the

method of wudhu. We have just seen the methods of five reliablemen. They were full of differences. So what can you expect from the

common people? Can they perform the correct wudhu?


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DECISIVE WUDHU

Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi Sahab called out in fervor of faith Stop

making a noise. Be silent! I will solve this problem right now. People

are unnecessarily complicating matters to prevent Muslims from

following the religious commands. See how easy it is to comply with

the religious obligations. I am going to present a very simple wudhu

which none will dispute. Listen carefully. When these four parts,

whose washing is obligatory are washed (face, hands feet and head),

the wudhu will be complete. Even if there is no intention of wudhu,

if someone has a bath and pours water over his body and does not

do wudhu, or falls into a pool or steps out in the rain and all the

parts of wudhu get washed, he will have wudhu although he will

not get the reward of doing wudhu. (Beheshti Zevar pg 52)

Really, Thanwi Sahab has made religion so easy. It is clear, in this

computer age, how could these old methods last long? Maybe in thefuture another Thanwi will appear who will make religion even

easier. For example all the five times prayers could be performed at

one time. Prayers will be performed but no reward will be obtained.

Thirty fasts can be kept any time of the year. Fasts will be

completed, only there will be no reward. Make a replica of the

Kaaba in your own city and circumambulate around it. You will

have circled it but reward will not be obtained.

Honestly, who needs such a religion?

UNIVERSAL WUDHU


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Saudi Arabia has taken over the guardianship of the religion and

announced a universal wudhu. Taking some part of one tradition

and some part from another tradition and in this way they have put

together a sample wudhu. They have relied on the muscle power of

their wealth and distributed posters with pictures of it all over the

world. Since they formerly used to condemn taking pictures, they

have printed the following statement to cover up their

embarrassment There is no harm in publishing pictures on posters

which aim to educate and benefit the Muslims. They have put their

signature and seal below this, so that the world may know that

Sheikh Abdullah has put the official stamp of approval on this

method of wudhu. This poster was distributed in every corner of the

world.

Darul Kutub al Islamiya Delhi has also published this poster and

labeled it The method of wudhu as per the Sunnah. This method

has been explained along with pictures. Let us take a look at it.

WUDHU OF SAUDI ARABIA

When a Muslim decides to do wudhu he makes the intention in the

heart and then says Bismillah and washes both hands up to the

upper arms.(Bukhari, Muslim, Nisai, Abu Dawud) . There is no

harm if someone forgets to say Bismillah. While washing his hands

he should wipe between the fingers (Abu Dawud), then taking one

handful of water, he should use half for gargling and half for

putting in the nostrils, then he should strike his nose thrice. It is

recommended to be excessive in the matter of gargling and putting

water in the nostrils but not if he is fasting. Then he should wash

the face thrice (Bukhari and Muslim) .The length of the face to be

washed should be from the hairline on the forehead up to the throat

below the beard. Breadth wise it should be from one ear to the


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other. Then the right hand should be washed up to the elbow

thrice, then the left hand in the same way. (Surah Maidah v 6,

Bukhari and Muslim). Then he should wipe the whole head with

both hands, starting with the front of the head, backwards to the

nape of the neck, and then he should take the hands from the back

to the front, to the place where he started wiping, in the same way

(Surah Maidah v 6, Bukhari and Muslim). Then the ears should be

wiped by taking the forefinger from the ear hole over the back of the

ears and meeting the thumbs (Ibn Maja, Ibn Khazim) Note: Some

people wipe the nape of their necks with the backs of their hands

after wiping their ears. This is innovation). Then he should wash

the right foot up to the ankles, thrice. While washing both feet he

should wipe between the toes. (Surah Maidah v 6, Bukhari, Muslimand Tirmidhi)

Our brothers from the Ahle Hadith have wholeheartedly embraced

this method and implemented it in their masjids. Each action is

accompanied by its reference from the Sihah. They have pieced it

together from seven different places. This is absolute proof that this

wudhu is not present in all the Sihah or any other book. Instead the

scholars have made great efforts to arrive at a consensus and give it

a practical shape. While appreciating their achievement, we are

faced with this question: Why didnt it occur to the scholars to do

this, during all these 1400 years? Well, better late than never! Now

if the consensus grants their seal of approval to this wudhu and

confirm that this is the wudhu which the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.)

used to do, then what will become of the people who have done a

different wudhu all these years? It would not be right to gloss over

the matter saying Allah sees your intention, whatever you do with a

good intention is accepted. If this was true there would be no need

for Allah to send a prophet to teach wudhu to the people. Each

person could have worshipped as per his own whims (as was the

condition before) Then religion itself will become meaningless.


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Our religion is the straightforward religion. No defect will be found

in it, even if one tries hard to do so. The above mentioned wudhu

cannot be from Allah and his Prophet (s.a.w.a.) because there are

many defects in it. Let us review it step by step:

1)When a Muslim decides to do wudhu, he makes the intentionin the heart and then says Bismillah and washes both hands

up to the upper arms- One really felt happy after reading this

statement. How nicely they have begun the wudhu! They have

included intention and Bismillah in it.

2)There is no harm if someone forgets to say Bismillah- It iswritten in reliable books that if one forgets to say Bismillah he

should say it whenever he remembers it. Who gave them theright to say There is no harm in it? Dont you smell a whiff of

rebellion in this? It is mentioned in the honorable book of

Tirmidhi that Ribah ibn Abdul Rahman narrates that the Holy

Prophet (s.a.w.a.) said Wudhu is not valid if a person does not

say Bismillah before it. (Tirmidhi V1 pg 60) Abu Hurayra

narrates from the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) Prayers are not valid

for a person whose wudhu is not valid. And wudhu would not

be valid of a person who did not take the name of Allah beforeit. (Abu Dawud V1 pg 72) Abu Said Khudri narrates The Holy

Prophet (s.a.w.a.) said Ifa person does not take the name of

Allah before wudhu, it will not be valid.(Ibn Maja V1 pg 142)

Are all these traditions weak? It is on the basis of these

traditions that Imam Hasan Basri, Ishaq and one more

tradition as per Imam Ahmad, have considered it binding to

say Bismillah. Meaning if it is left out, wudhu is invalid. (Fiqh

al Sunnah) In spite of all these traditions, this group hasdecided there is no harm in omitting it and thus betrayed their

loyalty to Muawiyah.

3)While washing his hands he should wipe between the fingers(Abu Dawud) This ruling is attributed to Abu Dawud. Even


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used. Now! How much water can one handful contain? It is to

be used, half for gargling and half for putting in the nose.

Then they talk of excess in this matter. Taking off the goggles

of prejudice, tell me, is it possible? If not, they should not have

written about excess. If they have written it, they should have

mentioned that separate handfuls can be used in order to use

excessive water. Actually it has come in Abu Dawud that it is

forbidden to use the same handful for both gargling and

putting in the nose. The topic of this tradition is Separately

gargling and putting water in the nose. Then this tradition is

narrated by Talha from his grandfather I went to the Holy

Prophet (s.a.w.a.), he was performing wudhu, water was

flowing from his face and beard over his chest and he did bothactions, gargling and putting water in the nose, separately.

(Abu Dawud V1 pg 85) If, as per their habit, this group puts

the label of weak on this tradition, even then, it is impossible

to do both in one handful. Then it will be like the wudhu of

Imam Ahmad Raza that Touch the tip of the nose to the water

It is repeatedly said in all books that wudhu should be done

thoroughly. Is it possible to do wudhu thoroughly with one

handful?Incidentally a young man died in our neighborhood and his

burial prayers were announced. I rushed to the masjid. When I

reached the washrooms, I suddenly remembered the issue of

one handful of water for gargling and putting in the nose. I sat

down in the washroom for sometime and watched the people

doing wudhu, trying to spot someone who performed wudhu in

this manner. All the groups, Tablighi Jamaat, Jamaat Islami

and Ahle Hadith prayed there. I could not find a single personwho performed wudhu in this way. Each person took separate

handfuls for gargling and putting in the nose. Why do they

make laws which the common man cannot comply with?


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5) Then he should wash the face thrice. The length of the face tobe washed should be from the hairline on the forehead up to

the throat below the beard. Breadth wise it should be from one

ear to the other- All schools agree to this, but the majority

used both hands for washing the face although it is correct to

wash with only one hand. Even the poster shows one hand

being used to wash the face.

6)Then the right hand should be washed up to the elbow thrice,then the left hand in the same way- The method of washing

the hand is to take water in the left hand and put it on the

elbow of the right hand and the hand should be rubbed in the

direction of the upper arm then he should wipe between thefingers, It is narrated from Abdullah ibn Zaid that

approximately half a kilo of water was brought to the Holy

Prophet (s.a.w.a.). He performed wudhu and began to wash his

arms by rubbing them. (Musnad Imam Ahmad 3)

But the poster shows contrary to it. Closing the fist and

bringing it under the tap, the water is made to flow from the

upper arm to the elbows. (He is still wearing the slippers. I

dont know whether he is doing wudhu in the masjid or in hisbathroom). There was only one aim in adopting this method

which is that the whole verse of the Quran could be applied to

it, meaning wash the hands up to the elbows. Using exactly

the same words, they have prescribed washing hands from the

palms to the elbow.

It is sad that they have still not understood the word up to.

The word up to is used for specifying the extent, limit or

period of something. It is used in everyday language to specify

the extent, for example, I tell the painter, Paint this wall with

green color from the floor up to the ceiling. This means that

the painting will start not from the floor but from the ceiling

up to the floor.


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In the monsoon, lightning illuminated everything from the

forest up to the mountains. This does not mean that lightning

travels from the floor to the sky. Guests came to my house, I

welcomed them all, from the elders to the children. Actually,

first the elders are honored then the children. The verse of the

Quran was revealed in this way. Wash your hands up to the

elbows. We saw the tradition of Abu Hurayra that he was

excessive in washing his hands and washed up to his

shoulders. Water from the fingers does not go up to the

shoulders. Instead the hand is washed from the shoulders up

to fingers. This is while washing under the tap. What if the

person is doing wudhu in a pool, how will he put the water

backwards? The verse regarding washing the feet is similar,then wipe some part of your head and the feet up to the

ankles. Those who wash their feet, how do they do it? From

the toes to the ankles or from the ankles to the toes?

7)Then he should wipe the whole head with both his handsstarting from the front of the head to the nape of the neck,

going backwards, and then bring the hands back to the place

where he has begun. He should do this once-The Quran orders

to wipe some part of the head. Hadhrat Mughirah ibn Shoba

narrates that the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) wiped the front part

of the head, the turban and over his socks. (Muslim) Imam

Nawwi writes, Although it is correct to wipe the front part of

the head and over the turban, as seen in the above tradition

the early scholars agree that it is better to wipe the whole

head. (Fiqh al Sunnah). Please note that all the early scholars

agree to it.

This means that now it is necessary after obey Allah and the

Prophet, we have to add obey the consensus (ijma). First, it is

accepted that wiping one fourth of the head is proved from the

Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.), then written that the early scholars

agree upon wiping the whole head, meaning now what is


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better and what is not, will be decided not by the Holy Prophet

(s.a.w.a.) but by consensus (We seek refuge in Allah).

A majority of traditions confirm wiping one fourth of the head

but until today, no scholar, traditionalist or jurist hasspecified what this one fourth part of the head is and what

part of the ears and neck is included in it? It is for the purpose

of hiding this secret that the jurists have decided to agree to

wipe the whole head.

8) Then the ears should be wiped by taking the forefinger fromthe ear hole over the back of

The Reality of Wudhu

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