What is the ruling on saying the name of Allah before performing wudu'?
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The questioner : His EminenceThe Shaykh : What is the ruling on saying the name of Allah before performing wudu'?
The Shaykh : Yes, saying the name of Allah before wudu' is not obligatory; it is a recommended practice (sunnah). If a person says it, that is good, and if he does not say it, he owes nothing. This is because the hadith reported on this matter is one in which Imam Ahmad said: "Nothing is established in this chapter", as transmitted from him by the author of *Bulugh al-Maram*. Furthermore, those who described the wudu' of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) do not mention the basmalah. Therefore, the correct view is that the basmalah in wudu' is a recommended practice (sunnah) and not obligatory. Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes, saying the name of Allah before wudu' is not obligatory; it is a recommended practice (sunnah). If a person says it, that is good, and if he does not say it, he owes nothing. This is because the hadith reported on this matter is one in which Imam Ahmad said: "Nothing is established in this chapter", as transmitted from him by the author of *Bulugh al-Maram*. Furthermore, those who described the wudu' of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) do not mention the basmalah. Therefore, the correct view is that the basmalah in wudu' is a recommended practice (sunnah) and not obligatory. Yes.