He says: After that, I know how to perform wudu' well, in my opinion. No, rather, I know that many people do so. The wudu' as I know it is: I start by washing the front and back private parts.
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The questioner : He says: After that, I know how to perform wudu' well, in my opinion. No, rather, I teach many people. The wudu' as I know it is: I start by washing the front and back private parts, then I rinse my mouth and sniff water into my nose, then I wash my face well, then I wash my hands up to the elbows, then I take a little water and put it on my entire head, then I put my hand in the water and wipe my ears, then I wipe my neck, and I do all of this three times, then I wash my right foot, then my left foot. I learned this practice from my family. Is this practice correct?
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions. It has been repeated by the brothers who present the questions that they pray for a long life for the presenter of the program. I would like a long life to be conditioned upon obedience to Allah.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : One should say, "May Allah prolong your life in His obedience," or "May Allah prolong your life in His obedience," because a long life in itself may be good or it may be evil. Indeed, the worst of people is the one whose life is prolonged and whose deeds are bad. A person's life is, in reality, what he spends in the obedience of Allah (Mighty and Majestic). As for what he does not spend in the obedience of Allah, it is a loss; either it is a burden upon him, or it is neither for him nor against him. The point is that most of those who make such a prayer only want to remain in this world. Therefore, I hope that our brothers who present such a phrase to us or to others will condition it with a long life in the obedience of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He).
As for what the brother mentioned regarding his knowledge of how to perform wudu' and his description of how he performs it, what he mentioned contains both error and correctness. First, the error: he says that when he wants to perform wudu', he washes his private parts and his back, meaning he washes both private parts.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : This is not correct, and washing the two private parts is not part of wudu'. Rather, the reason for washing the two private parts is urination or defecation. If a person urinates, he washes his front private part, and if he defecates, he washes his back private part. If he has neither urinated nor defecated, there is no need to wash them. Then he mentioned that after that he washes his face, but he omitted washing the two hands before washing the face. Then he also mentioned that he takes water and pours it on his head, and that he takes water for his ears to wipe them, and that he does this three times. All of this is not correct. The head is not to be wetted with water, but rather it is to be wiped with the moisture of the hands only. So you dip your hand in the water, then wipe your head with it once, starting from the front of the head until it reaches the hairline at the back, then you return and wipe the ears with what remains of the moisture on the hands after wiping the head. Do not take new water for them unless the hands have dried; if they have dried, take new water for them. Then he mentioned that he wipes the neck, and wiping the neck is not prescribed; rather, it is an innovation, because it was not mentioned in the Book of Allah or in the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). These are the errors the questioner mentioned in the method of wudu': placing the washing of the private parts first, omitting the washing of the hands before washing the face, washing the head instead of wiping it, taking new water for the ears, and wiping the neck. Five things. Now we will present the method of wudu' in the prescribed manner. We say: First, you say, "In the name of Allah." The mention of the name in wudu' is a confirmed recommended practice (sunnah), and some scholars said that it is obligatory and that wudu' is not valid without the mention of the name. Then you wash your two hands three times. Then you rinse your mouth and sniff water into your nose three times, and you blow out the water after sniffing. Then you wash your face three times. Then you wash your right hand from the tips of the fingers to the elbow, and the elbow is included in the washing, three times. Then the left hand likewise. Then you wipe your head with your hands from the front to the back, then you return. Then you wipe the outer and inner parts of the ears, inserting your index fingers into the ear canals and wiping the outer parts of the ears with your thumbs. Then you wash your right foot up to the ankles three times, then the left foot likewise. Then you say after this: "I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and His Messenger. O Allah, make me among those who repent, and make me among those who purify themselves." If you limit the rinsing of the mouth, washing of the face, washing of the hands, and washing of the feet to one time, there is no blame on you. If you limit it to two times, there is no blame on you. If you wash some of the limbs once and some twice, there is no blame on you.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : But the head is not to be wiped repeatedly; rather, it is once in all cases.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : This is the description of the prescribed wudu', and I hope the brother will pay attention to it and strive to apply it.
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions. It has been repeated by the brothers who present the questions that they pray for a long life for the presenter of the program. I would like a long life to be conditioned upon obedience to Allah.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : One should say, "May Allah prolong your life in His obedience," or "May Allah prolong your life in His obedience," because a long life in itself may be good or it may be evil. Indeed, the worst of people is the one whose life is prolonged and whose deeds are bad. A person's life is, in reality, what he spends in the obedience of Allah (Mighty and Majestic). As for what he does not spend in the obedience of Allah, it is a loss; either it is a burden upon him, or it is neither for him nor against him. The point is that most of those who make such a prayer only want to remain in this world. Therefore, I hope that our brothers who present such a phrase to us or to others will condition it with a long life in the obedience of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He).
As for what the brother mentioned regarding his knowledge of how to perform wudu' and his description of how he performs it, what he mentioned contains both error and correctness. First, the error: he says that when he wants to perform wudu', he washes his private parts and his back, meaning he washes both private parts.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : This is not correct, and washing the two private parts is not part of wudu'. Rather, the reason for washing the two private parts is urination or defecation. If a person urinates, he washes his front private part, and if he defecates, he washes his back private part. If he has neither urinated nor defecated, there is no need to wash them. Then he mentioned that after that he washes his face, but he omitted washing the two hands before washing the face. Then he also mentioned that he takes water and pours it on his head, and that he takes water for his ears to wipe them, and that he does this three times. All of this is not correct. The head is not to be wetted with water, but rather it is to be wiped with the moisture of the hands only. So you dip your hand in the water, then wipe your head with it once, starting from the front of the head until it reaches the hairline at the back, then you return and wipe the ears with what remains of the moisture on the hands after wiping the head. Do not take new water for them unless the hands have dried; if they have dried, take new water for them. Then he mentioned that he wipes the neck, and wiping the neck is not prescribed; rather, it is an innovation, because it was not mentioned in the Book of Allah or in the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). These are the errors the questioner mentioned in the method of wudu': placing the washing of the private parts first, omitting the washing of the hands before washing the face, washing the head instead of wiping it, taking new water for the ears, and wiping the neck. Five things. Now we will present the method of wudu' in the prescribed manner. We say: First, you say, "In the name of Allah." The mention of the name in wudu' is a confirmed recommended practice (sunnah), and some scholars said that it is obligatory and that wudu' is not valid without the mention of the name. Then you wash your two hands three times. Then you rinse your mouth and sniff water into your nose three times, and you blow out the water after sniffing. Then you wash your face three times. Then you wash your right hand from the tips of the fingers to the elbow, and the elbow is included in the washing, three times. Then the left hand likewise. Then you wipe your head with your hands from the front to the back, then you return. Then you wipe the outer and inner parts of the ears, inserting your index fingers into the ear canals and wiping the outer parts of the ears with your thumbs. Then you wash your right foot up to the ankles three times, then the left foot likewise. Then you say after this: "I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and His Messenger. O Allah, make me among those who repent, and make me among those who purify themselves." If you limit the rinsing of the mouth, washing of the face, washing of the hands, and washing of the feet to one time, there is no blame on you. If you limit it to two times, there is no blame on you. If you wash some of the limbs once and some twice, there is no blame on you.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : But the head is not to be wiped repeatedly; rather, it is once in all cases.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : This is the description of the prescribed wudu', and I hope the brother will pay attention to it and strive to apply it.