Discussion on wudu' from food that has been touched by fire.

The Shaykh : The sixth issue: wudu' from cooked food that has been touched by fire, such as bread, rice, and jareesh, and others. Does a person perform wudu' if he eats it, or not? Some scholars said: It is obligatory for one who eats something cooked over fire to perform wudu', because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded wudu' from what has been touched by fire. However, the correct view is that it is not obligatory, as in the hadith of Jabir which is in Sahih al-Bukhari, which the author (may Allah have mercy on him) cited. The correct view is that it is not obligatory; it is a sunnah, meaning it is better to perform wudu' even if you are already in a state of wudu'. It is better to perform wudu' even if you are already in a state of wudu', but it is not obligatory. The correct view is that it is not obligatory, but it is a sunnah. This is because the Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him) final practice was to leave off wudu' from what has been touched by fire, meaning he did not adhere to it. Also indicating this is that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was asked: "Do we perform wudu' from camel meat?" He said: He was asked: "Do we perform wudu' from sheep meat?" He said: Because when a person eats camel meat, his wudu' is invalidated. If he was in a state of wudu', he must perform wudu', but he is not required to wash his private parts, because there is no urination or defecation. It is only required to perform wudu', whether you eat the meat raw or cooked, and whether you eat the fat, liver, heart, stomach, or intestines. Whatever you eat from the camel, it is obligatory for you to perform wudu' because it is anything that invalidates wudu'. As for other things, if you eat them cooked, it is better to perform wudu', but it is not obligatory for you. This is among the etiquettes. And in truth, this book, Riyadh al-Saliheen, is a book by al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him). It is a comprehensive and beneficial book, and it is truly worthy of the name Riyadh al-Saliheen. It contains many pleasant things from every category, including many issues of knowledge and etiquette that you hardly find in other books. So we ask Allah the Exalted to benefit us with what He has taught us. Indeed, He is capable of all things.

The questioner : Does eating from what has been cooked invalidate wudu'?

The Shaykh : Yes, indeed, yes, it does not invalidate it, but if you perform wudu', that is good.