In the beginning, we will start with the definition of the word "Wudu," which is an Arabic term. Linguistically, it is derived from the word "wadaa," meaning beauty, pleasure, and cleanliness. In a religious context, Wudu refers to a ritual purification associated with worship, in which certain body parts are washed in a specific manner using water. Wudu is the same for both men and women, but the specificity of the question, "How do women perform Wudu?" arises from the fact that the physical nature of women differs from men, leading to distinct considerations that may affect the validity of the purification.
Virtues and Benefits of Wudu
Wudu is a necessary state of cleanliness and serves as a means of purifying a person from their sins. The simple act of cleansing oneself is the cause of its brilliance, as stated:
'Once, Abu Huraira went to the roof of the mosque with the Prophet (peace be upon him). He performed ablution and said, "I have heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) saying, 'On the Day of Resurrection, my followers will be called "Al-Ghurr-ul-Muhajjalun" (those who are brightened by the marks of ablution), and whoever can increase the area of his radiance should do so (i.e., by performing ablution regularly).' [Sahih al-Bukhari]
– Shading lights on some meanings of the hadith:
This hadith illustrates to us one of the greatest benefits of purity, especially through ablution (wudu), which is the key to prayer. It holds deeper significance for women, as they have inherent interest in qualities of beauty. Understanding the meaning of "Al-Ghurr-ul-Muhajjalun" undoubtedly adds a unique trait to Muslim women, and one of them will have this distinction. The question arises: How can women perform ablution correctly, so they do not miss out on these benefits by avoiding any mistakes?
Let's first look at the meanings of a few phrases in this hadith to make it clear and provide every Muslim with the encouragement to attain such rewards and honor. The word "Ghurr" is the plural of "Athur," which signifies something shining or white. It refers to the white mark on the face of a horse that attracts attention. This term indicates the light that will emanate from the foreheads of believers on the Day of Judgment, distinguishing them.
The term "Muhajjalun" is derived from "Tahjil," which means whiteness. It refers to the whiteness that appears on the legs of a horse, at least on three or all four legs. It signifies the light that will shine from the hands and feet of believers due to their ablution.
In essence, this means that Muslims will stand out on the Day of Judgment based on their faith. The radiance from their foreheads, hands, and feet will be evident, just as the white mark on a horse allows it to be easily distinguished from other animals.
Benefit and Importance of Wudu for Women
Due to the inherent desire for radiant skin resulting from being a woman, no one can deny this aspiration. Therefore, if we carefully consider this statement, achieving the desired results through a few simple actions in ablution (wudu) becomes easier, with numerous benefits. There is abundant reward in performing ablution:
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "When a person performs ablution and washes his hands, sins are removed from his hands. When he washes his face, sins are removed from his face. When he washes his arms and wipes his head, sins are removed from his arms and head. When he washes his feet, sins are removed from his feet." [Sunan Ibn Majah]
A Learning Journey with Tahera!
Learning and practicing wudu is a simple process with only a few key points to remember, but first let us meet “Tahera”, a young woman with strong intentions to have a firm faith, to follow Islam’s teachings and to walk in the light of the Sunnah. It would be a boon to meet and know her, as she has committed herself to the acts of purification.
The only thing that has her stuck is a few questions that cause her to want to know everything before she begins. Let’s hear from Tahera on how she deals with Taharah on a daily basis and what she’ll do if she encounters some unusual events.
Hello! The First Question that pops into my mind is:
What are wudu steps in Quran?
The method of performing ablution (wudu) is not explicitly mentioned in the Quran in terms of specific recommended steps. Instead, the Quran refers to the essential stages of ablution without providing detailed instructions. The detailed procedure of ablution is derived from the Sunnah (traditions) of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
The Quran, in Surah Al-Ma'idah (5:6), emphasizes the importance of specific actions during ablution. The verse states:
"O you who have believed, when you rise to [perform] prayer, wash your faces and your forearms to the elbows and wipe over your heads and wash your feet to the ankles. And if you are in a state of janabah (major ritual impurity), then purify yourselves. But if you are ill or on a journey or one of you comes from the place of relieving himself or you have contacted women and do not find water, then seek clean earth and wipe over your faces and hands with it. Allah does not intend to make difficulty for you, but He intends to purify you and complete His favor upon you that you may be grateful."
This verse outlines the key components of ablution: washing the face, forearms to the elbows, wiping over the head, and washing the feet to the ankles. It also provides guidance for situations where full ablution (ghusl) is required and outlines alternative measures in case of illness, travel, the need for relieving oneself, or contact with women when water is unavailable. The Sunnah provides additional details and clarifications on the specific manner of performing each of these actions during ablution.
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When do you have to repeat wudu? Or especially, what breaks wudu for a woman?
To answer this simply – we can gather a list of some things that invalidate the wudu of women Briefly, we can say all things come out from the front and back passages, all acts lead to a state of unconsciousness, in addition to specific physical behaviors irritate one’s lust would break wudu, including the following:
The first is discharge, which is any fluid secreted from the front passage, which is referred to as vaginal discharge.
Wudu is broken by periods. Although your wudu is broken while you’re on your period, some ladies are recognized for performing wudu, therefore it’s a nice and practical habit to preserve it through your menstruation.
Passing wind, discharging urine and evacuation are also considered to invalidate wudu.
Intoxication breaks wudu, because it causes you to lose consciousness.
Sleeping to the point when the mind is unaware of the body’s response and cannot tell if the wind has passed causes the wudu to be broken.
Touching private parts can break the wudu, whether it will cause discharge or not.
Physical intimacy, such as kissing and cuddling that result in discharge will undoubtedly break the wudu.
Touching a man who is not Mahram of her (husband or any other relative to whom she is prohibited to marry for non-religious reasons).
Okay! These seven points are understood, but various people think looking into mirror, cutting nails or having a light sleep – breaks the wudu too, is that true?
Certainly, no! You only need to recall these points before discussing how to perform wudu for females? Do you have any additional questions?
What should I say to someone who asks do you have to wash your private parts before Wudu?
It is not compulsory for wudu, but it is a must during ghussl. The important thing to remember is that you should wash your body if you have urine or discharge on it before conducting wudu and salah, but you do not have to wash your private parts every time you do wudu.
Even I am preparing for how to perform wudu for females, it seems necessary to inquire do you have to do wudu for every prayer?
Some Muslims performing wudu
Although it is recommended, Wudu is not required to be performed before every prayer. For most people, one wudu can last up to a day, but it must be repeated after going to the bathroom, passing wind, coming into contact with excrement, vomiting, falling asleep, consuming intoxicating substances or any other act that breaks wudu.
Perfect! The biggest issue I face as a woman is that while being home i sometimes need to apply make up on my face, How to do wudu with makeup on?
Yes, we can definitely do wudu while wearing makeup. We can perform our salah prayer while wearing cosmetics as long as it is free of impurities.
One thing to keep in mind, when practicing wudu is to avoid wearing waterproof cosmetics, since they can form a film on top of your skin and include silicone, as well as a lot of chemical processing. There are some cosmetics on the market that allow you to perform wudu; the point is that when performing ablution, the water should reach your skin, and if the makeup enables it, it should be a valid wudu.
Henna, for example, does not form a coating that prevents water from reaching the skin and is made up of colors that dye the skin, thus it is a permissible sort of makeup. This is probably true of most types of makeup, thus neither ablution nor the ghussl are invalidated. If there is any remnant of henna, fat, or oil on the skin and water flows over it and reaches that area, the wudu is valid.
What to do if I can’t remember if i broke wudu?
The most important point to remember is that if there are any causes that invalidate wudu, it would be notable for any human being to record it, thus it is undoubtedly a notable thing and the wudu must be repeated at that time. To put it another way, you must be 100 percent certain that you broke the prior wudu in order to make wudu again.
This decision must be viewed with consideration, as Salah is based on it. On the other hand, it is allowed to renew wudu, even you did not break the previous one, despite of being recommended to do so.
Some people always have doubts about wudu validity on a continuous path, for those it should be made clear that there can be misunderstandings or obsession, guiding them to create confusions about taharah.
This case has been interpreted by the hadith when a man mistakenly believed he had broken his wudu while praying, the Prophet (Peace be upon him) advised, “Do not stop praying until you hear a sound or smell an odor.” So, if anything happens in your stomach and you’re not sure if you’ve broken your wudu or not, the original rule is that your wudu is still valid!
Do you have to do full wudu if you break wind?
Consider the following analogy of a nullified action: when opening the door, you would desire the key. The key would not fit the door loc
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