Why Is Wudu Important? Essential Reasons to Understand

Table of Contents

Hi, readers! Are you looking for an explanation of "Why is wudu important?" If your answer is "Yes," congratulations! You are reading the right article. Why? Because that's exactly what I will explain in this article. As Muslims, we must understand this. That's why I wrote this article, so make sure you read it to the end!

Specifically, there are several important points about "Why is wudu important?" that I will explain in this article. Some of the key points are as follows:

What Is Wudu?

The important point about "Why is wudu important?" that I will explain is "What is wudu?" I want you to understand this before reading further explanations in this article because it is the fundamental aspect of this discussion that must be well understood.

Literally, the meaning of wudu is clean and pure. We can find this explanation in the definition of wudu below:

الوُضُوْءُ لُغَةً هُوَ النَّظَافَةُ وَالطَّهَارَةُ

Wudu in Arabic means clean and pure.

The meaning of wudu in Islam is using pure water to wash certain parts of the body, removing minor impurities that can prevent someone from praying. We can find this explanation in the definition of wudu in Islam below:

الوُضُوْءُ فِي الإِسْلَامِ هُوَ اِسْتِخْدَامُ الْمَاءِ الطَّاهِرِ عَلَى أَعْضَاءٍ حَدَّدَهَا الشَّرْعُ ، وَهِيَ الوَجْهُ وَالْيَدَيْنِ وَالرَّأْسِ وَالرِّجْلَيْنِ ، مِنْ أَجْلِ رَفْعِ كُلِّ مَا يَمْنَعُ عَنِ الصَّلَاةِ

Wudu in Islam is applying pure water to certain parts of the body as prescribed by Sharia.

These parts of the body include the face, hands, head, and feet, with the aim of eliminating anything that may hinder a person from praying.

In general, Muslims perform wudu before prayer and reading the Quran.

We can find the command to perform wudu in the Quran in the following verse:

يٰٓاَيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْٓا اِذَا قُمْتُمْ اِلَى الصَّلٰوةِ فَاغْسِلُوْا وُجُوْهَكُمْ وَاَيْدِيَكُمْ اِلَى الْمَرَافِقِ وَامْسَحُوْا بِرُءُوْسِكُمْ وَاَرْجُلَكُمْ اِلَى الْكَعْبَيْنِۗ وَاِنْ كُنْتُمْ جُنُبًا فَاطَّهَّرُوْاۗ وَاِنْ كُنْتُمْ مَّرْضٰٓى اَوْ عَلٰى سَفَرٍ اَوْ جَاۤءَ اَحَدٌ مِّنْكُمْ مِّنَ الْغَاۤىِٕطِ اَوْ لٰمَسْتُمُ النِّسَاۤءَ فَلَمْ تَجِدُوْا مَاۤءً فَتَيَمَّمُوْا صَعِيْدًا طَيِّبًا فَامْسَحُوْا بِوُجُوْهِكُمْ وَاَيْدِيْكُمْ مِّنْهُ ۗمَا يُرِيْدُ اللّٰهُ لِيَجْعَلَ عَلَيْكُمْ مِّنْ حَرَجٍ وَّلٰكِنْ يُّرِيْدُ لِيُطَهِّرَكُمْ وَلِيُتِمَّ نِعْمَتَهٗ عَلَيْكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُوْنَ

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, 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. (Al-Maidah [5]: 6).

This is a brief explanation of "What is wudu?" As Muslims, we must understand this.

Why Is Wudu Important? 7+ Reasons You Must Understand

The important point of "Why is Wudu important?" that I will explain now is 7+ reasons why Wudu is important. I really hope that you read the explanation below carefully.

The 7+ reasons why Wudu is important are as follows:

• Wudu is the most important way to cleanse minor hadas. Minor hadas (الحَدَثُ الأَصْغَرُ) is one of the things that can affect the purity of Muslims. If they have minor hadas, they may not pray. In Islam, minor hadas can be removed by performing Wudu. We can find this explanation in the hadith below:

عَنْ أَبِيْ هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ أَنَّ رَسُوْلَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ : لَا يَقْبَلُ اللهُ صَلَاةَ أَحَدِكُمْ إِذَا أَحْدَثَ حَتَّى يَتَوَضَّأَ . مُتَّفَقٌ عَلَيْهِ

From Abu Hurairah radiyallahu anhu, that the Messenger of Allah (Prophet Muhammad) sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said, "Allah does not accept the prayer of any one of you if he has hadas (minor hadas) until he performs Wudu." This hadith was narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim.

• Wudu is one of the signs that a person belongs to the Ummah of Prophet Muhammad in the hereafter. On the Day of Judgment, all human beings will be resurrected from their graves and held accountable. At that time, all humans will be gathered in Mahsyar.

Wudu is a sign that distinguishes the followers of Prophet Muhammad from others on that day. We can find this explanation in the hadith below:

عَنْ أَبِيْ هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ : سَمِعْتُ رَسُوْلَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُوْلُ : إِنَّ أُمَّتِيْ يَأْتُوْنَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ غُرَّا مُحَجَّلِيْنَ مِنْ أَثَرِ الْوُضُوْءِ ، فَمَنْ اِسْتَطَاعَ مِنْكُمْ أَنْ يُطِيْلَ غُرَّتَهُ فَلْيَفْعَلْ . مُتَّفَقٌ عَلَيْهِ

From Abu Hurairah radliyallahu anhu, he said, "I heard the Messenger of Allah (Prophet Muhammad) sallallahu alaihi wa sallam say, 'Indeed, my Ummah will come on the Day of Judgment with bright faces, hands, and feet due to the traces of Wudu. Whoever among you can extend his brightness, let him do so.' This hadith was narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim.

• Wudu is one of the highly recommended acts of worship in Islam. I hope you remember the phrase فَمَنْ اِسْتَطَاعَ مِنْكُمْ أَنْ يُطِيْلَ غُرَّتَهُ فَلْيَفْعَلْ in the hadith above. This is a suggestion for Muslims to always maintain their Wudu.
• Wudu can wash away minor sins. We can find this explanation in the hadith below:

قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : مَنْ تَوَضَّأَ وَأَحْسَنَ الْوُضُوْءَ خَرَجَتْ خَطَايَاهُ مِنْ جَسَدِهِ حَتَّى تَخْرُجَ مِنْ تَحْتِ أَظْفَارِهِ . رَوَاهُ مُسْلِمٌ

The Prophet (Muhammad) sallallahu alaihi wa sallam said, "Whoever performs Wudu and perfects it, his sins will come out of his body, even from under his nails." This hadith was narrated by Muslim.

عَنْ أَبِيْ هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ : قَالَ رَسُوْلُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : إِذَا تَوَضَّأَ العَبْدُ المُسْلِمُ أَوِ الْمُؤْمِنُ فَغَسَلَ وَجْهَهُ خَرَجَ مِنْ وَجْهِهِ كُلُّ خَطِيْئَةٍ نَظَرَ إِلَيْهِ بِعَيْنِهِ مَعَ الْمَاءِ أَوْ مَعَ أَخِرِ قَطْرِ الْمَاءِ .فَإِذَا غَسَلَ يَدَيْهِ خَرَجَ مِنْ يَدَيْهِ كُلُّ خَطِيْئَةٍ كَانَ بَطَشَتْهَا يَدَاهُ مَعَ الْمَاءِ أَوْ مَعَ أَخِرِ قَطْرِ الْمَاءِ . فَإِذَا غَسَلَ رِجْلَيْهِ خَرَجَتْ كُلُّ خَطِيْئَةٍ مَشَتْهَا رِجْلَاهُ مَعَ الْمَاءِ أَوْ مَعَ أَخِرِ قَطْرِ الْمَاءِ حَتَّى يَخْرُجَ نَقِيًّا مِنَ الذُّنُوْبِ . رَوَاهُ مُسْلِمٌ

From Abu Hurairah radliyallahu anhu, he said, "The Messenger of Allah (Prophet Muhammad) sallallahu alaihi wa sallam said, 'If a Muslim or believer performs Wudu and then washes his face, his sins will come out from his face with the water or with the last drop of water. If he washes his hands, the sins of his hands will come out with the water or with the last drop. If he washes his feet, the sins of his feet will come out with the water or with the last drop, until he emerges pure from all sins.' This hadith was narrated by Muslim.

• Wudu is one of the reasons why Muslims can enter Heaven. We can find this explanation in the hadith below:

عَنْ عُمَرَ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ : قَالَ رَسُوْلُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ :مَا مِنْكُمْ مِنْ أَحَدٍ يَتَوَضَّأُ فَيُسْبِغُ الْوُضُوْءَ ثُمَّ يَقُوْلُ : أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيْكَ لَهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُوْلُهُ , إِلَّا فُتِحَتْ لَهُ أَبْوَابُ الْجَنَّةِ الثَّمَانِيَّةِ يَدْخُلُ مِنْ أَيِّهَا شَاءَ . أَخْرَجَهُ مُسْلِمٌ وَالتِّرْمِذِيُّ وَزَادَ : اَللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْنِيْ مِنَ التَّوَّابِيْنَ وَاجْعَلْنِيْ مِنَ الْمُتَطَهِّرِيْنَ

From Umar radliyallahu anhu, he said, "The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alaihi wa sallam said, 'None of you performs Wudu and perfects it, then says, "I testify that there is no god but Allah alone, with no partner, and I testify that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger," except that the eight doors of Heaven will be opened for him. He may enter through whichever door he wishes.' This hadith was narrated by Muslim and at-Tirmidhi, who added, 'O Allah, make me among those who repent and make me among those who are purified.'"

• There is a Sunnah that specifically encourages Muslims to always maintain Wudu. The explanation for this sixth point is the same as the explanation in the third point. I hope you remember the phrase فَمَنْ اِسْتَطَاعَ مِنْكُمْ أَنْ يُطِيْلَ غُرَّتَهُ فَلْيَفْعَلْ in the hadith below:

عَنْ أَبِيْ هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ : سَمِعْتُ رَسُوْلَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُوْلُ : إِنَّ أُمَّتِيْ يَأْتُوْنَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ غُرَّا مُحَجَّلِيْنَ مِنْ أَثَرِ الْوُضُوْءِ ، فَمَنْ اِسْتَطَاعَ مِنْكُمْ أَنْ يُطِيْلَ غُرَّتَهُ فَلْيَفْعَلْ . مُتَّفَقٌ عَلَيْهِ

From Abu Hurairah radliyallahu anhu, he said, "I heard the Messenger of Allah (Prophet Muhammad), sallallahu alaihi wa sallam, say, 'Indeed, my people on the Day of Judgment will come with white light in all the parts of their bodies washed and wiped during wudu. Whoever among you can increase his white light, let him do so.'" This hadith is narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim.

This is the sunnah that specifically encourages Muslims to always remain in a state of wudu.

• Wudu can remove dirt from the parts of our body that are washed and rubbed during wudu. I think the seventh point is very clear. Wudu removes dirt from the parts of the body that are washed and rubbed during wudu.
• Wudu can calm the soul and mind. You may believe it or not, but wudu can calm the soul and mind. I've experienced it myself.
• Wudu can make us feel energized. I have also experienced this ninth point. Wudu can make us feel energized. Now it's your turn to try it.
• Wudu can help cure insomnia. Insomnia is a sleep disorder that can affect human psychology. In the previous paragraphs, I explained that wudu can calm the soul and mind. Wudu can also relax our muscles, which is why it can help cure insomnia.

FAQs

Do You Have to Do Full Wudu If You Fart?

Yes, if you fart, your wudu is considered invalidated, and you need to perform the full wudu again to regain ritual purity before performing Salah.

What Happens If You Fart While Doing Wudu?

If you fart while doing wudu, it breaks the wudu, and you will need to start the wudu process over from the beginning to ensure its validity.

Do You Need to Wash Your Buttocks for Wudu?

No, you do not need to wash your buttocks for wudu. Wudu involves washing the face, arms, and feet, and wiping the head. Washing the buttocks is not part of the wudu process.

Can You Perform Wudu Without Wearing a Shirt?

Yes, you can perform wudu without wearing a shirt. Wudu does not require specific clothing, but it does require that the parts of the body that need to be washed or wiped are accessible.

How Long Does Wudu Last?

Wudu lasts until it is broken by actions that invalidate it, such as passing gas, using the restroom, or deep sleep. There is no fixed duration for wudu; it remains valid as long as it is not invalidated by such actions.

Conclusion

Wudu is a fundamental practice in Islam, essential for both spiritual and physical purity. It is not only a ritual act of washing specific body parts with pure water but also a means of preparing oneself for prayer and other religious activities. The importance of wudu is emphasized by various reasons, including its role in cleansing minor impurities, identifying the followers of Prophet Muhammad on the Day of Judgment, and being a highly recommended Sunnah act. Wudu also has spiritual benefits, such as washing away minor sins, opening the gates of Heaven, and providing physical and mental relaxation. Additionally, wudu can bring a sense of calm, increase energy, and even help alleviate insomnia. This ritual, therefore, serves as both a spiritual purification and a practical method for maintaining physical cleanliness and mental well-being. Understanding the significance of wudu is crucial for every Muslim, as it connects them to their faith and prepares them for worship. This article provides an in-depth explanation of why wudu is important, encouraging readers to appreciate its value in their daily lives.

Dear readers, that's a brief explanation of 7+ reasons why wudu is important. Do you understand? If you have any questions, feel free to ask!

I think that's enough for this article. May it be useful. Amen.

See you again in the next article!