Does Food Break Wudu? Read This! - Guidelines Islamic Law

Does Food Break Wudu?

Hi all readers! Are you looking for an explanation of “does food break wudu?”? If your answer is “Yes”, congratulations! Now you are reading the right article. Why? Because that's what I will explain in this article. As Muslims, we must understand that. That's why I wrote this article. So, you have to read it to the end.

Specifically, there are four important things about “does food break wudu?” which I will explain in this article. The four important things I mean are as follows:

Food in Islam: Is It Important or Not?

The first important thing about “does food break wudu?” what I will explain now is food in Islam: is it important or not? I want you to understand that so that you have a complete understanding of the topic we are discussing now.

In general, food is something that is allowed in Islam. The status can change if there are other things that affect it. For example, if now you are going to pray, and at the same time you are hungry, then eating is obligatory for you. Why? The answer is because if you are hungry, it will destroy your concentration in prayer.

So, the status of food in Islam which was originally permissible, then in that context the status changes to obligatory, because concentration in prayer will not be perfect if there is something that interferes.

We can find this explanation in the arguments of Islamic law below:

مَا لَا يَتِمُّ الْوَاجِبُ إِلَّا بِهِ فَهُوَ وَاجِبٌ

Something which an obligation cannot be perfected except by that, then it becomes an obligation.

Likewise, if there is something that requires us to stay away from food or not to eat, such as if the food is stolen, then we should not eat it unless we really have to. What I mean by compulsion in this context is if logically we will die if we don't eat these foods, then we are allowed to eat them.

Another example, if concentration in learning will be disturbed if we are hungry, then in that context eating is something that is mandatory for us, because eating can eliminate hunger.

So, the conclusion is that food is something that is permissible in Islam and it can be important if it is related to something important.

That's a brief explanation of food in Islam. As Muslims, we must understand that.

Hadith About Food and Wudu

The second important point about “does food break wudu?” what I will explain here is the hadith about food and wudu. I want you to know that so that you can understand the rationale of our discussion now.

As for the hadith regarding food and wudu, what I mean is as follows:

رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَأْكُلُ عَرْقًا مِنْ شَاةٍ ثُمَّ صَلَّى وَلَمْ يُمَضْمِضْ وَلَمْ يَمَسَّ مَاءً

I saw the Messenger of Allah (Prophet Muhammad) sallallahu alayhi wa sallam eating a piece of goat meat. Then he prayed, without rinsing his mouth and without touching the water at all.

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ شَرِبَ لَبَنًا فَلَمْ يُمَضْمِضْ وَلَمْ يَتَوَضَّأْ وَصَلَّى

Allah's Messenger (Prophet Muhammad) sallallahu alayhi wa sallam drank milk, then he did not rinse his mouth nor did wudu, then he prayed.

That's a brief explanation of hadith about food and wudu. As Muslims, we must understand that.

Some Things That Break Wudu

The third important point about “does food break wudu?” what I will explain now are some things that break wudu. I want you to understand that so you can make the right answer to focus our discussion now.

In general, there are five things that can break wudu:

• If something comes out of two holes: the front hole (penis and vagina) and the back hole (anus).

We can find this explanation in the following Quranic verse:

أَوْ جَاءَ أَحَدٌ مِنْكُمْ مِنَ الْغَائِطِ

“Or one of you has come from the bathroom.” (Al-Maidah: 6).

• Loss of mind due to sleep, madness, and so on.

We can find this explanation in the hadith below:

فَمَنْ نَامَ فَلْيَتَوَضَّأْ

“Whoever sleeps, let him perform wudu.”

• If the skin of a man and a woman who is not a mahram touch without a barrier.

We can find this explanation in the following Quranic verse:

أَوْ لَامَسْتُمُ النِّسَاءَ

“Or you touch a girl.” (Al-Maidah: 6).

• Touching penis, vagina, or anus using the palms of the hands or the inside of the fingers.

We can find this explanation in the hadith below:

مَنْ مَسَّ ذَكَرَهُ فَلْيَتَوَضَّأْ

Whoever holds his penis, let him perform wudu.

• Vomiting and nosebleeds.

We can find this explanation in the hadith below:

عَنْ عَائِشَةَ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهَا أَنَّ رَسُوْلَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ : مَنْ أَصَابَهُ قَيْءٌ , أَوْ رُعَافٌ , أَوْ قَلَسٌ , أَوْ مَذْيٌ فَلْيَتَوَضَّأْ , ثُمَّ لْيَبْنِ عَلَى صَلَاتِهِ وَهُوَ لَا يَتَكَلَّمُ . أَخْرَجَهُ اِبْنُ مَاجَهْ

From Aisha radiyallahu anha, that the Messenger of Allah (Prophet Muhammad) sallallahu alaihi wa sallam has said, "Whoever is exposed to vomiting, nosebleeds (blood coming out of the nose), qalas (fluid that comes from the throat that fills the mouth or other things but it is not vomit) or madhiy, then let him perform ablution and then continue his prayer as long as he does not speak." This hadith was narrated by Ibn Majah.

That is the general explanation of some things that break wudu. As Muslims, we must understand that.

Does Food Break Wudu?

The fourth important point about “does food break wudu?” what I'm going to explain here is a specific answer. If we understand some of the explanations above, then we can conclude that food does not break wudu!

Before I explain the answer to this question, I will make an analogy between food and eating camel meat. I will do that because there are similarities between the two things.

Maybe now you are asking, “How about eating camel meat? Does it break wudu?"

You must understand that the explanation of the correlation between eating camel meat and wudu is as follows:

عَنْ جَابِرٍ بْنِ سَمْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ أَنَّ رَجُلًا سَأَلَ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : أَتَوَضَّأُ مِنْ لُحُوْمِ الْغَنَمِ ؟ قَالَ : إِنْ شِئْتَ . قَالَ : أَتَوَضَّأُ مِنْ لُحُوْمِ الْإِبِلِ ؟ قَالَ : نَعَمْ . أَخْرَجَهُ مُسْلِمٌ

From Jabir bin Samurah radliyallah anu, that someone once asked the Prophet (Muhammad) sallallahu alaihi wa sallam, "Should I perform wudu after eating goat meat?" He said, "If you wish." The person asked, "Should I perform wudu after eating camel meat?" He said, "Yes." This hadith was narrated by Muslim.

In general, if we understand the above hadith, then we can conclude that the meat of animals that can break wudu is camel meat. But there are three important things about it that we must understand as I have explained in several previous articles:

1. Eating mutton does not break wudu.
2. Ahmad said that eating camel meat can break wudu.
3. The majority of Islamic jurists said that eating camel meat cannot break wudu. They interpret the word “wudu” into its linguistic meaning; gargle. That is, what must be done is to remove the fat from the meat in the mouth.

All readers! That's a brief explanation of "does food break wudu?". Do you understand? If you want to ask, please ask!

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

See you again in the next article.