Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Where did Vazoo originate from? And is it meant simply to clean one self before praying? If so, does a mere bath do the same?

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

What is Wudu?

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Q-1: Where did Vazoo originate from?

The act of doing wudu to purify oneself before he presents himself to his Lord and Creator in prayer is a direct commandment of Allah Subhanah to the believers in the Glorious Quran.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter5 Surah Maidah verse 6:O you who have believed! When you rise to offer the Salat, you must wash your faces and hands and your arms up to the elbows, and wipe your hands with wet hands and wash your feet up to the ankles. And if you become unclean, cleanse yourself with a full bath. If, however, you have ‘touched’ women and you can find no water, then cleanse yourselves with pure dust. Strike your palms on it and wipe your hands and faces with it. Allah does not will to make life hard for you, but He wills to purify you, and complete His blessings upon you so that you may show gratitude.

The act of wudu is a pre-condition for one who wishes to offer prayers to his Lord.

Q-2: And is it meant simply to clean one self before praying?

Wudu is indeed a form to purify oneself before he presents himself to his Lord in prayer. When a believer offers his prayers to his Lord, he is in fact in a dialogue with his Creator. When one goes to meet a simple dignitary in this world, one makes sure that his clothes and self are clean before he meets with this dignitary. Similarly, when one presents himself before the Lord of the Worlds, it is expected that he will dress appropriately, and make himself clean and purified before he stands in prayer.

Q-3: If so, does a mere bath do the same?

A full bath or ‘ghusl’ is a bigger way to clean oneself, provided that while taking the bath the believer has the intention to make himself pure to present himself in prayer to his Lord. If one takes a full bath with the intention to purify himself for prayer, there is no need to do wudu again.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan