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:

As salam alaikum wa rehmatullahi wa barakatahu.

I m in eargent need of the solution of my problem.

I m suffuring from waswasulqahri since my child hood and this problen raise only bcaz of that reason.

i was `16 years old at marriage time. after marriage i started to take bath with ablution. bt bcaz of my this sickness i had 2 make ablution again and again 4 several times and it was very difficult and time consuming so bieng tired i left the act of doing wadoo bfore ghusl . To make my bathing easier i used to make intention and use to wash myself carefully from head to toe. without even gargling and rinsing my nose. Then for performing every prayer i used to make wadoo . Thisi have done for the whole of my life. Now i m 55 years old and come to know abt the importence of sunnah acts . and i have read that no worship is acceptable without way of sunnah . So i m very much worried abt the validity of my tahara and prayers of my whole life.Iknow that my bath is sufficient but without gargling and rinsing the nose my tahara is acceptable or not? and what if i have done this for the whole of my life? If this is not valid according to shariah then what should i do to complete my prayers? several times i bathed like this and entered in HARAM but bfore entering i use to make wadoo . without ablution i never entewred in HARAM in Meccah.

Plz let me know what should i do now? I`ll b thankful 2 u 4u`r urgent reply. And i also wanted to know had HAZRAT MOHAMMAD SALLAHO ALAIHE WA SALLAM ever orderd any one to do wudoo in ghusl or it was his own act like tahajjud?

Thanks and jazakallah fiddarain.

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Answer:

Wudu in ghusl

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 none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chatper 5 Surah Maidah verse 6:

6 O ye who believe! When ye prepare for prayer wash your faces, and your hands (and arms) to the elbows; rub your heads (with water); and (wash) your feet to the ankles.

While performing the ‘wudu’ or ablution, four acts are absolutely obligatory….:

1. the washing of the face,
2. the washing of the hands and arms upto the elbows,
3. the wiping of the head,
4. and the washing of the feet upto the ankles.

If one intends to perform the ‘wudu’, but does not honor even one of the above four absolutely obligatory conditions of ‘wudu’ …their ‘wudu’ and their prayer will be null, void and unacceptable to Allah Subhanah.

The acts of gargling, rinsing the nose, and wiping the ears during the ‘wudu’ are the recommended and preferred Sunnah and practice of the Messenger of Allah (saws); and it would obviously be best for the believers who sincerely believe in Allah and the Last Day to follow the example of the Messenger of Allah (saws) in all their acts.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 33 Surah Ahzab verse 21:

There is indeed the best example for you to follow in the Messenger of Allah, for every such person looks forward to Allah and the Last Day, and remembers Allah much.

If one intends to perform the ‘wudu’ in preparation for prayer and fulfills all the four above listed obligatory actions of ‘wudu’….but for some reason forgets or does not gargle, or rinse their nose, or wipe their ears, their ‘wudu’ will still be considered valid and their prayers will be acceptable to Allah Subhanah.

Fiqh-us-Sunnah Fiqh 1.58a

According to the practice of the Prophet (saws) the correct manner of performing ghusl after making intention to purify oneself and saying ‘Bismillah’ is:

1. wash both hands three times,
2. wash the private parts,
3. make a complete ablution (like the one made for prayer--the Prophet(saws) used to delay washing his feet until the end of his ghusl),
4. rub water through one's hair three times, letting the water reach down to the roots of the hair,
5. thoroughly bathe one’s whole body starting from the right side, making sure that no part of the body is left dry.

To perform the ‘wudu’ before one takes a ‘ghusl’ or full bath of purification is indeed an extremely recommended and preferred Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws), and it is highly preferred for the believers to follow the same. But if for any reason one makes intention to purify oneself with a ‘ghusl’ or full bath, and forgets or does not perform the ‘wudu’ in the beginning of their ‘ghusl’….their full bath will suffice for their purification and they can make themselves available for prayer.

Your Question: ….So i m very much worried abt the validity of my tahara and prayers of my whole life.Iknow that my bath is sufficient but without gargling and rinsing the nose my tahara is acceptable or not?

Dear and beloved Sister in Islam, although not performing the full ‘wudu’ before ‘ghusl’ is against the guidance of Sunnah, because you apparently fulfilled all the obligatory conditions of purification, rest absolutely assured that the worship that you did in your state of purification all your life would be acceptable to Allah Subhanah, Insha Allah.

But it would be best that henceforth you strive to follow the Sunnah, and perform the ‘wudu’ before you start your ‘ghusl’ or full bath as was the practice of the Messenger of Allah (saws) so that you may earn even more reward for your worship, Insha Allah.

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

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan