Wudu

WUDU (Ablution) BEFORE DOING WUDU: If someone needs to go to the toilet ,he should use the toilet and do Istinja before doing wudu.

SIWAK(TOOTH-STICK): It is a good practice to clean the teeth with a tooth-stick,or a toothbrush before performing Wudu.In this way you can avoid many diseases which are caused by unclean teeth.

As mentioned in the Hadith:Aisha r.a reported Allah's Messenger pbuh as saying:"The use of a tooth-stick is a means of purifying the mouth and is pleasing to the Lord as well."(Ahmed, Darmi and Nasai)

Prophet Muhammad pbuh also said:"If I wouldn't have felt that it is difficult for my people I would have ordered them to use a tooth-stick with ever prayer,that is before doing each wudu.

So Muslims should always try to fulfil this wish of our Prophet pbuh.
MAKING INTENTION(NIYAH) FOR WUDU:

Before starting the actions o wudu it is necesary to make niyat.
Make Niyat that the act of performing  wudu is for the purpose  of
purity only. Niyat should be made in the heart because  it is an action
of the heart  and not of the tongue.

Niyat by words is not approved by Prophet  Muhammad  (S.A.W)
Then start the wudu by saying:- Bismillah  hir-rahma  nir-raheem
(ln the name of Allah, most gracious,  most merciful)

ACTIONS FOR PERFORMING WUDU: 

1.Wash the hands up to the wrist making sure that no part of the hands is left dry.

2.Rinse the mouth taking up water with the right hand.

3.Clean the nose :sniff water up from the right palm and then eject water with the left hand.

4.Wash the face ,from ear to ear,and forehead to chin making sure that no part of the face is left dry.

5.Then wash the forearms(right forearm first) upto the elbows making sure that no part of them is left dry.

6.Rub the head as follows: Wet your fingers and wipe the head with your fingers,starting from the forehead,taking\ them to the nape of the neck,then bring them back to the forehead.

7.Clean the ears by inserting the tips of the index fingers wetted with water into the ears,twist them around the folds of the ears then pass the thumb behind the ears from the bottom,upwards.

8.Wash the feet(right foot first) up to the anklesmaking surethat no part of the feet are left dry, especially between the toes.

SPECIAL FACILITIES IN WUDU: Rubbing the socks with wet hands instead of washing the feet is allowed provided that the socks have been put on after performing an ablution including washing the feet.This is allowed for 24 hours from the time of ablution,and for 3 days if the person is on journey.After this time the feet must be washed .Similarly if there is a wound in any parts of the body which has to be washed in ablution,and if washing that particular part is likely to cause harm, it is permissible to wipe the dressing of the wound with a wet hand.

Hadith:Mughira bin Shu'bah said:"Prophet pbuh performed ablution and wiped over his socks and his sandals."(Ahmad,Tirmidhi,Abu Dawud)
Each detail of ablution has been performed by Prophet Muhammad pbuh once,twice or three times (except rubbing of head and cleaning of ears i.e. action 6 and 7 should only be done once).Since all the above methods meet Prophet pbuh's approval, we can perform ablution by doing the actions once ,twice or three times,provided that no part has been left dry.

Amr bin Shu'aib, quoting his father on the authority of his grand father narrated that prophet Muhammad said:"If anyone performs actions of ablution more than 3 times ,he has done wrong,transgressed , and done wickedly."(Ibn Majah, Nasai)

DUA AT THE END OF WUDU: Ashadu an la ilaha illal lahu wah duhu la shareeka lahu wa ash hadu an-na Muhammadan 'abduhu wa Rasuluhu.
"I testify that there is no deity except Allah Alone. And I testify that Muhammad pbuh is His servant and Messenger."(Muslim)

Allahum maj 'alnee minat taw-wabeena waj'alnee minal muta tahhireen.
"O Allah make me among those who are penitent and make me among those who are purified."(Tirmidhi)

TAYAMMUM: In circumstances when water cannot be found ,or just enough is available for drinking ,or it is injurious to health:in such situations Tayammum (dry ablution) can be performed.

The procedure below is given according to Qur'an and hadith. "..And if you don't find any water,then take clean earth (or sand ) and rub it on your face,and hands .Allah does not wish to put you in a difficulty ,but He wants to make you clean, and to complete His favour unto you,so you should be grateful to Him."(surah 5:verse 6)

Procedure:

1.Make Niyat in the heart.

2.Begin with the name of Allah.

3.Strike palms of both hands on clean sand,dust or anything containing these e.g wall or stone etc.then blow into the palm of both hands over the face once and then rub your right hand with the left palm and left hand with the right palm.(Bukhari)

4.Finish with the same dua as given at the end of ablution.

TIME-PLACE-DRESS AND TYPES OF PRAYER

TIME OF SALAT: Each Salat must be offered at or during its proper time .No salat can be offered before its time .There are five obligatory Salat in a day:

Fajar Prayer: The time for the Fajar or morning prayer starts at dawn and ends at sunrise.

Zuhr Prayer: The time of Zuhr prayer starts when the sun begins to decline from its zenith and ends when the size of an object's shadow is equal to the size of object.

Jabir bin Abullah ra narrated:"The angel Jibrael came to Prophet Muhammad pbuh and said to him:'Stand up and pray Zuhr' so Allah's Messenger prayed zuhr when the sun had declined from its zenith.Then the angel Jibrael came again at the time of Asr and said:'Stand up and pray Asr'.The Prophet Muhammad pbuh prayed Asr when the shadow of everything was equal to itself.Then Jibrael came the next day to the Prophet pbuh and said:'Stand up and pray zuhur.'Then the Prophet Muhammad pbuh prayed the zuhur when the shadow of everything was equal to itself.Then Jibrael came again at Asr time and said:'Satnd up and pray Asr".Then He prayed Asr when the shadow of everything was twice its length...Then Jibrael said,(after praying 10 Salat with Prophet Muhammd pbuh in two consecutive days) that the time of Salat is in between these two times." Ahmad,Nasai, Tirmidhi and Bukhari remarked that this is the most authentic Hadith giving the times of prayer.

We find that many books on salat state the ending time of Zuhur prayer and the starting time of Asr prayer when the shadow of something is twice itself.But this contradicts the above hadith as on the first day Jibrael asked Prophet Muhammad pbuh to pray Asr when shadow of everything was equal to itself.This means that was the end time of Zuhr prayer.And we already know that all the Ulama of the Muslim Ummah agree unanimously that no Salat can be offered before this time.

Asr Prayer: The time for Asr prayer or late afternoon prayer starts when the shadow of something is equal to itself and ends just before sunset.
It is better to offer Asr prayer before the sun become yellow because even though it is allowed to offer the Salat at this time the Prophet pbuh disliked Muslims to delay Asr prayer up to this time.He remarked that the Munafiq (hypocrite) offered his salat at this time.

Maghrib Prayer: The time for the Maghrib or the sunset starts just after sunset and ends when twilight has disappeared.

Isha Prayer: The time for Isha or night prayer starts from the disappearance of twilight and ends just before midnight.It is preferable to offer this prayer before midnight.

FORBIDDEN TIMES OF PRAYER

Uqbah bin 'Amir said,There are three times at which Allah's Messenger pbuh used to forbid us to pray or bury our dead.

1.When the sun began to riseuntil it was fully up.
2.When the sun was at its height at midday till it pass meridian.
3.When the sun drew near to setting till it had set.(Muslim)
Forbidden times for Nafl Prayer:

1.Abu Sa'eed Al Khudree ra reported Allah's Messenger pbuh as saying:"No Salat is to be said after the Fajar prayer until the sun rises, or after the Asr prayer until the sun sets."(Bukhari and Muslim)

Only Nafl prayer is forbidden at these times but a missed Fard prayer can be offered .Most of the ' ULAMA of the Muslim Ummah allowed the offering of missed Fard prayer after Fajar and 'Asr because of the following Hadith:
 Prophet pbuh said'"Who has forgotten the prayer he should pray it whenever he remembers it."(Bukhari and Muslim)

2.A Nafl cannot be offered once the Iqamat for Fard prayer has been said.Abu Huraira  narrated that Messenger pbuh said:"When the Iqamat  has been said , then there is no Salat valid(Nafl or Sunnat ) exept the Fard prayer for which the iqamat was said."(Ahmad and Muslim)

It is seen in practice that many people continue with the sunnat prayer even though the Iqamat has been said for the Fard prayer especially in the Fajar prayer.They feel that the 2 Rak'at Sunnat of Fajar can only be offered before the Fard. This practice is against congregation philosphy, discipline of Jama'at and a clear violation of Hadith. They should offer 2 Rak'at Sunnat of Fajar immediately after the Fard or after sunrise.

PLACE FOR SALAT

A place or a building which is used for the purpose of worship and Salat is called a MASJID(Mosque) .A Hadith tells us that ,All the earth has been rendered for the Muslims as the Mosque (pure and clean).

This means that whereever a Muslim might be he can offer his Salat but the reward of a Salat offered in a Mosque is far greater than that offered in an ordinary place. The following points should be noted when choosing a place for Salat,

a)The place should be clean and pure. Salat in a dirty, filthy and impure place such as a rubbish tip ,slaughter house ,bathing place and a camel pen is forbidden.

b)The place should be free from danger.The danger could be due to someone or something that may disturb the worshipper.

c)A prayer place where the worshipper might hinder the movement of others should be avoided, e.g. busy pavements, public roadways etc.

d)It is forbidden to pray on the roof of BAITULLAH(Ka'bah)

e)It is forbidden to pray on top of or facing towards a grave.