10 Reasons Why Wudu Is Important for Every Muslim

Are you searching for a description of why wudu is important? If your answer is "Of course," congratulations! You're currently reading the best short post on the topic. Why? Because that's exactly what I'll discuss in this post. As Muslims, we must understand this, which is why I've written this short post. So, make sure you read it all the way through!

Specifically, there are two essential points about the reasons why wudu is important that I will discuss in this post. These key points are as follows:

What Does Wudu Mean?

The first essential point about why wudu is important is understanding "What does wudu mean?" I want you to grasp this concept before diving into more explanations because it's the foundational aspect of this discussion that must be well understood.

Literally, the meaning of wudu is cleanliness and purity. We can find this description in the following definition of wudu:

الوُضُوْءُ لُغَةً هُوَ النَّظَافَةُ وَالطَّهَارَةُ

Wudu, in Arabic, means cleanliness and purity.

In Islamic terms, wudu refers to using pure water to wash specific parts of the body to remove minor impurities that may prevent one from praying. We can see this definition in the Islamic context of wudu:

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 the use of pure water on specific parts of the body as prescribed by Sharia.

These parts of the body include the face, two hands, head, and two feet, with the purpose of removing anything that prevents an individual from performing prayers.

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Generally, Muslims perform wudu before praying and reciting the Quran.

We can find the command to perform wudu in the Quran as mentioned below:

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 relieving yourself, or you have had contact with 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 description of "What does wudu mean?" As Muslims, we must fully understand this concept.

10 Reasons Why Wudu Is Important

The second essential point about the reasons why wudu is important, which I will now discuss, is the 10 reasons why wudu is important. So, I truly hope that you read the following description carefully.

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The 10 reasons why wudu is important are as follows:

Wudu is essential to remove minor hadas

Minor hadas (الحَدَثُ الأَصْغَرُ) is one of the things that can affect the purity of Muslims. If they are in a state of minor hadas, they are not allowed to pray. In Islam, minor hadas can be removed through wudu. We find this explained in the following hadith:

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 of you if he is in a state of hadas (minor hadas) until he performs wudu." This hadith is narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim.

Wudu is a sign that a person belongs to the followers of Prophet Muhammad in the Hereafter

On the Day of Judgment, all humans will be resurrected from their graves and held accountable. During that time, everyone will be gathered in Mahsyar. Wudu will be a sign that distinguishes the followers of Prophet Muhammad from others. We find this described in the following hadith:

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 alayhi wa sallam say, 'Indeed, my followers on the Day of Judgment will come with radiant faces and limbs from the effects of wudu. Whoever among you can increase this radiance, let him do so.'" This hadith is 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 from the previous hadith. This is a recommendation for Muslims to constantly maintain wudu.

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Wudu removes minor sins

We can find this description in the following hadith:

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 (by fulfilling all the obligations and recommended actions of wudu), then his sins will leave his body, even from beneath his nails." This hadith is 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 (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said, 'When a Muslim or believer performs wudu and washes his face, every sin he looked at with his eyes will be washed away with the water or with the last drop of water. When he washes his hands, every sin they committed will be washed away with the water or with the last drop of water. When he washes his feet, every sin his feet committed will be washed away with the water or the last drop of water, until he emerges completely cleansed of sins.'" This hadith is narrated by Muslim.

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Wudu is one of the reasons Muslims can enter Paradise

We can find this description in the following hadith:

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 without partner, and I testify that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger," except that the eight doors of Paradise will be opened for him, and he may enter through any of them he wishes.'" This hadith is narrated by Muslim and at-Tirmidhi. At-Tirmidhi added, "O Allah, make me among those who repent often and make me among those who purify themselves."

There is a sunnah that specifically encourages Muslims to always have wudu

The explanation for this point is the same as the one in the third point. I hope you remember the sentence:

فَمَنْ اِسْتَطَاعَ مِنْكُمْ أَنْ يُطِيْلَ غُرَّتَهُ فَلْيَفْعَلْ

This is the sunnah that specifically encourages Muslims to always maintain their wudu.

Wudu removes dirt from the parts of the body washed during wudu

The seventh point is clear: wudu cleanses the dust and impurities from the body parts that are washed and wiped during wudu.

Read Also: Does Touching a Cat Break Wudu?

Wudu calms the heart and mind

Whether you believe it or not, wudu can bring calmness to both the heart and the mind. I have experienced it personally.

Wudu energizes us

I have already introduced this ninth point. Wudu can energize and invigorate us. Now it's your turn to try it.

Wudu can help cure insomnia

Insomnia is a sleep disorder that can affect one's mental well-being. In earlier points, I mentioned that wudu can calm the heart and mind. Additionally, wudu can relax our muscles, which is why it can help relieve insomnia.

Dear readers, that was a brief explanation of 10 reasons why wudu is important. Do you understand? If you have any questions, feel free to ask!

I believe that’s enough for this article. May it be useful, Ameen.

See you again in the next article!