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How Are the Verses About Wudu Interpreted?

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Question:

Do you mind giving an explanation about the different readings in Quran 5:6 for wiping or washing the feet?

Answer:

Wa ‘alaykum assalam wa rahmatullah wa barakatuh.

I pray you are well.

The more commonly recited qira’a is understood by all to mean washing your face, arms, and feet and to wiping your head. There is another qira’a which some have understood to mean that one should wipe the head and the feet.

This came from the vowel on the word for feet being the same as the word for heads. The majority of scholars did not take this interpretation, and they said the ruling given by both readings is the same. The great mufassir (exegete) Zamakhshari explained the difference as being a way to highlight that one should not waste water in wudu. [Zamakhshari, al-Kashaf]

Please refer to our course “The Wisest Laws,” where the verse is discussed in detail.

https://seekersguidance.org/quran-studies-stream/#

May Allah bless you with the best of both worlds.

[Shaykh] Abdul-Rahim Reasat

 

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat began his studies in Arabic Grammar and Morphology in 2005. After graduating with a degree in English and History he moved to Damascus in 2007 where, for 18 months, he studied with many erudite scholars. In late 2008 he moved to Amman, Jordan, where he continued his studies for the next six years in Sacred Law (fiqh), legal theory (Usul al-fiqh), theology, hadith methodology, hadith commentary, and Logic. He was also given licenses of mastery in the science of Quranic recital and he was able to study an extensive curriculum of Quranic sciences, tafsir, Arabic grammar, and Arabic eloquence.

How Do I Wash My Thin Beard During Ablution?

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Question:
How do I wash my thin beard during ablution?
Answer:
Dear questioner,
Thank you for your important question.
May Allah, Most High reward you for your desire to increase in knowledge.
If the skin is visible under the hair, then it is necessary to wash the beard as you would wash the face.
Your method is valid and correct.
The area under the chin is not considered part of the face.
[Shurunbulali, Maraqi al-Falah]
For more details, please see: Washing The Beard in Wudu
And Allah alone knows best,
[Ustadh] Omar Popal
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Does Water Need To Drip From a Limb For It To Be Considered Washed?

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Question: Assalamualikum, I apply a handful of water to my limb and spread it by rubbing thrice. Rubbing removes excess water where none drips, and my limb is all wet or damp (even if washed under a tap). I do not know of any other way that does not involve waste.

Answer: In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful,

Assalam’aleykum, I pray this finds you in the best of states.

Jazakum Allah khayr for your question!

 

Definition Of Washing

Washing is defined as the flowing of water on the limb which is accompanied by the dropping of at least two drops of water from the limb.  [Ibn Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar]

 

Using Too Little Water (taqtir)

This definition reflects the minimum needed to perform the valid washing of a limb. Thus contenting oneself with this amount of water won’t make one free from the disliked action of being stinginess in one’s usage of water.

In order to fulfill the sunna when washing one’s limb, one needs to make the dropping of water to be obvious.  [Ibn Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar]

And Allah knows best.

I hope that the above answers your question. If something is unclear please do not hesitate to ask again.

May  Allah Most High grant you the best of this world and the next. Please keep us in your du’as!

Wassalam

[Ustadh] Sufyan Qufi

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Can I Wipe Over Parts of the Skin Affected by Eczema in Wudu?

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Question: I suffer from a skin condition called eczema around my mouth and nose. One of the things that makes it worse is washing the area with water. How do I deal with making wudhu in my situation? I have tried keeping my wudhu for at least 2 prayers but find it hard to do so. Would tayammum be valid for just this body part?
Answer:
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful and Compassionate,
Assalāmu ‘alaykum dear brother or sister in faith,
After applying a moisturizer or other occlusive substance to the affected areas of your skin, you may lightly wipe over them with a wet hand. [Shurunbulali, Nur al-Idah, 26]
Allah, Most High, says,  “And no hardship did He lay upon you in the Religion” [Quran 22:78]
Please see:
[Ustadha] Iman Badawi
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Validity of Wudu 

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when dua is disliked
Question: I noticed a small sticker on my hand after prayer. Is my wudu and prayer valid? 
Answer:
Assalāmu ‘alaykum,
There are three conditions for the validity of wudu’:
(1)  The cessation of any state that contradicts it, namely menstruation and lochia (post-natal bleeding)
(2)  The encompassing of the skin (of the limbs that are obligatory to wash) with pure water
(3)  The removal of any barrier that prevents water from reaching the skin

[Shurunbulali, Maraqi al-Falah]

Thus, if you performed wudu’ while this sticker was on your hand, then the wudu’ would be invalid.  Likewise, any prayers you prayed with this invalid wudu’ would be required to be repeated.
May Allah remove all barriers between us and Him.
[Ustadha] Iman Badawi

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Washing the Face in Wudu

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Question: How do you wash your face in wudu? Do you have to scrub your eyebrows and beard to make sure water gets underneath?

Answer:

Wa alaykum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,

Dear questioner,

Thank you for your important question.

Allah Most High tells in the Qur’an, ‘When you get up to pray, wash your faces …’ (Qur’an 5: 6).

It is really that simple. Wash your face.

All the fuqaha explain is that if one had exceptionally thick and dense eyebrows and mustache, you would have to make sure the water reached the skin. This is normally not the case and any normal washing would do the job.

Similarly, with the beard, the fuqaha are just saying that because it is hard to get inside the beard, one is excused if it is thick. The skin under a thin beard would naturally get washed along with washing the face in a normal way.

There is no need to get complicated or over-concerned about things.

A book like Reliance read with a teacher will show you that. Without a teacher, you can get really lost.

Please see this video on how to make wudu:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gR7jJP4bl8A

I pray this helps.

[Ustadh] Farid

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadh Farid Dingle has completed extensive years of study in the sciences of the Arabic language and the various Islamic Sciences. During his studies, he also earned a CIFE Certificate in Islamic Finance. Over the years he has developed a masterful ability to craft lessons that help non-Arabic speakers gain a deep understanding of the language. He currently teaches courses in the Arabic Language

Losing Wudu While Praying

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Question:  I came home from my university and went to the toilet to answer call of nature. After cleaning myself (istinja) I performed my wudu and started praying the maghrib prayer. The time left was short. However, during probably 2nd or 3rd rakah, I felt that a drop of urine had come out suddenly (I’m 100% sure it had come out ). I continued my prayer nonetheless. Was my prayer valid?

Answer: In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful,

Assalam’aleykum, I pray this finds you in the best of states.

Jazakum Allah khayr for your question!

Of the conditions for a valid prayer is to maintain a state of ritual purity for the full duration of the prayer [ Maraqi Al Falah].

This would entail that your prayer was not valid and needs to be repeated as you are sure that your wudu was broken during the prayer.

Having said this please don’t fall prey to misgivings regarding your state of purity.

Please see:

https://seekersguidance.org/answers/hanafi-fiqh/ritual-purity-urine-leakage-and-misgivings/

And Allah knows best. I hope that the above answers your question. If something is unclear please don’t hesitate to ask again.

May  Allah Most High grant you the best of this world and the next. Please keep us in your du’as!

Wassalam

[Ustadh]  Sufyan Qufi

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

How Do I Deal With Reoccurring Nightmares?

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Question: I have been having reoccurring nightmares. They’re very vivid and very scary. Usually involving my family. I wake up every morning drained from our frightening and stressful dreams were. I’m not sure how I can help stop these bad dreams.

Answer: In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate

I am sorry to hear of your difficulty and pray to Allah Most High that He gives you ease.

There are some sunna practices that you should apply before going to bed.

(1) Try to always sleep in the state of wudhu, when possible.

(2) Recite the last three suras of the Qur’an, blow into your hands, and wipe as much as possible of your body. Do this three times.

(3) Recite ayat al-Kursi, verse (2:255) and the last two verses of Sura al-Baqara

(4) Try to sleep facing the Qibla, preferably laying on your right side.

(5) Recite what you can of the following Prophetic supplications:

In Your name my Lord, I lie down and in Your name, I rise, so if You should take my soul then have mercy upon it, and if You should return my soul then protect it in the manner You do so with Your righteous servants.  [Bukhari and Muslim]

Praise be to Allah Who has brought me to life after He made me die and to Him is the gathering.” [al-Bukhari]

You will find this and more in the attached link. The above is a short summary of the attached link:

How Can I Protect Myself From Bad Dreams?

Hope this helps
Allahu A’alam

[Shaykh] Yusuf Weltch

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Shaykh Yusuf Weltch is a graduate from Tarim; a student of Habib Umar and other luminaries; and authorized teachers of the Qur’an and the Islamic sciences.

What Types of Socks Fulfill the Conditions of Wiping?

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Question: What types of socks fulfill the conditions of wiping?

Answer: In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate

Any sock that fulfills the conditions mentioned below is valid to be used.

(A) The sock must be thick enough that it would not tear if one walked 3.5 miles in them.
(B) The sock must cover the ankle.
(C) The sock must be thick enough that water does not immediately penetrate to the foot when wiped on with dripping wet hands.
(D) The sock must be free from holes that exceed the size of the three smallest toes.

[Ref: [Ibn ‘Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar; al-Halbi, Ghunya al-Mutamali]

See the following link also: Is It Permitted to Wipe Over Thick Socks?

Hope this helps
Allahu A’alam

[Shaykh] Yusuf Weltch

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Shaykh Yusuf Weltch is a graduate from Tarim; a student of Habib Umar and other luminaries; and authorized teachers of Qur’an and the Islamic sciences.

Hair Re-growth and Wudu

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Question: If I apply a hair regrowth medication to my scalp, can I still make wudu?

Answer:

Wa alaykum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,

Dear questioner,

Thank you for your important question.

When making wudu, it is sufficient to apply water by wiping or otherwise to the smallest area on the scalp of the hair of the head (Minhaj al Talibin, Nawawi).  As long as either can be done, wudu is not a problem if one has thin medication on one’s scalp.

If all of the hair and scalp are covered, then it would not be possible to make wudu. For this reason, one would have to choose a better time to apply the medication.

With regard to the medicine having alcohol, the default position in the Shafi’i school is that one may apply alcohol to one’s body for a need, but one must wash it off before one prays (Bushra al Karim,  Ba Ishn).

There are however alternative positions. Please see: https://seekersguidance.org/answers/shafii-fiqh/substances-mixed-alcohol-excused-according-shafii-school/

I pray this helps.

[Ustadh] Farid

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadh Farid Dingle has completed extensive years of study in the sciences of the Arabic language and the various Islamic Sciences. During his studies, he also earned a CIFE Certificate in Islamic Finance. Over the years he has developed a masterful ability to craft lessons that help non-Arabic speakers gain a deep understanding of the language. He currently teaches courses in the Arabic Language