Wudu

Wudu (Arabic: وضوء) is from the root w-d-' meaning purity, cleanliness, or radiance[1]. In Islamic vocabulary the term names the ritual ablution performed before salah (the five daily prayers)[2]. A separate term, ghusl, names the more comprehensive ritual washing required in certain circumstances.

wudu connects bodily preparation with spiritual readiness in a way that should not be reduced to mere hygiene.

Wudu is performed with clean water and follows a specific sequence based on the example of the Prophet Muhammad[3]. The standard order: making intention (niyyah), washing the hands three times, rinsing the mouth and nose three times, washing the face three times, washing the arms to the elbow three times (right then left), wiping the head and ears, and washing the feet to the ankle three times (right then left)[3]. The sequence is performed thoughtfully rather than mechanically, with awareness that the body is being prepared for prayer.

Wudu is required before the five daily prayers, before reciting the Quran from the mushaf (the physical scripture), and for certain other religious acts[2]. The state of wudu is broken by various events including using the toilet, sleeping, and significant bleeding; wudu must then be performed again before prayer.

When water is unavailable or its use would cause harm (illness, very limited supply), tayammum (dry ablution with clean earth or dust) replaces wudu[3]. Specific rules govern when tayammum is permissible and how it is performed.

Wudu is more than physical washing. Islamic teaching consistently connects bodily purification with spiritual readiness: the believer prepares to stand before God by attending to the body and through the body to the heart[4]. The Prophet is reported to have taught that the parts washed in wudu will be illuminated on the Day of Judgment for those who maintained the practice.

Islamic ritual studies treats wudu as a central daily practice with significant theological and embodied meaning. Anthropological studies of Muslim daily life have explored how the rhythm of wudu and prayer shapes time and embodiment. Comparative work on religious purification places wudu alongside Jewish mikveh, Hindu ritual bathing, Shinto temizu, and Christian baptismal washing[4].

• No God but Godby Reza Aslan
  book
• The Vision of Islamby Sachiko Murata and William C. Chittick
  book