Chapter 06 - The Nullification of Wudu (Ablution)

Chapter 6: The Nullification(1) of Wudu (Ablution)

62. Narrated Anas The Companions of Allah's Messenger in his lifetime used to wait for the 'Isha (night) prayer, so much so that their heads were lowered down (by dozing)[2]. They would then pray without performing ablution.[3]
[Reported by Abu Da'ud and Ad- Daraqutni graded it Sahih (sound). Its origin is in Muslim].


[1] All those causes which invalidate the Wudu (ablution) also invalidate the Tayammum (purification with clean soil in case the water is not available).

[2] It proves that ablution is not cancelled by dozing.

[3] Sleep invalidates the ablution or not, is a controversial issue. In this matter final decision is that with a sound sleep ablution is nullified, otherwise not.

63. Narrated 'Aisha Fatima bint Abu Hubaish[4] came to the Prophet and said, "O Messenger of Allah, I am a woman whose blood keeps flowing (even after the menstruation period).[5] I am never purified; should I, therefore, stop praying?" He, the Prophet said, "No, for that is only a vein, and is not menstruation. So when the menstruation comes, abstain from prayers, and when it ends, wash the blood from your self and then pray."
[Agreed upon].
Al-Bukhari’s version adds: "Then perform ablution for every prayer,"[6] and Muslim admitted that he dropped this addition deliberately.




[4] Fatima bint Abu Hubaish is a Sahabiya from Quraish and then Asad. Her father is Qais bin 'Abdul-Muttalib bin Asad bin 'Abdul-'Uzza bin Qusai. She was a renowned Muhajira and was married to 'Abdullah bin Jahsh.

[5] Vaginal bleeding is of three types: 1) Haid - Blood of regular monthly menstrual course which starts at the age of puberty. This type of blood ceases during the period of pregnancy. 2) Nifas - Puerperal blood coming after the childbirth, it lasts maximum for forty days. 3) Istihada - The blood which may happen to come differently from the above two types. Here it means the last mentioned.

[6] It means that the Istihada blood invalidates the ablution, that is why the noble Prophet , ordered to perform a fresh ablution for every prayer.

64. Narrated 'Ali bin Abi Talib I was one whose Madhi (urethral discharge)[7] flowed readily and asked Miqdad[8] to ask the Prophet about it. He (the Prophet) said: "One should perform Wudu (ablution) in this case."
[Agreed upon and this is Al-Bukhari's version]



[7] Madhi is a white water like lubricant, which oozes out involuntarily at the time of sexual desire. This urethral discharge invalidates the ablution, but is not a cause for obligatory bath

[8] Miqdad bin 'Amr bin Tha'laba Al-Bahrani was nicknamed Abul-Aswad or Abu 'Amr and is known as Al-Miqdad bin Al-Aswad. Al-Aswad bin Yaghuth Az-Zuhri had fostered and entered into a defense agreement with Miqdad in the Jahiliya days. He was among the virtuous, wise and eminent Sahaba. He was the sixth Muslim, made the two migrations and attended all the major battles. He was a horseman during Badr and participated in the conquest of Egypt. He died at the age of 70 in 33 H. at Al-Jauf, three miles from Al- Madina so he was carried to Al-Madina, 'Uthman offered his Funeral prayer, and was buried at Al-Baqi'.

65. Narrated 'Aisha The Prophet kissed[9] one of his wives and went to pray without performing (fresh) ablution.
[Reported by Ahmad, and Al-Bukhari graded it Da’if (weak)]


[9] This Hadith confirms that ablution is not cancelled by touching a woman with or without lust. This is supported by a reporting of Imam Bukhari narrated by 'Aisha The Prophet was praying in the darkness and I was laying at rest while my feet were at the place where the Prophet prostrated (on his prayer mat). At the time of prostration he would touch my feet and I would remove them.

66. Narrated Abu Huraira Allah's Messenger said, "If one of you feels disturbance in his stomach and doubts whether he has released some air or not, then he should not leave the mosque unless he hears its sound or smells (its) odor.[10]"
[Reported by Muslim]


[10] This Hadith points out an important principle that everything remains at its command until there is something certain against it. Suspicion carries no weight, whether one is in prayer or not

67. Narrated Talq bin 'Ali[11] A man said: "I touched my p-n-s" or he said, "Does a man who touch his p-n-s during the prayer should perform Wudu (ablution)?" The Prophet , replied, "No, it is only a part of your body."
[Reported by Al-Khamsa[12]. Ibn Hibban graded it Sahih (sound) and Ibn Al-Madini said, "It is better than the Hadith of Busra"]


[11] He is Abi Ali Talq bin Ali bin Talq bin 'Amr Al-Hanafi As-Siheimi Al-Yamami. He visited the Prophet as soon as he arrived at Al-Madina and worked with him in building the Prophet's Mosque.

[12] Ahmad, Abu Da’ud, Tirmidhi, Nasa’i and Ibn Majah.

68. Narrated Busra bint Safwan[13] Allah’s Messenger said, "He who touches his p-n-s should perform ablution."[14]
[Reported by Al-Khamsa, and At-Tirmidhi and Ibn Hibban graded it Sahih (sound), and Al-Bukhari said, "It is the most authentic (Hadith) in this chapter"]


[13] Busra bint Safwan bin Naufal bin Asad bin 'Abdul-'Uzza Al-Qurashiya Al-Asadiya was a Sahabiya, among the first Muslims, migrated early and lived till the caliphate of Mu'awiya.

[14] Foregoing Hadith of Talq bin Ali seems to be contradictory to this, but infect it is not. If the organ is touched uncovered or with lustful intention, then the ablution is nullified, otherwise not.

69. Narrated 'Aisha Allah's Messenger said, "Whoever vomits, bleeds through the nose[15], or releases Madhi(urethral discharge) should go, perform ablution and then complete his Salat (prayer)[16] (by continuing from where he had stopped at) on condition that he does not speak in the process."
[Reported by Ibn Majah, and Ahmad and others graded it Da'if].


[15] This Hadith is Da’if (weak), and there is no Sahih (sound) Hadith concerning this issue.

[16] It means that if a man prayed two Rak'a with the Imam (leader of prayer) and it happens that his ablution is cancelled. He leaves the prayer and after making a fresh ablution joins again with the Imam in the same part of prayer where he left, then he should finish the prayer with Imam.

70. Narrated Jabir bin Samura[17] A man asked the Prophet , "Should I perform ablution after eating mutton?" He replied, "If you wish so", he then asked, "Should I perform ablution after eating camel meat?[18] He said, "Yes."
[Reported by Muslim]


[17] He is a famous Sahabi and the son of Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas' sister. He settled at Kufa and built a house there. He died in 74 H. or 66 H. His father Samura bin Junada As-Sawai Al. 'Aamiri is also a Sahabi.

[18] Some people mean by this the complete ablution and others mean only the rinsing of mouth. Latter view is correct because the noble Prophet pointed out fat as its cause and fat always sticks in the mouth only.

71. Narrated Abu Huraira The Prophet said: "Whoever washes a dead person[19] should take a bath (thereafter); and whoever carries it should perform ablution."
[Reported by Ahmad, An-Nasa’i and At-Tirmidhi who graded it Hasan (fair). And Ahmad said that there is no authentic Hadith in this chapter]


[19] Concerning this issue there is no authentic Hadith. Some say that bath is compulsory on one who bathes the dead body, some others are of the opinion that it is just desirable; while to others ablution is compulsory, and there are still others who consider it also not necessary.

72. Narrated Abdullah bin Abu 'Bakr[20] The book written by Allah’s Messenger for 'Amr bin Hazm[21] also contained: "None except a pure person should touch the Quran[22]."
[Reported by Malik as a Mursal and by An-Nasa’i and Ibn Hibban as Mawsul. And it is graded as Ma'lul (defective)].


[20] 'Abdullah bin Abu Bakr bin Muhammad bin 'Amr bin Hazm Al-Ansari Al-Madani Al- Qadi was a Tabi'i of the 5th grade. He died in 135 H. at the age of 70 years.

[21] He is a Khazraji, a Najari and is nicknamed Abu Ad-Dahhak. He first took part in Al-Khandaq and the Prophet (PBUH) sent him to Najran to teach the people about the religion and collect their Sadaqat. He wrote for them a book containing the obligatory and voluntary acts, the Sadaqat and the blood wit, and this is the book mentioned in the Hadith. He died in Al-Madina after the fifties

[22] Hadath Akbar (sexual discharge) and Hadath Asghar (passing wind, urine or defecation) both make the purification due, if Hadath (impurity) is the result of coition then it is unanimously agreed not to touch the noble Quran, but there is a difference of opinion in doing that without ablution..

73. Narrated 'Aisha Allah's Messenger used to mention Allah's Name (praise Him) at all times.[23]
[Reported by Muslim and Al-Bukhari recorded it as Mu'allaq (suspended)].

[23] The times of answering the call of nature, urination and coition are not included. In the state of being impure by coition, remembrance and pronouncing the Name of Allah is permissible, but touching and reciting the noble Quran is prohibited.


74. Narrated Anas bin Malik The Prophet had blood extracted from his body[24] and offered the prayer and did not perform (a new) ablution.
[Reported by Ad-Daraqutni who graded it Da’if (weak)]

[24] This Hadith clarifies that bleeding except from two (vagina and anus) does not invalidate the ablution. Ahadith of same class have also been narrated by Ibn 'Umar, Ibn 'Abbas and Abi Aufa



75. Narrated Mu’awiya[25] Allah's Messenger said, "The eye (when awake) is the string of anus (to stop air escaping), and if the two eyes sleep the string is untied."[26]
[color=black]Ahmad and At-Tabardni who added, "Whoever sleeps should perform ablution."] Also reported by Abu Da’ud mentioning the above addition without the words "the string is untied", but both versions are weak]. And Ibn 'Abbas , narrated in a Marfu' (traceable) Hadith that: "Ablution is necessary for one who sleeps while he is lying flat[27]."
[Reported by Abu Da'ud and there is weakness in its chain of narrators]

[25] Both him and his father Abu Sufyan Sakhr bin Harb became Muslims at the conquest of Makka. 'Umar appointed him as the governor of Sham after the death of his brother Yazid bin Abu Sufyan and he remained so until 'Ali came out in order to dispose him by force and he was sworn as the caliph when Al-Hasan stepped down in his favor in the year 40 H. He died in Rajab 60 H. at the age of 78 years

[26] It means sleep is a cause of Hadath (impurity) and not Hadath itself

[27] It means that sleeping in the flat position results in the invalidation of ablution, whereas in the foregoing Hadith mere sleep is described as the factor of invalidation. Sleeping in the flat position is an indication of sound sleep, when all the organs of body are at rest, it enhances the possibility of uncontrolled passing of wind; while in a light sleep or napping one is not completely unconscious.


76. Narrated Ibn 'Abbas Allah's Messenger said, "Satan comes to one of you in Salat (prayer) and blows air in his bottom, so he imagines that he has released air yet he did not. So if he gets that feeling he should not leave his prayer unless he hears the sound (of the air) or smells its odor."
[Reported by Al-Bazzar] . It is originally from the Sahihain of Bukhari and Muslim as the Hadith narrated by 'Abdullah bin Zaid. And Muslim reported by Abu Huraira likewise. And Abu Sa'id narrated in a Marfu' Hadith: "If Satan comes to one of you and says: 'You have nullified your ablution (by releasing air)', let him say: 'You have lied.'" [Reported by Al-Hakim]. Ibn Hibban also reported the above Hadith with the version: "Let him say in his heart..."


Source: A b d u r r a h m a n.org