How Long Does Wudu Last? Find Out Here!
Hi all readers! Are you looking for an explanation of “How long does wudu last?” If your answer is “Yes,” congratulations! You are reading the right article. Why? Because that is what I will explain in this article. As Muslims, we must understand this. That's why I wrote this article. So, you should read it to the end!
Specifically, there are some important aspects of “How long does wudu last?” that I will explain in this article. The important aspects I mean are as follows:
Why Is Wudu Important for Muslims?
The important question about “How long does wudu last?” that I will address now is, "Why is wudu important for Muslims?" I want you to understand this so you can appreciate the urgency of this discussion.
In general, if we read some Islamic legal literature on wudu, we will find two main reasons why wudu is important for Muslims:
- Wudu is one of the privileges of Muslims. It has a positive effect on them, such as providing peace of mind and other benefits. Additionally, wudu is one of the privileges of Muslims on the Day of Judgment. On that day, Muslims will be resurrected with a radiant state. The light will radiate from their bodies where they washed and wiped during wudu. We can find this explanation in the hadith below:
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 radiyallahu anhu, he said, "I have heard the Messenger of Allah (Prophet Muhammad) sallallahu alayhi wa sallam say, 'Verily my Ummah on the Day of Judgment will come with white light on the members of wudu (the limbs that are washed and rubbed in wudu) from the former wudu. Whoever of you is able to extend his white light, let him do so.'" This hadith was narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim.
- Wudu is one of the most important ways to remove minor hadas. The second way is tayammum. Minor hadas is something that breaks wudu. If a Muslim has minor hadas, he is not allowed to perform certain acts of worship that require purity or wudu, especially prayer. We find this explanation in the hadith below:
عَنْ أَبِيْ هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ أَنَّ رَسُوْلُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ : لَا يَقْبَلُ اللهُ صَلَاةَ أَحَدِكُمْ إِذَا أَحْدَثَ حَتَّى يَتَوَضَّأَ . مُتَّفَقٌ عَلَيْهِ
From Abu Hurairah radiyallahu anhu, the Messenger of Allah (Prophet Muhammad) sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said, "Allah does not accept the prayer of any one of you if he has hadas (minor hadas) until he performs wudu." This hadith was narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim.
That is a brief explanation of "Why is wudu important for Muslims?" As Muslims, we must understand this.
How Long Does Wudu Last?
The important point about “How long does wudu last?” that I'm going to explain now is a specific answer. I want you to understand this because it is the main discussion in this article.
If we read some Islamic legal literature on wudu, we will find that wudu remains valid as long as it is not broken. That is why Muslims must understand the things that break wudu so they can determine whether their wudu is still valid or not.
In the discussion below, I will explain some of the things that break wudu. You must understand the following discussion very well.
Things That Break Wudu
In general, if we read some Islamic legal literature on wudu, we will find an explanation that there are five things that can break wudu:
- If something comes out of the two openings: the front opening (penis and vagina) and the back opening (anus). We can find this explanation in the Quran 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 the place of relieving himself or you have contacted 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: 6).
- Loss of mind due to sleep, madness, and so on. We can find this explanation in the hadith below:
عَنْ مُعَاوِيَةَ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ : قَالَ رَسُوْلُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : الْعَيْنُ وِكَاءُ السَّهِ فَإِذَا نَامَتِ الْعَيْنَانِ اِسْتَطْلَقَ الْوِكَاءُ . رَوَاهُ أَحْمَدُ وَالطَّبْرَانِيُّ وَزَادَ : وَ مَنْ نَامَ فَلْيَتَوَضَّأْ
From Muawiyah radiyallahu anhu, he said, "The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said, 'The eye is the anal cord. If the eyes sleep, the cord is loosened.' The hadith was narrated by Ahmad and at-Tabarani. He (at-Tabarani) added, 'Whoever has slept, let him perform wudu.'"
- If the skin of a man and a woman who is not a mahram touch each other without a barrier. We can find this explanation in the following Quranic verse:
أَوْ لَامَسْتُمُ النِّسَاءَ
Or you touch women. (Al-Maidah: 6).
- Touching the human penis, vagina, or anus using the palms of the hands or the inside of the fingers. We can find this explanation in the hadith below:
مَنْ مَسَّ ذَكَرَهُ فَلْيَتَوَضَّأْ
Whoever touches his penis, let him perform wudu.
- Vomiting and nosebleeds. We can find this explanation in the hadith below:
عَنْ عَائِشَةَ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهَا أَنَّ رَسُوْلَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ : مَنْ أَصَابَهُ قَيْءٌ , أَوْ رُعَافٌ , أَوْ قَلَسٌ , أَوْ مَذْيٌ فَلْيَتَوَضَّأْ , ثُمَّ لْيَبْنِ عَلَى صَلَاتِهِ وَهُوَ لَا يَتَكَلَّمُ . أَخْرَجَهُ اِبْنُ مَاجَهْ
From Aisha radiyallahu anha, that the Messenger of Allah (Prophet Muhammad) sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said, "Whoever experiences vomiting, nosebleeds, qalas (fluid from the throat), or madhiy, then he should perform wudu and then continue his prayer as long as he does not speak." This hadith was narrated by Ibn Majah.
That's a brief explanation of the things that break wudu. As Muslims, we must understand these aspects.
Conclusion
In conclusion, understanding the duration and conditions of wudu is essential for every Muslim to ensure that their acts of worship are performed correctly and accepted by Allah. We have discussed the significance of wudu, how long it lasts, and the various factors that can invalidate it. I hope this article has clarified your understanding and provided useful insights. If you have any further questions or need more information, feel free to reach out. May Allah grant us all the knowledge and ability to practice our faith correctly. Ameen.
Thank you for reading, and I look forward to sharing more valuable content with you in future articles. Stay tuned and take care!
Informative article.
Regards,