The exam gold here is the three wudū lists kept distinct — 6 farḍ, the sunan, the 5 nullifiers — plus the touching-the-wife madhhab split.
1 · Istinja الاستنجاء
- Meaning: removing impurity from the private parts after urination/defecation. Ruling: wājib (obligatory).
- What may be used: water (primary & best) · any solid, rough material (stones, tissue). Best = stone first, then water. If only one: water is better.
Conditions for using stones (if no water)
- The material is dry.
- Used before the impurity dries.
- Impurity has not spread beyond the exit area.
- Impurity has not moved to another spot.
- At least three stones (or wipes); add more if not clean; an odd number is recommended (3, 5, 7).
What must NOT be used
- Anything impure or contaminated (e.g. dung — the Prophet ﷺ called it rijs).
- Edible items (bread, food) or food of the jinn (bones, dung).
- Honoured/respected things — parts of a living animal (liver, leg), and human parts even more so. (Separated pure parts like a ḥalāl animal's hair or tanned skin are allowed.)
2 · Etiquettes of relieving oneself
- Place: avoid public paths & gathering/shaded resting places; avoid holes/burrows; avoid under fruit-bearing trees; avoid stagnant water.
- Entering/leaving: enter with the left foot first, leave with the right foot first. Say the duʿāʾ before (بسم الله، اللهم إني أعوذ بك من الخبث والخبائث) and after (غفرانك…).
- Direction: do not face or turn the back to the qiblah in the open (or a non-toilet space); allowed in a proper toilet, or behind a cover within ~3 cubits (≈150 cm).
- Behaviour: rely on the left hand to clean (right hand reserved); don't look at the sky, the private parts, or the excretion; makrūh to talk, eat, drink or play; don't relieve oneself together exposing the ʿawrah.
3 · Wudū — the three lists
The 6 farḍ (obligatory) acts [5:6]
- Niyyah (intention) — formed at the start of washing the face.
- Washing the entire face.
- Washing the hands including the elbows.
- Wiping part of the head (even one hair within the head).
- Washing the feet including the ankles.
- Tartīb — keeping the correct order.
Sunan (recommended) — the most important of 18
Bismillāh · washing the hands 3× before · siwāk · madmaḍah (rinse mouth) · istinshāq/istinthār (nose) · takhlīl of a thick beard · wiping the whole head · takhlīl between fingers & toes · wiping the ears with fresh water · doing each act 3× (tathlīth) · starting with the right · dalk (rubbing) · muwālāh (continuity) · ghurra & taḥjīl (extending the washed area) · moderation in water · facing the qiblah · silence · the shahādah & duʿāʾ after.
The 5 nullifiers
- Anything exiting the front or back passage (urine, stool, blood, wind).
- Sleep while not firmly seated (firm seating = buttocks resting fully; firm-seated sleep does NOT break it).
- Loss of consciousness — intoxication, fainting, illness, insanity.
- A man touching his wife or any non-maḥram woman skin-to-skin (Shāfiʿī — see below).
- Touching the private parts (own or another's, front or back) with the inside of the hand, no barrier.
Makrūh in wudū: wasting or being too stingy with water · washing the left before the right · drying the limbs without need · splashing the face · doing more/less than 3× deliberately · being helped without excuse · over-rinsing the nose/mouth while fasting.
4 · Does touching the wife break wudū?
A classic madhhab disagreement built on «أو لامستم النساء» (al-Māʾidah 5:6) — does "touched women" mean skin contact or intercourse?
- Shāfiʿī: touching the bare skin of the wife (or any non-maḥram woman) invalidates wudū, even without desire. Conditions (Bujayrimī): male+female, skin-to-skin (not through hair/nails/teeth), no barrier, both of an age of desire, not maḥram.
- Ḥanafī: touching never invalidates — wife or not, with or without desire (the Prophet ﷺ touched ʿĀʾishah without renewing wudū).
- Mālikī & Ḥanbalī (middle view): touching with desire invalidates; without desire it does not.
Dār al-Iftāʾ adopts the Shāfiʿī view as the more precautionary, matching the apparent meaning of the verse.
Depth, proofs and madhhab detail from Sheikh Haris Rashadi's recorded lectures (videos 7–16) —
behind the points in the Learn tab. Tag ▶ V11 §6 = video 11, section 6.
Off-topic stories & Q&A are kept in From the lectures so nothing is lost.
0 · Najāsah classes — needed before istinjā
- Two kinds of najāsah: ʿayniyyah (visible — has a body/substance, e.g. fresh urine or blood) vs ḥukmiyyah (invisible — only a ruling remains, e.g. dried urine). ▶ V7 §3–10
- Three signs of najāsah: colour, taste, smell — purify by washing until all three are gone. ▶ V7 §11, §34
- Three grades: mukhaffafah (light) = urine of a milk-fed boy under 2 → just sprinkle (naḍḥ); mutawassiṭah (moderate) = the default → wash till the trace is gone; mughallaẓah (heavy) = dog → 7 washes, one with earth. ▶ V7 §15–24
- Discharges: manī (semen) is pure in Shāfiʿī (just scrape if dry); madhī (pre-coital) and wadī are impure — wash + (madhī) also breaks wudū. ▶ V7 §25–33
- Pardoned (maʿfūw) cases: indiscernible tiny amounts, small blood / fly-droppings, residual non-flowing blood, blood in meat, street-mud — overlooked. Dam masfūḥ (flowing blood) stays impure. ▶ V7 §39–47
- najis al-ʿayn (intrinsically impure) vs mutanajjis (a pure thing contaminated) — both forbidden to use for istinjā or to pray with. ▶ V8 §10–13
1 · Istinjā — proofs & the stones
- Minimum three stones: لَا يَسْتَنْجِي أَحَدُكُمْ بِأَقَلَّ مِنْ ثَلَاثَةِ أَحْجَار; and the odd-number rule — مَنِ اسْتَجْمَرَ فَلْيُوتِر (Abū Hurayrah). ▶ V8 §4–7
- Bones & dung forbidden — the night-of-the-jinn hadith (Ibn Masʿūd): bones are food of the jinn, dung is fodder for their beasts. ▶ V8 §14–17
- Anti-waswasah: once you have cleaned properly, regard it as complete — don't obsess if a doubt comes afterward. ▶ V8 §49–50
2 · Toilet etiquette — proofs
- Don't face / turn the back to the qibla — لَا تَسْتَقْبِلُوا الْقِبْلَةَ … وَلَا تَسْتَدْبِرُوهَا (Abū Ayyūb). A proper enclosed toilet eases it → makrūh, not forbidden (Ibn ʿUmar saw the Prophet ﷺ behind a wall). ▶ V8 §20–21, §39–41
- Exit duʿāʾ: الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي أَذْهَبَ عَنِّي الْأَذَى وَعَافَانِي; enter seeking refuge from al-khubuth wa-l-khabāʾith. ▶ V8 §32–34
- A dug latrine must be sited away from a well / water source. ▶ V8 §51–52
3 · Wudū — meaning, niyyah & the 6 farḍ
- Wudū linguistically = brightness / radiance (waḍāʾah); al-wuḍūʾ = the act, al-waḍūʾ = the water. ▶ V11 §2–5
- Niyyah — two aspects: (1) the intention for the act, (2) its purpose — a routine wash becomes ʿibādah for the mindful. ▶ V10 §5–11
- Niyyah's place = the heart; saying it aloud is mustaḥabb only; wording = rafʿ al-ḥadath al-aṣghar / istibāḥat aṣ-ṣalāh; tied to the start of washing the face. ▶ V11 §17–19
- Face boundaries: hairline→chin, ear→ear; a thick beard = wash the outer surface only, a thin one (skin shows) = wash underneath. ▶ V11 §20–21
- "Including the elbows / ankles" — ilā l-marāfiq is inclusive; a ring or dried dirt blocking water → wudū invalid; any missed dry spot (size of a nail) must be redone (isbāgh). ▶ V11 §22–25
- Barriers: paint / sealant / peelable film block water → invalid; henna colour (no body) is fine. ▶ V11 §26–27
- Wiping part of the head suffices — the bāʾ in بِرُءُوسِكُمْ is tabʿīḍ (part); even one hair / a bald head; washing instead of wiping is also valid. ▶ V11 §28–31
- Tartīb proof: ابْدَؤُوا بِمَا بَدَأَ اللَّهُ بِهِ; the Prophet ﷺ never varied the order (Ḥanafīs hold order is not farḍ). One wash fulfils the farḍ; the 2nd & 3rd are sunnah. ▶ V11 §33–42
4 · Wudū — the sunan, deeper
- Basmalah: تَوَضَّؤُوا بِسْمِ اللَّهِ; if in the bathroom, say it inwardly. ▶ V12 §7–11
- Siwāk: لَوْلَا أَنْ أَشُقَّ … لَأَمَرْتُهُمْ بِالسِّوَاكِ عِنْدَ كُلِّ وُضُوء; a toothbrush/finger earns the same reward. ▶ V12 §17–20
- Exaggerate the sniff (bāligh fī-l-istinshāq) — unless fasting. ▶ V12 §21, §32–34
- Ears use the SAME head-water in the video's Shāfiʿī telling — but the course deck adopts the contrary: take fresh water for the ears, separate from the head (ʿAbdullāh ibn Zayd, al-Ḥākim). Method: forefingers inside, thumbs outside. ▶ V12 §32–40
- Takhlīl (water between fingers/toes): sunnah if water reaches anyway, obligatory if it wouldn't reach. ▶ V12 §35–38
- Dalk (rubbing): Mālikīs make it wājib, Shāfiʿīs sunnah. Muwālāt (wash the next limb before the last dries): if you delay you keep the wudū but lose the sunnah reward. ▶ V12 §45–56
- Ghurra & taḥjīl = washing beyond the elbows/ankles so the limbs shine on Qiyāmah; with no isrāf — the Prophet's measure was ~1 mudd. ▶ V12 §57–61
5 · Post-wudū reward + the duʿāʾ
- The duʿāʾ after wudū opens the EIGHT GATES of Paradise — فُتِحَتْ لَهُ أَبْوَابُ الْجَنَّةِ الثَّمَانِيَة. ▶ V10 §17–22
- Full text: أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ … اللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْنِي مِنَ التَّوَّابِينَ وَاجْعَلْنِي مِنَ الْمُتَطَهِّرِينَ. ▶ V10 §20
- Isbāgh al-wuḍūʾ = a complete, abundant wudū (all the farḍ + sunan together). ▶ V10 §31–34
6 · Makrūhāt of wudū (the full list)
- (1) Wasting or being stingy with water · (2) washing the left before the right · (3) drying the limbs without need (a valid reason makes it fine) · (4) splashing / striking the face · (5) more or fewer than 3× deliberately ("whoever does more or less aṣāʾa wa-ẓalama") · (6) getting another to pour without an excuse (king / ill / hardship = OK) · (7) exaggerating the rinse while fasting. ▶ V13 §3–39
- Two conditions for any ʿibādah: ikhlāṣ (sincerity) + ittibāʿ (following the Sunnah). ▶ V13 §29
7 · The 5 nullifiers — deeper
- Exit from the two passages breaks wudū even if the thing is pure (a swallowed stone passing out) — it needn't be najis. ▶ V14 §3–6
- Sleep: the two hadiths reconcile — firm seating (aware of the exits) doesn't break it; lying / slumping does. ▶ V14 §8–17
- Touching a non-maḥram: a maḥram (mother, sister, grandmother, niece) doesn't break it; an ajnabiyyah (stranger-woman) does, in Shāfiʿī. ▶ V14 §21–23
- The lāmastum proof: Shāfiʿīs read أَوْ لَامَسْتُمُ النِّسَاء (5:6 / 4:43) as literal touch; the opposing camp reads it as intercourse, citing لَمْ يَمْسَسْنِي بَشَر (Maryam) & 7 Companions incl. Ibn ʿAbbās → the "with desire" middle view. ▶ V14 §24–55
8 · Touching one's OWN private part — the 4-view dispute
Distinct from touching the wife (§4): two equally-ṣaḥīḥ hadiths pull opposite ways, so the schools split four ways. A likely short-answer.
- Hadith A (no wudū): Ṭalq ibn ʿAlī — إِنَّمَا هُوَ مِنْكَ ("it is just a part of you") → touching it does not break wudū. ▶ V15 §12–17
- Hadith B (wudū required): Busrah bint Ṣafwān — مَنْ مَسَّ ذَكَرَهُ فَلْيَتَوَضَّأ ("whoever touches his member, let him do wudū"). ▶ V15 §12–17
- The 4 views: (1) breaks however done [Shāfiʿī, Aḥmad, Companions Abū Hurayrah / ʿĀʾishah]; (2) never breaks [ʿAlī, ʿAmmār — the baseline aṣl]; (3) breaks only with desire [Mālikī]; (4) wudū here is sunnah, not wājib. ▶ V15 §31–53
- Shāfiʿī rājiḥ: it breaks wudū if touched with the inner palm / fingers (bāṭin al-kaff), not the back of the hand — confirmed by Dār al-Iftāʾ. ▶ V15 §50–54
9 · After wudū — the 3 acts that require it
- Wudū is an independent ʿibādah — Bilāl's footsteps were heard in Paradise for renewing wudū after every ḥadath. ▶ V16 §5–11
- Three acts require wudū: (1) ṣalāh (لَا يَقْبَلُ اللَّهُ صَلَاةً … حَتَّى يَتَوَضَّأ); (2) ṭawāf (الطَّوَافُ بِالْبَيْتِ صَلَاةٌ إِلَّا أَنَّكُمْ تَتَكَلَّمُونَ فِيه); (3) touching the muṣḥaf (لَا يَمَسُّهُ إِلَّا الْمُطَهَّرُون). ▶ V16 §12–23
- The ḥāʾiḍ / junub may recite silently but not touch the muṣḥaf. ▶ V16 §18–23
- Three makrūh prayer-times (belongs to ṣalāh but testable): after Fajr till sunrise, sun at the zenith, after ʿAṣr till Maghrib — a prayer with a present cause (qaḍāʾ, janāzah, taḥiyyat al-masjid) is still allowed. ▶ V16 §37–42
Keep the three wudū lists in separate columns in your head — the paper loves "classify this act".
Istinja — do's & don'ts
| Use ✅ | Never use ❌ |
|---|---|
| Water (best); stone then water | Anything impure (dung = rijs) |
| Dry stones/tissue, ≥ 3, odd number | Edible food / bones & dung (jinn-food) |
| Tanned skin, ḥalāl-animal hair (pure) | Honoured things; animal/human parts |
Toilet: left foot in, right foot out · don't face/turn back to qiblah (except a proper toilet) · clean with the left hand.
Wudū — three lists side by side
| 6 Farḍ | Key Sunan | 5 Nullifiers |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Niyyah | Bismillāh; siwāk | 1. Exit from front/back passage |
| 2. Wash face | Wash hands 3× before | 2. Sleep not firmly seated |
| 3. Hands + elbows | Madmaḍah & istinshāq | 3. Loss of consciousness |
| 4. Wipe part of head | Wipe whole head; ears | 4. Touch non-maḥram skin (Shāfiʿī) |
| 5. Feet + ankles | Tathlīth (3×); start right | 5. Touch private parts (palm, no barrier) |
| 6. Tartīb (order) | Muwālāh; shahādah after |
Touching the wife — madhhab grid
| School | Ruling |
|---|---|
| Shāfiʿī | Breaks wudū — even without desire (adopted by Dār al-Iftāʾ) |
| Ḥanafī | Never breaks wudū — with or without desire |
| Mālikī & Ḥanbalī | Breaks wudū only with desire |
Extra exam facts (from the lectures)
| Point | Recall |
|---|---|
| 2 kinds of najāsah | ʿayniyyah (visible substance) vs ḥukmiyyah (ruling only, e.g. dried urine) · 3 signs = colour, taste, smell |
| 3 grades of najāsah | Light = milk-fed boy's urine → sprinkle · Moderate = wash till trace gone · Heavy = dog → 7 washes, 1 with earth |
| Discharges | manī = pure (Shāfiʿī, scrape if dry) · madhī & wadī = impure (wash; madhī also breaks wudū) |
| Maʿfūw (pardoned) | Tiny indiscernible amounts · small blood / fly · street-mud · blood in meat — flowing blood (dam masfūḥ) stays impure |
| Niyyah detail | Place = the heart (aloud = mustaḥabb) · two aspects: the act & its purpose · wording = rafʿ al-ḥadath al-aṣghar |
| Barriers to water | Ring / paint / sealant block water → wudū invalid · henna colour is fine · any missed dry spot must be redone |
| Takhlīl threshold | Between fingers/toes: sunnah if water reaches anyway, wājib if it wouldn't reach |
| Ears — fresh water | Course: take fresh water for the ears, separate from the head (Ibn Zayd, al-Ḥākim). Video's Shāfiʿī telling = same head-water |
| Post-wudū duʿāʾ reward | Opens the 8 gates of Paradise (فُتِحَتْ لَهُ أَبْوَابُ الْجَنَّةِ الثَّمَانِيَة) |
| Own private part (4 views) | Ṭalq: "just a part of you" → no wudū · Busrah: "let him do wudū" · Shāfiʿī rājiḥ: breaks if inner palm, no barrier |
| 3 acts needing wudū | Ṣalāh · ṭawāf · touching the muṣḥaf (ḥāʾiḍ/junub may recite silently, not touch) |