Wudu: Splashing, Waste, & Public Gargling?

Answered by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Question:

I have seen many a people perform wudu enthusiastically, using a massive amount of water, constantly keeping the faucet running on high, while splashing water everywhere (of course not on purpose), making loud gargling noises, etc... I am wondering is there a proper, more "polite" way to perform wudu while still being thorough?

Answer:

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Walaikum assalam,

1. Using excessive amounts of water is wasteful. Wastefulness (israf) is blameworthy in wudu, as the sunna is to use a moderate amount of water. [`Ala' al-Din Abidin, al-Hadiyya al-`Ala'iyya]

Avoiding wastefulness is a general command in Islam, as many hadiths explain.

The fuqaha explain that slight wastefulness is blameworthy. Excessive wastefulness is sinful. Thinking that performing an action in a wasteful manner is the sunna (or optimal way) makes it both sinful and an reprehensible innovation (bid`a). The great Hanafi faqih, gnostic, and sufi, Sayyidi Abd al-Ghani al-Nabulsi (Allah be pleased with him) warned extensively against the danger of this in his Nihayat al-Murad Sharh Hadiyyat Ibn `Imad.

The Outward Conduct of a Muslim: Calmness and Dignity

2. A Muslim's outward conduct is based on two matters: calmness and dignity (sakina and waqar). As such, all matters that go against this are considered improper conduct.

As such, one should perform the wudu in a proper and befitting manner, as the Beloved of Allah (upon him be the best of blessings and most perfect of peace) would have performed it, without excess or omission. The fuqaha operationalized the sunna of the Prophet for us, in order to help us implement it systematically.

And Allah alone gives success.

Wassalam,
Faraz Rabbani.

MMVIII © Faraz Rabbani and Qibla.
All rights reserved
No part of this article may be reproduced, displayed, modified, or distributed without the express prior written permission of both copyright holders. For permission, please submit a request at our Helpdesk.

Now What?

The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, "Knowledge is only through study." While some knowledge can be gained from reading or casually listening to lectures, the best means to gain knowledge is through finding a qualified teacher and then setting up a systematic program of learning. Picking up a book or reading an article and trying to figure things out on our own is no substitute for learning from someone who has a direct link to our living tradition.

Through joining an online class at Qibla, you can benefit from convenient, online courses that will give you access to reliable scholars and our popular curriculum learning tracks. Knowledge gained in these courses will both build your iman and assist you in putting into practice what you learn. Don't give yourself less than you deserve, register today.

Related Links:

  1. Why you'll love our courses
  2. How SunniPath courses work (video)
  3. What our students say
  4. Our current available courses