Purification and salah: the essentials
Islamic Studies · a self-paced course lesson
The essentials of wudu come straight from Quran 5:6: washing the face, the arms to the elbows, wiping the head, and the feet to the ankles. The Prophet’s practice ﷺ frames them: intention, beginning with bismillah, three-fold washing, and order. Commonly agreed invalidators: whatever exits the private passages, deep sleep, and loss of consciousness. Ghusl — the full bath — is required after marital intimacy and at the end of menses; tayammum (clean earth) stands in when water is unavailable or harmful. Where practice details differ between madhhabs, both practices are valid worship — ask your own teacher rather than the internet’s loudest voice.