The Imperfect Ablution (Hadith No. 141)

Salam,
Bismillah.

How many times do you perform wudu in a day? Five times or less right? Today, you’ll read about a person who used to do wudu just like that. Not for prayer. JUST LIKE THAT. He liked to be in the state of wudu all the time. And he was… Prophet (SAW) of course. :)

Volume 1, Book 4, Number 141:

Narrated Usama bin Zaid:

Allah’s Apostle proceeded from ‘Arafat till when he reached the mountain pass, he dismounted, urinated and then performed ablution but not a perfect one. I said to him, (“Is it the time for) the prayer, O Allah’s Apostle?” He said, “The (place of) prayer is ahead of you.” He rode till when he reached Al-Muzdalifa, he dismounted and performed ablution and a perfect one, The (call for) Iqama was pronounced and he led the Maghrib prayer. Then everybody made his camel kneel down at its place. Then the Iqama was pronounced for the ‘Isha’ prayer which the Prophet led and no prayer was offered in between the two . prayers (‘Isha’ and Maghrib).

So he used to do the ‘imperfect ablution’ when he didn’t have to pray. It means he would wash his body parts once or twice, and not thrice (like we do in a perfect ablution).

One benefit of being in the state of ablution all the time is: you feel GOOD! :D

Lesson: try to be in the state of wudu as much as possible. You don’t have to do it perfectly every time. Washing the body parts once will do the job. :)

P.S. don’t forget to renew your ablution when you have to pray (as the Prophet (SAW) did). :)

Wassalam.