Muslims: Do you have to wash your hands, face, and hair before you pray?

Question

If so why is that if you don't mind me asking? Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

Yes we have to wash, hands -arm - up the elbows, face - ear to ear - chin to hair line, wipe over a third of head and wash the feet - up the ankles.

This is a pre-requisite for prayer, washing these areas removes the sin that was done by these limbs from the time in-between the last prayer.

Its like before you buy food to eat you need money so you can buy food. So before one can taste spiritual food one must be clean.

Answer 2

Performing the wudhu is part of the ritual prayer that the Muslims have. Islam is a very ritualistic "Religion" According to Mohammad, Gabriel taught him all the rituals and said God willed it so. Other than that, he gave no reasons. However, modern day Muslims try to find all the possible reasons for their rituals, rather than accept the fact that they were plain simple rituals created by an illiterate man who claimed he spoke with an invisible Angel. Now, if someone behaved like that today, would you consider him sane? No. Therefore, you'll understand why all the others considered him a madman way back then. The lady above has described the whole ritual for you already, and you can see that it's not really making much sense; at least from our perspective, to people like us. Permit me to give another ritual that all Muslims perform to use the facilities of the restroom [toilet]. They enter leading with the left foot, say a prayer [rakhat] asking Allah to protect them from the evil djinn [genies] both male and female, that lurk in the restrooms [gist of the Arabic prayer] and then apologize to Allah for having relieved themselves, when they are done, and then leave the restroom leading with their right foot. Now, can you find any reason for this ritual? Mohammad himself used to do this every time he went, and insisted on all Muslims doing this. In fact, believe it or not, even men are required to squat while peeing because Mohammad did that and then use a bit of brick to dry up with!? Why? Because Mohammad did that and said they should do so. While performing their Haj pilgrimage, they walk widdershins [go anti clockwise around the Kaaba in what we call the Witches Walk]. Why do they do that? Because Mohammad said so. There are a lot more ridiculous rituals that these Muslims do and, what really is a big joke, is that they mock all others for being "ritualistic". Mohammad told them to drink a camel's urine for any disease, and they mock Hindus saying that they drink a cow's pee [when, actually, the Hindus don't]. So, you can see how "logical" the Muslims are, in reality.

Answer 3

Washing various limbs as explained by some friend above is ordered by almighty Allah in Holy Quran and Sunnah (Practiced by holy prophet Muhammed).Its preparation to go in the court of lord of all creatures and to have spiritual communication. Its part of basic requirements for this spirtual contact like one must be
neat and clean (no filth or impure matter should be on his body or clothes ,.Stains of color or non prohibited materials on clothes are excluded from uncleanliness), fully conscious ,cover body in accordance to a standard dressing code ,should not have eaten onions and garlic because in mosque others(fellow praying people) will be offended with bad breath etc.(better to put non alcoholic perfume).While praying one must feel the presence of Almighty Creator as one is Looking at Him ,or being watched by Almighty .So, one who prays should not only be clean but also well concentrated and humble.

Answer 4

Islam has the concept of body being purified and impure

Now you must have purified your body before going for a prayer.

Therefore to purify yourself you have to go through a washing procedure to clean all your body parts which are OPEN and might have got impure [unclean] by touching unknowingly or knowingly a filthy/ dirty thing etc.

These open parts as you know are hands, face, nose, mouth feet which are purified by performing WADU/ WAZU.

When you have done your Wadu, you can offer prayer.


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Answer 5

Yes. In Arabic it's called "wadu". Muslim's make wadu before prayer in order to re-purify ourselves.

P.S. Good question!!!

Answer 6

Yes. We do this because this is what the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) taught us to do in his sunnah. He also taught us that each time we do this (wudu), it washes away some of the sins we may have accumulated.

Nice question-You're welcome

Answer 7

yes they wash their body before pray.

Answer 8

Yes, abolution purifies our external while prayer purifies internally.

Answer 9

ASA

First of all Thanks for asking a nice question and giving us (Muslims) chance to explain

Hope the below will help you

Hadhrat Abu Hurayra (Radhiallaahu Anha) narrates that Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) asked, ‘Should I not inform you of that through which Allah wipes off sins and raises through it your status?’ The Sahaaba (Radhiallaahu Anhum) replied, ‘Yes’. Nabi (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, ‘Completing your Wudhu despite the hardships and taking extra steps to the Musjid and waiting for one Salaat after the other. That is Ribaat (protecting the borders of Islam).’ (Mishkaat pg.38)

The Holy Prophet (peace be on him) said,

"WUDHU is the key to prayer as prayer is the key to Paradise. ISLAM lays extreme stress on cleanliness and "TAHARAT". As external actions have deep impact upon internal feelings, such as artificial crying makes a person sad as well as artificial laughter makes one happy so is cleanliness and ablution.Purified body lends to purity of mind, however, cleanliness which is ablution, or wudhu, has been made compulsory before each prayer and in certain cases even a full bath has been made obligatory before prayer.

PHILOSOPHY OF WUDHU

A Muslim is required to perform ablution (Wudhu) before Salat. Ablution prepares one mentally for Salat and it also helps concentration in prayer. It is essential to wash or moisturize these parts of the body to generate concentration because the dispersion of thoughts is due to the keenness of the body's five senses. The centers of the five senses are the eyes, ears, nose mouth, hands and feet. It has been proven from the expertise of neurologists that the chain of thought can be rerouted by cooling fingers of the hands and feet. They also say that concentration of thoughts can be achieved by cooling the nerv-ends. That is the Philosophy of Wudhu.

A Muslim stands before his Creator by cooling nerve-ends of his body with Wudhu water and concentrating all his thoughts for the worship of the All-Mighty.In Wudhu, we wash or moisturize the nerve-ends of the hands, feet, hair, mouth, nose and ears. All the main nerve-ends of the body are touched in Wudhu in one way or another. Perfect concentration of thoughts to create the proper worshipping atmosphere is thus attained. As we learn from everyday experience that a person who has fainted can be brought back to his consciousness by sprinkling water on his face, hands and feet which clearly proves our theory. That is why a Muslim is expected to achieve his external as well as internal consciousness by performing Wudhu.Cleanliness and dirt are not compatible. Allah is clean and whosoever loves Him must be clean, externally as well as internally. Prayer, which is contact with Allah, is therefore unacceptable unless the person, who wants to contact his Lord, is clean.

The Holy Prophet (peace be on him) said,"The prayer of a person who does "HADATH" (passes urine, stool or wind) is not accepted till he performs or repeats Wudhu, the ablution."Because the Muslim Ummah is expected to be the cleanest by performing ablution at least five times a day, the Holy Prophet (peace be on him) therefore, gave glad tidings that "On the day of Resurrection, my followers will be called "Ghurrul Muhajjaleen" the bright armed and bright faced, from the traces of ablution on them. Therefore, whosoever can increase the area of his radiance should try to do so by always performing ablution before the prayers. (Bukhari, Kitabul Wudhu).

Answer 10

Yes we do this to become clean for prayer