Intention
Question :

Before ablution I recite the intention by saying "I intend to perform wudhu for the sake of Allah". Is this correct?

Answer :

Intention is one of the conditions of the wudhu, but it is not obligatory to recite it. The intention is an act of the heart and not verbal.

Wet Hair
Question :

If I walk to the masjid in the rain and my hair gets wet, and there is nothing to dry my hair with, will my subsequent wudhu be valid?

Answer :

It is a condition in wiping the head that the wet hand is wiped over the dry head. If it is not possible to do so because of the wetness of the head, then one should wait until it is possible.

Wiping the Head
Question :

I have heard that, during wudhu, I have to wipe until three centimeters before my hairline. Is this true?

Answer :

There is no precise limit for wiping, but it is sufficient that the wetness on the hand is not mixed with the wetness in other parts of the wudhu.

Passing Gas during Prayers
Question :

I've heard that if one's wudhu breaks during the third rak'at of Asr for instance, then one can continue his prayer, is this true?

Answer :

If you are sure that you have passed wind during any part of the prayer, the prayer is invalidated as is the wudhu.

Wiping when the Hair is Wet
Question :

Is it correct to perform the wiping of the head in wudhu when the hair is wet?

Answer :

If the wetness on the head was such that it transfers to the hand and leads to wiping the feet with that wetness, then this invalidates the wudhu, since it is obligatory to wipe the feet with the wetness of the wudhu. If the wetness on the head was such that it does not transfer to the hands when wiping the head, then there is no problem in wiping the head in this case.
Therefore, it is better to dry the head before the wudhu.

Gas Incontinence
Question :

When a person has gas incontinence, is he supposed to perform one wudhu for every prayer? Or can he perform one wudhu for two prayers if they are performed together one after the other?

Answer :

If he has a specific period in which he can perform the wudhu and the prayer without passing wind, he should wait for it and perform the wudhu and prayer within this period.
If he does not have such a period, then he should perform the ablution before the prayer and offer the prayer, and when he passes wind during the prayer, he should suspend the prayer and perform the wudhu and continue where he stopped. Based on an obligatory precaution he should not do anything that invalidates the prayer when performing this wudhu, such as talking and the like. However, in such a situation if one does anything that conflicts with the form of the prayer or turns away from Qibla, for the purposes of performing wudhu, it will not invalidate the prayer. If one has such a condition, he should make appropriate preparations to ensure that the acts of wudhu during the prayer are minimal.

Wiping All Toes
Question :

Do all toes need to be wiped during in wudhu, or just the last toe?

Answer :

It suffices in the correctness of the wudhu to perform what is considered as wiping, even if it is on one toe.

Washing the Necessary Parts
Question :

If one thought that he was washing the necessary parts of the wudhu, but years later realized that he had been missing some of them, is it obligatory on him to repeat all of those prayers that he performed with this wudhu?

Answer :

If one doubts the correctness of the wudhu but at the same it is probable that he washed the necessary parts without intending to do so, then he can assume that the wudhu is in order and he does not need to repeat the prayer. If he knows that he did not wash a necessary part of the wudhu, then it is invalid and he must repeat the prayers that he performed with such wudhu.

Doubts in Washing Properly
Question :

During wudhu, I always become doubtful as to whether I am doing the washing properly e.g. whether or not I am wiping my arms in a manner where it is reaching everywhere, which leads me to be very meticulous in my wudhu. May I ignore this doubt?

Answer :

If the doubt is conventionally normal, and not a type of waswasah, one should pay attention to it, and therefore wash until he is certain that during the washings the water has reached all parts of the face or arm. If the doubt is a type of waswasah, then one should ignore it.

Definition of Waswasa
Question :

The problem with people with waswasa in wudhu is that they do not distinguish between waswasa and normal doubt. So how can one define waswasa so it can be ignored?

Answer :

One can recognize waswasa by some signs, like when one is having his doubts in situations much more than other people in similar situations. Also, one can determine it when his inner feeling is that the religious worship is correct, but he still has worries and tensions that prevent him from accepting his internal certainty.

How to Perform the Whudu
Question :

How do I perform wudhu?

Answer :

You start by washing the face from the topmost part of the forehead where the hair begins to grow to the farthest end of the chin, and its breadth is what is covered between the thumb and the middle finger. The said area must be washed fully. Then, wash the arms by starting with the right arm from the elbow to the tips of the fingers. Then wash the left arm in the same way. Then, wipe the head using the wetness of the right hand. Then, wipe the feet from the tips of the toes to the ankles, starting with the right feet, then the left. It is sufficient to wipe normally and it is not mandatory to cover the mentioned wiped areas fully with wetness.

Wiping with New Water
Question :

Does wiping the head with new water make the wudhu void?

Answer :

Yes, the wudhu is void if the wiping was with new water. If the water used in wiping is mixed with new water, and therefore the wiping was done using both waters, then the wudhu should be repeated based on an obligatory precaution.

Touching the Skin
Question :

Once I have completed wudhu, is it still valid after I touch my husband or when he touches me after he has completed wudhu?

Answer :

Touching the skin of the opposite sex does not invalidate the wudhu.

Wiping with New Water
Question :

During wudhu some fingertips come in contact with new water like the dampness on the tap. Is it permissible to wipe the head or the feet with that hand?

Answer :

Wudhu when wiping using the said water is not valid. One can use those fingers that have not come in contact with new water or the palm of the hand to wipe the head and feet.

Wudhu for Incontinence
Question :

For someone with a flatulence problem, where he cannot control the excess passing of gas, he is told to perform the wudhu for every prayer. Is this still the case if he prays Isha right after Maghrib, or Asr right after Dhuhr?

Answer :

If he joins between the two prayers as in the question, he does not need to repeat the wudhu. If he separated between the prayers, he should do the wudhu again before the second prayer.

Wudhu By Immersion
Question :

Can I perform wudhu for prayers by immersing the parts of wudhu in water, like in ghusl?

Answer :

It is not necessary to use the hands in washing the face and arms during wudhu. It is valid to wash them by placing them under the tap directly, such that they are washed from the top downwards. It is also a condition of the wudhu to wipe the head and the feet with the dampness on the hand that originates from the wudhu process only, and not to allow the hand to become wet from other than that before wiping.
In light of the above, before one proceeds to wiping the head and feet, one should ensure that a part of the left arm is unwashed before using the right hand to wash the left arm, in order for the right hand to have only the water of wudhu on it. Otherwise, the water on the right hand might be extra water and wiping with it will invalidate the wudhu.

Validity of the Prayer
Question :

If someone had been doing wudhu incorrectly and never knew it, does he have to repeat all the past prayers?

Answer :

Yes, it is obligatory to make up the past prayers.

Limits of Wudhu
Question :

Imam Ja'far Al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) has said the one who transgresses the limits in his wudhu is like the one who has broken his wudhu. What does the Imam mean here? What limits is he referring to? For example, I know that it is recommended to wash beyond the obligatory parts of the face; does this narration make things like this prohibited or does it break one's wudhu?

Answer :

The mentioned is not what the tradition means. What the tradition means is observing the religious guidelines when performing the wudhu and not to cross them, for example: wiping replaced with washing, or wiping the bottom of the foot instead of its top, and similar cases where the religious restrictions are transgressed.

Wiping with One Finger
Question :

Is it permissible in wudhu to wipe the feet with one finger?

Answer :

If wiping with one finger covers the obligatory area of the wiping, which is from the tip of the fingers to the ankle, then it is sufficient.

Wiping with Mixed Water
Question :

I have recently learned that when wiping my head in wudhu, I cannot touch the water on my forehead as the water will be mixed and this makes it void; is this true? I am finding this very difficult to do as I am bound to get some water on my hand from my forehead.

Answer :

Yes, it is true, and you can wipe normally and not touch the wet places.