Question:
Assalamualaikum His Eminence Dato’. Is it valid to take ablution if I use a spray bottle before I perform obligatory prayers at the office? I took ablution using water spray following the guidelines taught by the ustaz for Malaysian pilgrims during hajj and umrah at the Holy Lands. Hope to receive feedback from you. That is all, thank you.
Answer:
Alhamdulillah, praise and thanks to Allah for the countless blessings He has blessed us all with. Blessings and salutations to the Prophet Muhammad PBUH, his wives, his family, companions and all those that follow his teachings to the day of judgement.
Ablution is among the action to purify ourselves from minor impure state (hadas). So, when we want to perform obligatory prayer, then it is obligatory for us to purify ourselves from either major or minor hadas, in accordance with the statement of Allah SWT in the Quran:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا قُمْتُمْ إِلَى الصَّلَاةِ فَاغْسِلُوا وُجُوهَكُمْ وَأَيْدِيَكُمْ إِلَى الْمَرَافِقِ وَامْسَحُوا بِرُءُوسِكُمْ وَأَرْجُلَكُمْ إِلَى الْكَعْبَيْنِ ۚ وَإِن كُنتُمْ جُنُبًا فَاطَّهَّرُوا ۚ وَإِن كُنتُم مَّرْضَىٰ أَوْ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍ أَوْ جَاءَ أَحَدٌ مِّنكُم مِّنَ الْغَائِطِ أَوْ لَامَسْتُمُ النِّسَاءَ فَلَمْ تَجِدُوا مَاءً فَتَيَمَّمُوا صَعِيدًا طَيِّبًا فَامْسَحُوا بِوُجُوهِكُمْ وَأَيْدِيكُم مِّنْهُ ۚ مَا يُرِيدُ اللَّـهُ لِيَجْعَلَ عَلَيْكُم مِّنْ حَرَجٍ وَلَـٰكِن يُرِيدُ لِيُطَهِّرَكُمْ وَلِيُتِمَّ نِعْمَتَهُ عَلَيْكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ
“O you who have believed, when you rise to [perform] prayer, wash your faces and your forearms to the elbows and wipe over your heads and wash your feet to the ankles. And if you are in a state of janabah, then purify yourselves. But if you are ill or on a journey or one of you comes from the place of relieving himself or you have contacted women and do not find water, then seek clean earth and wipe over your faces and hands with it. Allah does not intend to make difficulty for you, but He intends to purify you and complete His favor upon you that you may be grateful.”
Surah al-Ma’idah (6)
Syeikh al-Maraghi stated in his commentary that the obligation of taking ablution is when one wants pray, while he is in hadas. (Refer Tafsir al-Maraghi, 6/61)
Valid Conditions of Ablution
Dr Muhammad al-Zuhaili already divided this into several matters as follows:
- Using pure water for ablution and it is conditioned for us to know that the water used is of mutlaq water even if it just through dzhan (assumption).
- There is nothing preventing the water from coming into contact with the obligatory parts for ablution.
- Wash or wipe the obligatory body parts of ablution.
- Nothing prohibits him from performing ablution such as haid (menstruation), nifas (post-partum bleeding), touching private parts and others.
- Know the methods of ablution.
- Remove any najis and impurities from the obligatory parts of the body for ablution.
(Refer: al-Mu’tamad fi al-Fiqh al-Syafi’e,1/70)
The same is presented in al-Mausu’ah al-Fiqhiyyah where it is stated that among the valid conditions of ablution is the usage of pure water and one must wash or wipe water through the obligatory parts of ablution. (Refer al-Mausu’ah al-Kuwaitiyyah, 43/330)
Water for Purification
The condition for the water to be used for ablution is water which is pure and purifying or mutlaq water. Dr Muhammad al-Zuhaili in his book states: “Water which remained to its original state created by Allah SWT (intrinsically pure), whether it is tasteless or salty. And it does not change from its natural form. And not of water which has been used for ablution, ghusl (obligatory bath) or to remove najis.” (Refer: al-Mu’tamad fi al-Fiqh al-Syafi’e: 1/37)
While water which has changed like Musta’mal water (water that has been used to perform obligatory washing) and Mutaghayyir water (pure water which has changed due to factors such as it has been mixed with something else such as rose water or soap water), it cannot purify najis. This is as stated by Syeikh Ibrahim al-Baijuri:
“Musta’mal and Mutaghayyir water are pure, but are not purifying.” (Refer Hasyiah Syeikh Ibrahim al-Baijuri, 1/61)
Habib Hasan bin Ahmad al-Kaf states:
“Pure water, but is not purifying is musta’mal water” (Refer al-Taqrirat al-Sadidah, 59)
Conclusion
Referring back to the above question, the ablution using spray water bottle to perform ablution at the office is valid if it fulfils the valid conditions of ablution.
However, it is prioritized to perform ablution using water as usual, so that one will not leave the sunnah matters in wudhu’ like washing the body parts of ablution three times, gargling water and others. This is because sunnah actions will complete the perfect the ablution.
This is in accordance with the hadith narrated by Saidina Uthman bin Affan RA, where the Prophet PBUH said:
مَنْ تَوَضَّأَ فَأَحْسَنَ الْوُضُوءَ خَرَجَتْ خَطَايَاهُ مِنْ جَسَدِهِ حَتَّى تَخْرُجَ مِنْ تَحْتِ أَظْفَارِهِ
“He who performed ablution well, his sins would come out from his body, even coming out from under his nails.”
Sahih Muslim (245)
The same is reminded by the Prophet PBUH as in his saying narrated by Abdullah bin ‘Amr R.Anhuma:
رَجَعْنَا مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم مِنْ مَكَّةَ إِلَى الْمَدِينَةِ حَتَّى إِذَا كُنَّا بِمَاءٍ بِالطَّرِيقِ تَعَجَّلَ قَوْمٌ عِنْدَ الْعَصْرِ فَتَوَضَّئُوا وَهُمْ عِجَالٌ فَانْتَهَيْنَا إِلَيْهِمْ وَأَعْقَابُهُمْ تَلُوحُ لَمْ يَمَسَّهَا الْمَاءُ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " وَيْلٌ لِلأَعْقَابِ مِنَ النَّارِ أَسْبِغُوا الْوُضُوءَ "
“We returned from Mecca to Medina with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), and when we came to some water on the way, some of the people were in a hurry at the time of the afternoon prayer and performed ablution hurriedly; and when we reached them, their heels were dry, no water had touched them. The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Woe to (dry) heels, because of Hell-fire. Make your ablution thorough.”
Sahih Muslim (241)
Furthermore, you may also refer to other articles from the official website of the Office of Mufti of Federal Territories titled:
- AL-KAFI #1329: HUKUM MENINGGALKAN BASUHAN ANGGOTA SUNAT WUDUK DENGAN SENGAJA (THE RULING OF PURPOSELY NEGLECTING SOME SUNNAH PARTS OF ABLUTION)
- AL-KAFI #818: AMBIL WUDUK SAMBIL LEWA (NEGLIGENCE WHILE PERFORMING ABLUTION)
May Allah SWT bless us with correct understanding in practising the Shari’ah and manifesting our obedience in congruence with what Allah SWT and the Prophet PBUH wanted. Ameen.
Wallahua’lam.