Ablution Dictionary Definitions

Ablution is a concept that comes from the Latin word ablutĭo. The notion refers to the act of washing (cleaning or purifying) and usually applies specifically to the purifying rites that certain religions carry out.

The Christianity, the Judaism, the Islam and Hinduism are among religions, in different contexts, appeal to the ablution. The Christian baptism, for example, includes ablution of the baptized with water.

In the case of Judaism, there is a space called mikveh, where the faithful submerge themselves in water to perform ablution. The Muslims, meanwhile, undergo ablation before the Salat (daily prayers).

Each ablution ritual has its own characteristics. In the case of the mentioned ablution of Judaism, it must take place in a place where the water flows and is not stagnant. This allows the person to achieve purification after he has been in contact with something impure.

Although ablution is usually done with water, in some cases the use of solid elements is authorized to achieve purification. Those Muslims who live in desert areas and who have reduced access to water can perform ablution with stones or earth. In this way, they replace water with elements within their reach, achieving the purification that is sought through ritual.

Muslims, on the other hand, differentiate between small ablutions and large ablutions according to the type of action that motivates the rite. The purification that takes place before salat is a slight ablution.

Ablution and salat

To carry out the salat, it is necessary to have carried out personal hygiene and have clean clothes. According to the rules of religion, bathing is mandatory after having sexual intercourse and, in the specific case of women, after having given birth or during the days of the menstrual cycle.

It should be mentioned that ablution is only mandatory if certain conditions are met, although most of them are practically impossible to avoid, as they include having slept, urinated or touched the spouse’s sexual organ with the hand.

To proceed with ablution requires the person to feel the legitimate intention, which is called An’nia; It is not something that should be expressed through words, but a feeling of true commitment to practice.

It is known from oudu’e to the method to perform ablution, which is described below:

* a prayer must be uttered that exalts the name of Allah and mentions his mercy and mercy;

* wash your palms three times;

* rinse your mouth, also three times;

* bring water to the nose with the right hand, breathe in to make it enter the body and then expel it on the left hand, to wash the nostrils. This step must be repeated three times;

* wash your face completely, and then the region of the arms that goes from the elbows to the hands, starting with the right arm, all three times;

* moisten the hands and pass them over the head, from the forehead to the nape of the neck and vice versa, only once;

* insert the index finger into each ear and use the thumb to rub the outer part;

* starting with the right leg, wash the feet and up to the ankle, three times each;

* carry out the prayer that the Prophet taught to the faithful, which includes the phrase “peace and blessings of Allah be upon him”.

Once all these steps have been completed, you can use a towel or a piece of absorbent paper to dry the parts of the body that have remained wet.

Ablution