Do you need to have niyyah for Wudhu?

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Do you need to have niyyah for Wudhu?
Learner
07/07/01 at 01:06:54
Assalaamu alaikum wrt wbrt.

I've grown up with the understanding that it is not essential to make niyyah for ghusl (according to the hanafi interpretation). Recently I came accross some brothers who pointed out to me that this was wrong and that making niyyah before gusl and wudhu is 'fardh'. Therefore if I do not make the intention before hand I would never be in a state of purity and hence my salaah would not be valid.  

This is troubling me a lot. Can anybody elaborate on this and clarify the issue please? Also it would be extremely helpful if you can answer back with references. Jazakamullah khair.

Wassalaam.


Re: The need for niyyah
Saleema
08/26/00 at 11:34:49
Salam,

Well, I am no expert in the different schools of thought because I don't follow any school of thought. But if you know for a fact that the Hanafi school of thought says that it isn't fard to make niyya then obviously there's a difference of opionion among the four imams and you should follow whatever makes you feel comfortable.

I know yoy asked for evidence but again, as I said I don't follow any school of thought. The only thing that I have heard about where niyya is mandatory is for Salah. The niyya before ghusal-- never heard of this before.

Wassalam
Re: The need for niyyah
Arsalan
08/26/00 at 12:58:40
Assalamu alaikum,

The question is strange!  How can anyone make ghusl without intending to make ghusl??  Ghusl involves specific washings, in a specific order, some of which are not a part of a routine shower.  So if you are making ghusl, then you automatically have the intention of making ghusl.  

Remember, niyyah (intention) is a state of the heart, not certain words expressed from the mouth.  As long as you *know* in your heart what you're doing (making ghusl) and why you're doing it (to purify yourself for prayer), you have the "niyyah".  

Wassalam.
Re: The need for niyyah
HS786
08/26/00 at 23:10:48
Assalam Alaikum wrwb,

According to Mohammad Yusuf Islahi in "Everyday FIQH":

THE FARD PARTS IN WUDU:
Four things have the status of fard in wudu; if any of these is missed or ignored, wudu is not deemed to have been performed at all:
1. To wash the whole face once from the hair of the forehead to the chin and below, and from ear to ear;
2. To wash the hands up to the elbows once;
3. To wipe one-fourth of the head;
4. To wash the feet up to the ankles once.

SUNNAH PARTS IN WUDU:
The following Sunnah parts in wudu must be given due attention; however, if any of these is missed or violated, wudu deemed to have been performed.
1. To have the intention of seeking Allah (SWT)'s pleasure and salvation in the hereafter;
2. To start wudu with Bismillah;
3. To wash hands up to the wrists before washing the face;
4. To clean the mouth thrice with water;
5. To brush the teeth;
6. To sniff water thrice;
7. To brush the beard thrice with wet fingers;
8. To clean the spaces between fingers and toes;
9. To wipe the whole of head;
10.To wipe both the ears;
11.To follow the prescirbed sequence in wudu;
12.To wash the right limb first and then the left limb;
13.To wash each limb thrice;
14.To recite the prescribed invocations after completing the wudu.

So you see its a sunnah if you make the niyyah and not fard.
Here's the du'a Prophet Mohammad (S) used to say before wudu.
"Allahumm-aghfirli zanbi wa wass'i li fi daari wa barik-li fi rizqi" meaning
"O Allah! forgive me my sins and grant me spaciousness in my abode and bless for me my provisions."

HS





















"
Re: The need for niyyah
Learner
08/27/00 at 06:08:15
Assalaamu alaikum

Arsalan:

In a hypothetical scenario, imagine a person in a state of janabah on a boat in the river and then he accidentally falls into the river. While in the river, water goes inside his mouth and nostrils and at the same time water touches all the other parts of his body. Now, according to the hanafi school of thought this person has already fulfilled the obligatory requirements of ghusl even though he did not intend to have a ghusl. Do you see what I'm trying to say? Hence after getting out of the water and then realising that he has fulfilled the criteria of ghusl, he can then go and pray his salah. This is what I understand of the hanafi interpretation. So waht I want to know is am I right or am I wrong? - since all actions are judged upon the intentions.

Wassalaam.

 
Re: The need for niyyah
NizarAlsaid
08/27/00 at 21:09:41
As'salaam Alaikum wa AlhamdiAllah.

With regard to the necessity of making verbal intention before making wudu. Ibn Taimiyyah (rahimahullaah) said (Majmoo'at-ur-Rasaa-il il-Kubraa 1/243): "The place of the niyyah is the heart and not the tongue in all forms of 'ibaadah - and that is agreed upon by all the Muslim scholars - Purification, Prayer, Zakaat, Sawm, Hajj, 'Itq (freeing of slaves), Jihaad, etc. If he were to express with his tongue other than that which he intended in his heart - then what he intended is counted, not what he said. If he voiced the intention with his tongue and the intention was not in his heart, that will not count - by total agreement of all the scholars of Islaam - so the niyyah is the firm intention and resolve itself." In essence, we recall the ayah 13 and 14 in surah al Mulk.."13.And whether ye hide your word or make it known, He certainly has (full) knowledge, Of the secrets of (all) hearts. 14. Should He not know, -He that created? And He is the The Subtle The Aware".
As Rasoolullah (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) himself explained in the hadeeth narrated by 'Umar (radhiAllaahu 'anhu) in the Sahihain Verily the actions are by intention and there is for everyone only what he intended... [Fath-ul-Baaree, 1/9, and Muslim, 6/48].

Wa Allahu 'Alam,
Wa Alaikum Al Salaam,
Nizar Alsaid
Re: The need for niyyah
se7en
08/28/00 at 00:03:06

as salaamu alaykum wa rahmatAllahi wa barakatuh,

First, by the term niyyah I mean an act of the heart and the mind, not a verbal statement.    

From what I understand the niyyah of an act has two functions.

The first is that niyyah establishes the intent of an individual as being for Allah and Allah alone, not for something else.  This is necessary for an act of ibadah to be valid, and for any act to be rewarded.  

The second is to distinguish between types of acts.  Like to distinguish between different acts of ibadah (like the intention of Dhuhr and the intention of Asr), or to distinguish between a fard and a nafilah (like fasting in Ramadhan and fasting on some other day in the year), or to distinguish between ibadah and adaat (like ghusl and and a shower.)

In the hadeeth you mentioned "Innama amaalu bin niyyaat...", from what I understand 'innama' is a statement of containment - meaning nothing goes outside this definition, meaning *all* actions are according to their intention.  In the example you mentioned, the niyyah of performing ghusl is not present.  

And Allah knows best.


Nothing to do with your question but just something that I learned in class:
We learned that even in muamalaat, you can gain reward if you have the niyyah of pleasing Allah.  For example, your intention in being nice to your parents could be to get them to hook you up with some money; or it could be to please Allah by being good to your parents.  The second niyyah can gain reward.  That niyyah grants the non-ibadaah act ajr access, so to speak.  So my (eloquent) teacher says,

How many millions of deeds are like ashes in the wind to the eyes of Allah - when having the right niyyah, with a qalb that is focused on akhirah, would have brought us so much reward?  Every breath we take is an opportunity to gain happiness in this life and the hereafter, and to gain nearness to Allah.





Think about that the next time you breathe:)










Re: The need for niyyah
Arsalan
08/28/00 at 09:44:28
Assalamu alaikum,

Learner, it seems that you are quite right!  I checked a few books, including Fiqh-us-Sunnah (by Sayyid Sabiq) and a book on prayer based on the hanafi school of thought.  There are stark differences!  The most notable difference is that the niyyah for ghusl is a fard according to Sayyid Sabiq, whereas it's only a sunnah according to the hanafi madh-hab.  

However, please note that a "sunnah" in the Hanafi madh-hab is much more stressed than in other madhaahib.  I would not be surprised if the Hanafi scholars considered the niyyah to be a sunnah-mu'akkidah if you dig down in their technical fiqhi literature.  

In general also, deliberately omitting the acts of sunan is frowned upon by all scholars.  Making wudoo, for example, without performing the sunan would simply be washing the arms upto the elbows once and the face once.  That's it!  But none of us do that :)

Wallahu a'lam.
Re: The need for niyyah
Learner
08/29/00 at 12:27:16
Asslaamu alaikum.

Yes, I was infact talking about the intention in the heart and not the verbal form.

Jazakamullah khair to everyone for responding to the question.

I have done a bit of digging in the books myself and have realised that there is difference of opinions amongst the four madhahib - notably the hanafi madhab. However, I still haven't found the reasoning behind the hanafi interpretation or anything to support it.

If anyone does know please let me know. Or if anyone is in contact with a good scholar please can they run this point through with them and get back to me - so far I've been unsuccessful in this.

I just need to be reassured that the hanafi interpratation is correct before I start telling others the Faraidh of ghusl and wudhu (and ommitting to tell them about niyah).

Once again jazakamullah khair.    


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