Why the Elbows Matter in Wudoo
The Second Obligation of Wudoo: Washing the Hands and Forearms
Summary
This lecture covers the second obligation of wudoo (ritual ablution), which is washing the hands and forearms up to and including the elbows. Sh. Ali Mashhour explains that wudoo has six obligations that must be performed in a specific order as mentioned in the Quran: face, hands/forearms, head, and feet. The lecture details how the Prophet Muhammad would perform wudoo, the proper technique for washing the arms, and important clarifications about Arabic terminology—specifically that while 'yad' in general Arabic means the entire arm from hand to shoulder, in Quranic language it refers only to the wrist unless otherwise specified, which is why the Quranic verse includes the addition 'to include the elbows.' Sh. Ali Mashhour also demonstrates the Prophet's method of ensuring complete washing, including paying special attention to the elbows and running fingers between fingers.
Note: This transcript was generated using YouTube's automatic captioning, with AI-assisted cleanup for readability. It may contain inaccuracies due to background noise, audio quality, or limitations of the transcription software — particularly during Arabic recitation. Listener discretion is advised; please refer to the original video for precise wording.
So, I think we've had this before, but tonight is going to be the beginning or the first of a monthly thing that we're going to be doing. So, it's kind of a u family oriented dinner inshallah slash get together. So, that's going to be tonight after and this will be every month and the last Friday night of every month, right? So, the last Friday night of every month, we'll have a community potluck and so, you know, it's a good thing to bring the family out, too. A lot of times people are not working on Saturdays. So you know you could take the family out and bring them here to mix and mingle and so forth. So again that is tonight inshallah.
[Silence]
Yesterday we spoke about the first obligation or pillar of wudoo which was washing the face to include to include the mouth and nose. The second is and notice how washing the face to include the mouth and nose we counted those as one. We counted those as one just as it is counted as one in the Quran because Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala commands washing the face and the prophet sallall.aii alaihi wasallam explained it as to include the mouth and nose. So that really is just one thing. The second is to wash the hands and arms to include the elbows. Now notice how or remember that we mentioned that Woo has six obligations and that one of those obligations is that these things be washed in order that it be performed in order. What order are we speaking about? The order that is mentioned in the Quran, face, then hands and arms, then head, then feet. This is the order. If a person were to change that order in any way, the woo would not be valid. And so remember that when we say that is the order just because we washed our hands at the beginning which is something the prophet sallallah.aii wasallam did often he'd wash his hands at the beginning then he'd wash his face. We still haven't washed our hands in order to include the arms and elbows or the forearms. So washing the hands before washing the face that doesn't count towards washing the hands, forearms to include the elbows. So when we say we begin with washing the face to include the mouth and nose. Then we wash the hands, forearms to include the elbows. We begin from the tips of the fingers or the the hands and arms need to be washed. The area that needs to be covered is from the tips of the fingers all the way to above and to include the elbows. All of this needs to be washed and they need to be washed after the face, mouth and nose. After the face, mouth and nose. So when we began with washing our hands, that is a sunnah to prep our hands to perform wudoo. That doesn't count towards the washing of the hands and forearms to include the elbows. Now I want you to imagine how the prophet sallall.aii wasallam would have performed woo. He didn't have a faucet and running water and showers. Usually he would be brought an open top almost a vase if you could imagine a pot. Okay. Usually they were made out of pottery clay baked clay. So it they have different types. Some were wide mouth, some were closed mouth. Right. Usually he would be brought almost a bucket, but it is shaped a a pot and it's wide in the mouth. Wide enough to put your hand into it. And so when he would begin, he would pour the water into his hand and wash his hands three times. Then he would begin to take water out. So he wouldn't put his hand into the water. He'd first wash his hands. Then he would start to put his hands into the water. And when he would wash his face, he would put both hands this, wash his face. When he would wash his hands and arms, he would put one hand in, cup the water, and then he would let it roll down his arm and he would move the water around with his other hand. This is how he would perform this. And then the left hand, he would cup it and let it roll down the arm. Okay. Now, does this have to be in that direction? This is an interesting question because Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says, for.
[Silence]
Mid. foret. for.
[Silence]
Allah.
[Silence]
So it doesn't have to be in that direction. If a person were to wash his hands or his arms under a faucet and the washing start here and end here, is that correct? Sure. Is it correct to start here and end here? Sure. The prophet sallall.aii alaihi wasallam would wash his hands and he would start here and end here more or less because of the way that the water would be introduced into this process more than anything. It doesn't mean that it has to start here and end here. It does mean that all of this needs to be washed to include the elbows. Now in Abdullah who is one of the prophet Sam's servants. He says that.
[Silence]
And so he says that the prophet sallall.aii alaihi wasallam would pour the water onto his elbows onto his elbows and really this this joint here this area this is the milak right why because when you're washing it this you might not get everything so he would for extra measure pour the water on his elbows to ensure that it is to include the elbows because the real translation of the verse is if you wish to stand for prayer then first wash your faces and your hands and forearms to include the elbows that's the translation and your hands and forearms to include the elbows the hand in the Arabic language aliad it starts at the the hand and ends at the shoulder. All this this entire extremity this entire organ is called or this entire appendage is called in the Arabic language. Right? However, what does mean in the Quran's language? This is an important point. In the Arabic language, all of this is alet. But in the Quran's terminology, if we were to gather every place in the Quran that makes mention of the word yet, what does it mean? This is al in the Arabic language. To the wrist, in the Quran, to the wrist. And this is why the addition is made because unless otherwise specified in the Quran when the word yet is used, this is what's meant just the to the wrist. And so this is why that addition became critical which is and wash your hands and forearms to include the the elbows. Right? So this is the exception. However, in the Quran, this is what is meant by one last thing. One of the things that he would do when he would make udul is that if his hands were particularly dry on occasions, he would scrub his the knuckles, right? He would just run his hand across. Also, he would run his fingers between the fingers of his other hand. Right? This isn't at every single woo, but this is something that he would do as well. Nothing else is part of that except for one last point and that is the issue of nail polish. Nail polish which we'll discuss tomorrow inshallah.
[Silence]
How you doing, man? It's busy these days, huh? It's sad. I'm And I to speak and I'm happy with my YouTube.