Namaz has twelve fards, seven of which are preconditions, that is, before beginning namaz, these conditions must exist in order for the namaz to be valid. They are called conditions of namaz. They are: Taharat (purification) from hadas (state of being without abdast), taharat from najasat (substances which Islam prescribes as dirty), satr-i awrat (covering private parts), istiqbal-i qibla (facing the qibla), waqt (prescribed time), niyyat (intention), takbir of tahrima (beginning). The existence of everything is dependent upon doing some action. This dependence can be of five sorts: If the action is within the essence of the thing and is one of its particles, the action is called Rukn. If it affects the thing externally, it is called 'illat. Nikah (marriage contract prescribed by Islam.) is an 'illat of marriage. If it does not affect a particular action, but if doing a particular action requires its existence, it is called Sabab the cause (reason). Waqt (appointed time for namaz) is the sabab the cause (reason) of namaz. If it does not require the existence of a thing, but if the thing ceases to exist by the action not being done, it is called Shart (condition). However, if it does not cease to exist in this case, it is called Alamat (sign, property). Adhan (calling to prayer) is the alamat of namaz. Five of the fards of the namaz are inside the namaz. Each of these five fards is also called Rukn. [Some Islamic scholars have said that takbir of tahrima is inside the namaz. According to them both the conditions of namaz and its rukns are six in number.] In the chapters ahead, we shall explain all these in accordance with the Hanafi Madhhab.

 There are two kinds of taharat from hadas:

1. Performance of an ablution by a person who does not have an ablution.
2. Performance of a ghusl by a person who does not have a ghusl.

 It is written in the book Halabi-yi saghir:

"There are fards, sunnats, adabs, and forbidden things in an abdast (ablution). If a person performs namaz without an ablution though he does not have a good excuse for doing so and though he knows that he does not have an ablution, he becomes a disbeliever. He who loses his ablution while performing namaz, performs the salam (Assalam-u alaikum wa rahmat-ullah) to one side right away and stops his namaz. Re-making an ablution before the prescribed time period is over, he begins the namaz again."

 There are eighteen sunnats in an ablution:

1.  To recite the Basmala before entering the rest-room and when beginning to make an ablution. He who cannot find a lonely place can relieve himself near others if he is taken short and provided he will cover himself.
2.  To wash the hands including the wrists three times.
3.  To rinse the mouth three times by using new water each time. This is called madmada.
4.  To wash both nostrils three times, taking fresh water each time. This is called istInshaq.
5.  It is sunnat, not fard, to wet the invisible parts of the skin under the eyebrows, the beard and the moustache. It is fard to wash their exterior surfaces. If the hairs are scarce and the skin can be seen, it will be fard to wet and wash the skin.
6. To wet the section under the two eyebrows when washing the face.
7. To apply masah on the hanging part of the beard. In the Hanafi Madhhab it is not fard to wash it. In Shafi'i, it is fard to wash the skin below the chin.
8. To comb (takhlil) the hanging part of the beard with the wetted fingers of the right hand. The face is from the upper edge of the forehead to the end of the chin, and from one to the other front borders of the ears.
9. To rub and clean the teeth with something.
10.  To apply masah on the whole head once.
11.  To apply masah (to wipe) both ears once. It is fard to wash the parts between the ear and the cheek.
12. To apply masah on the neck once with three adjacent fingers of both hands. In order to perform the last three procedures together, the two hands are moistened. The three thin adjacent fingers of both hands are joined together; their inner surfaces are placed on the beginning of the hair right above the forehead. The ends of these three fingers of both hands must be touching one another. Thumbs, pointing-fingers and palms must be in the air, not touching the head. The two hands are drawn backwards, thereby applying masah on the head with those three fingers of each hand. When the hands reach the end of the hair in the back, the three fingers of each hand are detached from the head and the palms of both hands are then slightly pressed against the hair of both sides of the head and drawn forward, applying masah on the sides of head. Then, putting the pointing-fingers of both hands in the ears and the inner surface of the thumbs on the back of the ears, we apply masah on the ears by drawing the thumbs downwards. Then the outer surface of each three thin fingers is put on the back of the neck and masah is applied on the neck by drawing them from the middle of the neck towards the sides.
13. To wash (takhlil) between the fingers and the toes. For washing between toes, the little finger of the left hand is inserted between the toes from under them in succession, beginning with the little toe of the right foot and, after finishing with the right foot, carrying on with the big toe of the left foot.
14.  To wash every limb three times which is to be washed. At each washing every part of the limb must be moistened. It is sunnat not to pour water three times but to wash it completely three times. It is makruh to wash more than three times. If one gets confused counting, one can complement the counting to three. If in this case one counts more than three it will not be makruh.
15. To intend through the heart when beginning to wash the face. [It is written in Ibni 'Abidin's book that it is sunnat, mustahab or bidat to intend orally. And it is written in Bariqa and Hadiqa as well as in Ibni 'Abidin's book that when something is said to be sunnat or bidat, it is better not to do it. For this reason we must not intend orally. It is fard to intend for every worship ('ibada) in the beginning, and it is also permissible to say 'Insha-allah.' It is not a necessity to intend for an oath, tilawat (reading the Qur'an al- karim), dhikr, adhan and while doing a certain part of a worship, such as an ablution and ghusl.]
16. Tartib. In other words, to wash the two hands, the mouth, the nostrils, the face, the arms, then to apply masah on the head, on the ears, on the neck, and then to wash the feet successively, and not to change this order. Tartib is fard in the Shafi'i Madhhab.
17. Dalk, to rub the limbs washed. Dalk and muwalat are fard in the Maliki Madhhab.
18. Mawalat, to wash the limbs one right after another quickly.

Adabs of an ablution:

1. To make an ablution before it is time for namaz. Those who have excuses must make it after the time has begun.
2. When cleaning oneself in the toilet, the qibla must be on one's right or left-hand side. It is tahrimi makruh to turn one's front or back to the qibla when relieving oneself or urinating. It is an adab to squat oneself down with the feet wide apart.
3. If the private parts have not been smeared with najasat, it is an adab to wash them with water. If the najasat is less than one dirham [which is equal to one mithqal: four grams and eighty centigrams], it is sunnat to wash. If one has been smeared with one dirham of it, it is wajib, and if more than that it is fard to wash. There is not a prescribed number of washing. It is necessary to wash until one gets clean. One does the cleaning with the inner surfaces of one or two or three fingers of the left hand.
4. To wipe oneself dry with a piece of cloth after washing. If there is no cloth one must wipe with one's hand.
5.  To cover oneself right after the cleaning is completed. It spoils the adab to uncover unnecessarily at isolated places.
6.  Not to ask for help from anybody, but to perform the ablution by oneself. If someone pours water for one without being asked, it will be permissible.
7. To turn towards the qibla when making an ablution.
8.  Not to talk while making an ablution.
9. To recite the kalima-i shahadat while washing each limb.
10. To recite the prescribed prayers (du'a) of ablution.
11. To put water in the mouth with the right hand.
12. To put water in the nose with the right and to clean the nose with the left hand.
13. When washing the mouth, to brush the teeth with a miswak. While the fingers of the right hand are stretched, the thumb and the little finger hold the miswak on the lower side and the other three fingers hold it on the upper side, then the miswak is rubbed gently on the teeth, three times on the teeth on the right side and three times on the ones on the left side. It should not be rubbed hard lest it will damage the teeth. When rubbed softly it strengthens the teeth and the gums. Miswak is a span long piece of stick cut from a branch of a tree of Erak (Peelo), which grows in Arabia. If there is no Erak branch, branches of olive trees or others can replace it. But not a pomegranate branch because it is bitter and will cause the things eaten and drunken to taste bitter. If one cannot find a miswak, a brush can be used. If a brush is not available, either, one must clean one's teeth with one's thumb and second little finger; for doing this, the former is rubbed on the teeth on the right hand side and the latter is rubbed on the ones on the left hand side, three times each. It is not shar'an (canonically) makruh to use someone else's miswak or comb with his permission, but it is tab'an makruh. Also, smoking is tab'an makruh.
14. When washing the mouth, rinse it if not fasting. It is always makruh to gargle in the throat (glottis).
15. When washing the nostrils, to draw the water almost up to the bone.
16. When applying masah on the ears, insert each little finger into each earhole, respectively.
17. To use the little finger of the left hand when washing between the toes by inserting (takhlil) from the lower sides of them.
18. To shift the ring when washing the hands. It is necessary and fard to shift a tight ring.
19.  Not to waste water though it may be plentiful.
20. Not to use too little water so as to appear rubbing with oil. During each of the three washings, at least two drops of water must fall from the place washed.
21. After using a container for ablution, to leave the container full of water. One should put the ewer in its place with its mouth pointing towards the qibla. Any other traveler who wants to perform the namaz can easily determine the direction of the qibla by way of the ewer's mouth.
22. To recite the prayer (du'a) "Allahummaj'alni minattawwabin..." after or during the ablution.
23. To perform two rakats (units) of namaz called Subha after an ablution.
24. To make ablution though one has an ablution. In other words, after performing one namaz, renew your ablution for the next namaz.
25. To clean the inner corners of the eyes and clear away the dried mucus in the eyelids when washing the face.
26. When washing the face, the arms and the feet, wash a little more than the compulsory amount. When washing the arms, we must fill our palm with water and then pour it towards the elbow.
27. When performing an ablution, do not let the water used splash back on the body, the clothes, etc.
28.  Ibni Abidin, while listing the things that nullify an ablution, writes that if something that is not makruh in one's madhhab is fard in another madhhab, it is mustahab to do that thing. Imam-i Rabbani wrote in his 286th letter that since rubbing the limbs (dalk) is a fard of ablution in Maliki, one should certainly rub them. While explaining the rij'i talaq (irrevocable divorce) Ibni Abidin wrote that it is better for a Hanafi person to imitate Maliki Madhhab because Imam-i Malik is like a student of Imam-i Azam.

1. When relieving oneself or urinating in the toilet or out-doors, one should not turn one's front or back towards the qibla.

It is makruh also to stretch one's feet towards the qibla or the Qur'an. If the Qur'an is above one it will not be makruh.

2.  It is haram to open one's private parts near someone in order to make taharat.
3.  One should not make taharat with one's right hand.
4. When there is no water, it is makruh to make taharat (to clean oneself) with food products, manure, bones, animals' food, coal, someone else's property, a piece of flowerpot or tile, reeds, leaves, a piece of cloth or paper.
5. One must not spit or throw mucus into the pool where one makes an ablution.
6. One should not wash one's limbs of ablution much more or less than the prescribed limit, nor wash them more or less than three times.
7. One must not wipe one's limbs of ablution with the same cloth used for taharat.
8. While washing the face, one must not splash the water on one's face, but pour it from the upper forehead downwards.
9. One must not blow on or over the surface of the water.
10. One must not close one's mouth and eyes tightly. If even a tiny part of the outward part of the lips or the eyelids is left dry, the ablution will not be acceptable.
11. One must not expel mucus from one's nose with one's right hand.
12. One must not make masah on one's head, ears or neck more than once after moistening the hands each time. But it can be repeated without moistening the hands again.

1. A person with both hands paralyzed (or no hands at all) cannot make taharat. Instead he makes tayammum by rubbing his arms on some soil and his face against a wall. If there is a wound one his face, he performs the namaz without an ablution in order not to miss namaz.
2. If a person is sick, his wife, jariya, children, sisters, or brothers may help him perform his ablution.
3.  Making taharat with stones and the like is the same as making it with water.
4. If a person who went mad or fainted did not recover within twenty-four hours, he would not have to perform (qada) his missed prayers of namaz when he recovered. He who loses consciousness by taking alcohol, opium or medicine must perform each omitted prayer. A person who is so heavily ill that he cannot even perform the namaz by moving his head while lying down, even if he is conscious, is exempted from performing namaz. However, this state must go on for more than twenty-four hours.
5. It is mustahab (a source of blessings) to use special baggy trousers and to cover the head when entering the toilet.
6. When entering the toilet one must not hold something in one's hand containing Allah's name or pieces of writing from the Qur'an. It must be wrapped up with something or it must be in one's pocket.
7. One must enter the toilet with one's left foot and go out with one's right foot.
8. In the toilet one must open one's private parts after squatting and one must not talk.
9. One must not look at one's private parts or at the waste material or spit in the toilet.
10. In the toilet, one must not eat or drink anything, sing, whistle, [smoke] or chew gum.
11. One must not urinate into any water, on a wall of a mosque, in a cemetery, or onto any road.

THINGS THAT NULLIFY AN ABLUTION:

 When a man puts some oil in his urethra and it flows out, it does not break his ablution according to Imam-i azam. When a woman applies vaginal lavage, the liquid that flows out breaks her ablution.

 It is permissible for a man to insert into his urethra a small natural cotton wick lest he will release urine inadvertently. In case there is suspicion of leakage, it is mustahab for a man to do this. But if he sees that it prevents leakage, it will be wajib for him to use it. Synthetic cotton is not advisable. Unless part of the cotton remaining outside is moistened, his ablution will not be broken. And if the cotton is dry when it is taken out, the ablution will not be broken, either. So is the case with the piece of cloth called kursuf which women insert in their front. But if a woman puts it on the crevice instead of inserting it, it breaks her ablution when its inner surface is moistened. If the cotton is put in wholly it breaks the ablution if it is wet when it is taken out. A piece of natural cotton that has been inserted into the back and which is lost breaks an ablution even if it is dry when it comes out. It is mustahab for virgins to use kursuf only during menstruation and for those who are married or widows to always use it. If a person finds feces or urine stains on his underwear after istinja (cleaning oneself after urination or defecation) he must put a long piece of cotton between the buttocks and thus cover the anus, and, before performing an ablution, he must look at the cotton and put it back in its place if it is clean or change it if it is dirty.

 He who suffers from enuresis (involuntary urination) should be extra careful lest his underwear will become dirty. For this, you need a square piece of cloth fifteen centimeters in length. Tying a piece of string about fifty centimeters in length to one of the corners of the cloth, you tie the other end of the string to a safety-pin attached to the pants. Next the cloth is wrapped around the end of the penis and secured with the string wound on it and fastened with a knot. If the leakage of urine is too great, it must be reinforced with a piece of cotton, which should be thrown away whenever it is found wet with urine. If the cloth is wet, too, it must be removed, washed and dried so as to be used again. Thus a piece of cloth can be used for months. People who practice this hygienic cleanliness will never suffer prostatic ailments.

   The second group of things breaking an ablution consists of those unclean things coming out of the mouth. Of these, vomit and thick blood; blood, food and water coming out of the stomach break an ablution when they amount to a mouthful. They all are najasat-i ghaliza (strong pollutant). Matter vomited by a suckling child is qaba najasat. Vomiting phlegm will not break an ablution. Vomiting thin blood coming down from the head does not break an ablution if it is less than the spittle. Inside the mouth, in terms of an ablution, is deemed an inner limb, but it is considered an external limb when one is in a state of fasting. That is the reason why the blood issuing from a tooth or a wound inside the mouth while remaining in the mouth does not break an ablution. But after coming out of the mouth, if the blood is more than the spittle it breaks an ablution. Thick blood coming down from the head does not break an ablution even if it is more than the spittle. If the blood issuing from the stomach or from the lungs is thin it breaks an ablution even if it is less than the spittle, according to Shaikhayn (imam-i azam Abu Hanifa and imam-i Abu Yusuf (rahmatullahi alaihim)). If any oil dropped into the ear goes out through the ear or the nose it does not break an ablution. But if it goes out through the mouth it breaks an ablution. If something sniffed into the nose comes back, even if after many days, it does not break an ablution.

   Thirdly, blood, pus, or yellow liquid issuing through the skin, and colorless liquid issuing painfully break an ablution in Hanafi. The fact that these do not break one's ablution in Shafi'i and Maliki is written in the Persian book Menahij-ul-ibad. If the blood or the yellow liquid issuing from a person with small-pox or from an abscess, ear, nose, wound, or colorless liquid that issues with pain or because of an ailment, spreads over the places that must be washed in a ghusl ablution, it breaks one's ablution. For instance, if blood coming down the nose goes beyond the bones it breaks an ablution. And if blood coming through the ears comes out of the ears it breaks an ablution. If one sponges the blood or the yellowish liquid on one's wound or boil (abscess) with cotton it breaks one's ablution. Colorless liquid issuing and flowing from them without pain or ailment does not break an ablution [according to Tahtawi]. If one sees blood on the thing one bites into, one's ablution will not be broken. If one sees blood on the miswak or on the tooth pick, this will not break one's ablution if the inside of the mouth has not been smeared with blood. But, on the other hand, it will break one's ablution if one puts one's finger on the suspected part in one's mouth and then sees blood on one's finger. If a person who suffers from sore eyes sheds tears all the time he is one who has an excuse. (The meaning of the phrase having an excuse will be explained later on). But, except when one has a sore, weeping for some other reason, such as be cause of onions, smoke and other kinds of gases, does not break an ablution. In the Shafi'i madhhab an ablution is not broken in either case. A woman's suckling her child does not break her ablution. Sweating, no matter how much, does not break an ablution. Liquid coming out of the ears, navel or nipples because of some pain breaks an ablution. A leech sucking too much blood breaks an ablution. Harmful insects such as flies, mosquitos, fleas and lice do not break an ablution even if they suck a great deal. A little blood on the skin that does not spread, blood which is formed in the mouth and which is not a mouthful, and a little vomit that is thrown up do not break an ablution; therefore they are not najs (religiously dirty).

   The fourth cause that breaks an ablution is to sleep, in all the four Madhhabs. In Hanafi, sleeping in a position that will leave the anus loose, such as by lying on one's flank or back or by leaning on one's elbow or on something else, will break an ablution. If one does not fall down when the thing on which one leans is taken away suddenly, one's ablution is not broken. Sleeping in namaz does not break an ablution. Sleeping by drawing up the legs and putting the head on the knees does not break an ablution. Sleeping by sitting with the feet on one side does not break an ablution. If a person sleeps by erecting one of his shanks and sitting on the other thigh, his ablution will break. Sleeping on a bare animal does not break an ablution, provided the animal is going uphill or on a level road. Sleeping on a saddle and panel does not break an ablution in any case.

   Fifthly, fainting, going crazy, or having an epileptic fit breaks an ablution. Being as drunk as to waver when walking breaks an ablution.

   Sixthly, laughter during namaz with ruqu's and sajdas breaks both the namaz and the ablution. But it does not break a child's ablution. Smiling in namaz breaks neither the namaz nor the ablution. When heard by those who are near one, it is called laughter. When one does not hear one's own laughing it is called smiling. If no one but the person who laughs hears it, it is called dahk, which breaks the namaz only.

  The seventh cause is Mubasharat-i fahisha, that is, when a man and woman physically rub their private parts (saw'atain) on each other. In this case, the ablution of both the man and woman is broken. In Hanafi, touching a woman's skin lustfully does not break an ablution.

   Cutting one's hair, beard, moustache or nails does not break one's ablution. It is not necessary to wash the places cut. It is written in the Persian explanation of Fiqh-i Ghidani: "Cutting the nails does not break an ablution. It is mustahab to wash the hands." Peeling of the skin on a wound does not break it, either.

   Any cracks on the skin must be washed when making an ablution. If one cannot put water on it, one makes masah. If masah is not possible, either, one may omit it. If one has put some ointment on a crack on one's foot, one washes over the ointment. If washing will harm the crack, one makes masah over it. If the ointment drains off after washing, one washes under it if the wound has healed. If it has not healed one does not wash it. [See chapter 5]. If one has wounds on both hands, and if washing will be harmful, one makes tayammum. If one hand is healthy, one uses it for ablution. If one's hand has been cut off from the elbow or if one's foot is cut off by the heel, one washes the place of the cut.

   Halabi-yi kabir writes: If a person knows that he has performed ablution and doubts if it has been broken later, it is judged that he has an ablution. If he knows that his ablution has been broken and doubts whether he has performed ablution again, he has to perform an ablution. If he doubts whether he has washed a limb while performing an ablution, he washes the limb. If he has the doubt after finishing the ablution it is not necessary to wash the doubtful limb. If a person who notices some wetness on himself after performing ablution doubts whether it is urine or water, he performs ablution again if this happens to him for the first time. If it often happens to him, it will be understood that it is a doubt caused by satan; therefore, he will not renew the ablution. In order to eliminate such doubts, he must sprinkle water into his pants or underwear [Kimya-yi saadat], or use a cellulosic cotton wick. If a person doubts whether his pots, pans, dresses, body, water, well, pond, or any butter, bread, clothes, food and others prepared by the ignorant or by disbelievers are dirty, they are to be judged clean.

 It is haram to hold the Qur'an al-karim without having an ablution. It is permissible to recite it without an ablution. It is sunnat to go to bed with an ablution. It is written in the explanation of Shir'at-ul-Islam: "It is permissible and blessed to recite the Qur'an al-karim without an ablution while lying in bed. But, one must hold one's head out of the blanket and put one's legs together."

 When wadi or mazi is emitted, one's ablution is broken according to all of the four madhhabs. Even the ghusl (ritualistic bath) is necessary in the Hanbali madhhab [Inaya]. It is haram to enter a mosque when you are junub or during menstruation, and it is makruh without an ablution [Durar Gurar]. If frontal or anal emissions which normally break an ablution take place because of an illness and there is haraj [difficulty] in making an ablution for such reasons as extremely cold weather, illness or old age, one's ablution will not be broken according to the Maliki Madhhab.

 It is stated in Kitab-ur-rahmah, "Continuous involuntary urination is termed 'silis-ul-bawl.' One cup of chick-peas and two cups of vinegar are put in a container. Three days later, three chick-peas and one teaspoonful of vinegar are taken three times daily. Or, one spoonful of seeds of rue and ginger and cinnamon and black-pepper are pulverized and mixed. One teaspoonful of the mixture is taken with water, once early in the morning, without having eaten anything, and once before going to bed at night."

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