Reasons for Wudu and Ghusl

And if he asks, ‘Why is it that we have been ordered to perform the minor ritual ablution (wudu) and then start to worship?’

Imam Reda (as) said, ‘So that the servant is clean when he stands in front of the Omnipotent, and obeys His Orders when he is supplicating to Him. It is also done to be cleansed of any impurities and contaminations. Performing one’s ablutions will also eliminate indolence and slumber, and strengthen the heart in front of the Omnipotent.

فَإِنْ قَالَ فَلِمَ أُمِرُوا بِالْوُضُوءِ وَبُدِئَ بِهِ؟

قِيلَ لأنْ يَكُونَ الْعَبْدُ طَاهِراً إِذَا قَامَ بَيْنَ يَدَيِ الْجَبَّارِ عِنْدَ مُنَاجَاتِهِ إِيَّاهُ مُطِيعاً لَهُ فِيَما أَمَرَهُ نَقِيّاً مِنَ الأَدْنَاسِ وَالنَّجَاسَةِ مَعَ مَا فِيهِ مِنْ ذَهَابِ الْكَسَلِ وَطَرْدِ النُّعَاسِ وَتَزْكِيَةِ الْفُؤَادِ لِلْقِيَامِ بَيْنَ يَدَيِ الْجَبَّارِ.

 

And if he asks, ‘Why is it that it is incumbent upon one to wash the face, hands, head and feet?

Imam Reda (as) said, ‘That is because when the servant stands in front of the Omnipotent, the parts of the body that must be washed by means of performance one’s ablutions are visible. That is because one expresses his humbleness and prostrates using his face; he implores God by using his hands, and fears God by means of them and uses them to sincerely turn towards the worship of God. One uses his head first when he bows down and prostrates. And with his feet he stands up and sits down.

فَإِنْ قَالَ لِمَ وَجَبَ ذَلِكَ عَلَى الْوَجْهِ وَالْيَدَيْنِ وَالرَّأْسِ وَالرِّجْلَيْنِ قِيلَ لانَّ الْعَبْدَ إِذَا قَامَ بَيْنَ يَدَيِ الْجَبَّارِ فَإِنَّمَا يَنْكَشِفُ مِنْ جَوَارِحِهِ وَيُظْهِرُ مَا وَجَبَ فِيهِ الْوُضُوءُ وَذَلِكَ أَنَّهُ بِوَجْهِهِ يَسْجُدُ وَيَخْضَعُ وَبِيَدِهِ يَسْأَلُ وَيَرْغَبُ وَيَرْهَبُ وَيَتَبَتَّلُ وَيَنْسُكُ وَبِرَأْسِهِ يَسْتَقْبِلُ فِي رُكُوعِهِ وَسُجُودِهِ وَبِرِجْلَيْهِ يَقُومُ وَيَقْعُدُ.

And if he asks, ‘Why is it that it has become incumbent upon one to wash the face and the hands, and only wipe the head and the feet (with one’s moist hand), but it has not become incumbent upon one to wash them all or wipe them all?’

Imam Reda (as) said, ‘For several reasons. One of them is that the greatest form of worship is bowing down and prostrating. Bowing down and prostrating are both performed using the face and the hands, but not the head and the feet. Another reason is that people are not always ready to wash their heads and feet. This would be difficult for them to do in cold weather, when they are on a journey, when they are ill, and at certain times of the night and day. However, it is easier to wash the face and the hands than wipe the head and the feet. That is why the difficulty of the obligatory deeds are set up for the weakest of the healthy people. All the people – whether they are strong or weak – are obliged to perform them. Another reason is that the head and the feet are not always visible like the face and the hands as they are the places for turbans, shoes and other similar headwear or footwear items.

 

فَإِنْ قَالَ فَلِمَ وَجَبَ الْغَسْلُ عَلَى الْوَجْهِ وَالْيَدَيْنِ وَجُعِلَ الْمَسْحُ عَلَى الرَّأْسِ وَالرِّجْلَيْنِ وَلَمْ يُجْعَلْ ذَلِكَ غَسْلاً كُلُّهُ أَوْ مَسْحاً كُلُّهُ قِيلَ لِعِلَلٍ شَتَّى مِنْهَا أَنَّ الْعِبَادَةَ الْعُظْمَى إِنَّمَا هِيَ الرُّكُوعُ وَالسُّجُودُ وَإِنَّمَا يَكُونُ الرُّكُوعُ وَالسُّجُودُ بِالْوَجْهِ وَالْيَدَيْنِ لا بِالرَّأْسِ وَالرِّجْلَيْنِ.

وَمِنْهَا أَنَّ الْخَلْقَ لا يُطِيقُونَ فِي كُلِّ وَقْتٍ غَسْلَ الرَّأْسِ وَالرِّجْلَيْنِ وَيَشْتَدُّ ذَلِكَ عَلَيْهِمْ فِي الْبَرْدِ وَالسَّفَرِ وَالْمَرَضِ وَأَوْقَاتٍ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ وَغَسْلُ الْوَجْهِ وَالْيَدَيْنِ أَخَفُّ مِنْ غَسْلِ الرَّأْسِ وَالرِّجْلَيْنِ وَإِنَّمَا وُضِعَتِ الْفَرَائِضُ عَلَى قَدْرِ أَقَلِّ النَّاسِ طَاقَةً مِنْ أَهْلِ الصِّحَّةِ ثُمَّ عُمَّ فِيهَا الْقَوِيُّ وَالضَّعِيفُ.

وَمِنْهَا أَنَّ الرَّأْسَ وَالرِّجْلَيْنِ لَيْسَا هُمَا فِي كُلِّ وَقْتٍ بَادِيَيْنِ ظَاهِرَيْنِ كَالْوَجْهِ وَالْيَدَيْنِ لِمَوْضِعِ الْعِمَامَةِ وَالْخُفَّيْنِ وَغَيْرِ ذَلِكَ.

 

And if he asks, ‘Why is it that only what leaves from the two sides[163] and sleeping, but not anything else, voids the minor ritual ablution?’

Imam Reda (as) said, ‘The two sides are the pathways to release the human wastes. There are no other paths for man to let out waste from his body. So, they are ordered to clean themselves when they are exposed to such impurity. And regarding sleeping, when one falls asleep, he gets relaxed and his organs open up. Most of what leaves his body is gas. For that reason, it becomes incumbent upon him to perform the minor ritual ablution.’

 

فَإِنْ قَالَ فَلِمَ وَجَبَ الْوُضُوءُ مِمَّا خَرَجَ مِنَ الطَّرَفَيْنِ خَاصَّةً وَمِنَ النَّوْمِ دُونَ سَائِرِ الأَشْيَاءِ قِيلَ لانَّ الطَّرَفَيْنِ هُمَا طَرِيقُ النَّجَاسَةِ وَلَيْسَ لِلإِنْسَانِ طَرِيقٌ تُصِيبُهُ النَّجَاسَةُ مِنْ نَفْسِهِ إِلا مِنْهُمَا فَأُمِرُوا بِالطَّهَارَةِ عِنْدَ مَا تُصِيبُهُمْ تِلْكَ النَّجَاسَةُ مِنْ أَنْفُسِهِمْ.

 

وَأَمَّا النَّوْمُ فَإِنَّ النَّائِمَ إِذَا غَلَبَ عَلَيْهِ النَّوْمُ يُفْتَحُ كُلُّ شَيْ‏ءٍ مِنْهُ وَاسْتَرْخَى وَكَانَ أَغْلَبُ الأَشْيَاءِ عَلَيْهِ فِي الْخُرُوجِ مِنْهُ الرِّيحَ فَوَجَبَ عَلَيْهِ الْوُضُوءُ لِهَذِهِ الْعِلَّةِ.

And if he asks, ‘Why is it that we have not been ordered to perform the major ritual ablution to cleanse us from these impurities as we have been in case of major ritual impurity?’

Imam Reda (as) said, ‘That is because the minor ritual impurities are continuous, and it is not possible for the people to always perform major ritual ablutions for them. God does not oblige anyone to do what is beyond his ability. However, the major ritual impurity is not continuous. It is due to the overcoming of lust. One can decide to procrastinate lust or expedite it for three days, less or more. However, the same does not hold for going to the W.C.”

فَإِنْ قَالَ فَلِمَ لَمْ يُؤْمَرُوا بِالْغُسْلِ مِنْ هَذِهِ النَّجَاسَةِ كَمَا أُمِرُوا بِالْغُسْلِ مِنَ الْجَنَابَةِ قِيلَ لانَّ هَذَا شَيْ‏ءٌ دَائِمٌ غَيْرُ مُمْكِنٍ لِلْخَلْقِ الاغْتِسَالُ مِنْهُ كُلَّمَا يُصِيبُ ذَلِكَ وَلا يُكَلِّفُ اللَّهُ نَفْساً إِلا وُسْعَها وَالْجَنَابَةُ لَيْسَ [لَيْسَتْ] هِيَ أَمْراً دَائِماً إِنَّمَا هِيَ شَهْوَةٌ يُصِيبُهَا إِذَا أَرَادَ وَيُمْكِنُهُ تَعْجِيلُهَا وَتَأْخِيرُهَا الأَيَّامَ الثَّلاثَةَ وَالأَقَلَّ وَالأَكْثَرَ وَلَيْسَ ذَلِكَ هَكَذَا.

 

And if he asks, ‘Why is it that we have been ordered to perform the major ritual ablution for major ritual impurity and not ordered to perform the major ritual ablution for defecation while it is filthier than the major ritual impurity?’

Imam Reda (as) said, ‘Since the major ritual impurity leaves all of man’s self, that is it is the things that leave all the body, while in defecation it is not what is excreted out of all of the body. It is the food that enters from one side and the wastes which leave from the other side.’

فَإِنْ قَالَ فَلِمَ أُمِرُوا بِالْغُسْلِ مِنَ الْجَنَابَةِ وَلَمْ يُؤْمَرُوا بِالْغُسْلِ مِنَ الْخَلاءِ وَهُوَأَنْجَسُ مِنَ الْجَنَابَةِ وَأَقْذَرُ قِيلَ مِنْ أَجْلِ أَنَّ الْجَنَابَةَ مِنْ نَفْسِ الإِنْسَانِ وَهُوَشَيْ‏ءٌ يَخْرُجُ مِنْ جَمِيعِ جَسَدِهِ وَالْخَلاءُ لَيْسَ هُوَمِنْ نَفْسِ الإِنْسَانِ إِنَّمَا هُوَغِذَاءٌ يَدْخُلُ مِنْ بَابٍ وَيَخْرُجُ مِنْ بَابٍ.

 

Source : Uyun Akhbar, vol. 2