Is istinja' necessary for ablution?

Sources

• ✓ 5:6 · Al-Maaida

  5:6 · Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall

  يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِذَا قُمْتُمْ إِلَى ٱلصَّلَوٰةِ فَٱغْسِلُوا۟ وُجُوهَكُمْ وَأَيْدِيَكُمْ إِلَى ٱلْمَرَافِقِ وَٱمْسَحُوا۟ بِرُءُوسِكُمْ وَأَرْجُلَكُمْ إِلَى ٱلْكَعْبَيْنِ ۚ وَإِن كُنتُمْ جُنُبًۭا فَٱطَّهَّرُوا۟ ۚ وَإِن كُنتُم مَّرْضَىٰٓ أَوْ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍ أَوْ جَآءَ أَحَدٌۭ مِّنكُم مِّنَ ٱلْغَآئِطِ أَوْ لَٰمَسْتُمُ ٱلنِّسَآءَ فَلَمْ تَجِدُوا۟ مَآءًۭ فَتَيَمَّمُوا۟ صَعِيدًۭا طَيِّبًۭا فَٱمْسَحُوا۟ بِوُجُوهِكُمْ وَأَيْدِيكُم مِّنْهُ ۚ مَا يُرِيدُ ٱللَّهُ لِيَجْعَلَ عَلَيْكُم مِّنْ حَرَجٍۢ وَلَٰكِن يُرِيدُ لِيُطَهِّرَكُمْ وَلِيُتِمَّ نِعْمَتَهُۥ عَلَيْكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ

  O ye who believe! When ye rise up for prayer, wash you faces, and your hands up to the elbows, and lightly rub your heads and (wash) your feet up to the ankles. And if ye are unclean, purify yourselves. And if ye are sick or on a journey, or one of you cometh from the closet, or ye have had contact with women, and ye find not water, then go to clean, high ground and rub your faces and your hands with some of it. Allah would not place a burden on you, but He would purify you and would perfect His grace upon you, that ye may give thanks.

• ✓ Tafsir Ibn Kathir on 5:6

  Sunni

  Tafsir Ibn Kathir · 5:6

  Many early scholars explained that the phrase “When you stand for prayer” refers to when you are in a state of minor ritual impurity (muhdithin), thus indicating the necessity of performing wudu (ablution) before praying. Others interpreted it more specifically as standing for prayer after waking from sleep, which aligns closely with the first explanation. A third view sees the command as broader, ordering wudu upon rising to pray, particularly obliging for those who have become ritually impure, while it is recommended (mustahabb) for those already pure. Some even held that wudu was initially obligatory for every prayer and was later abrogated, though this is subject to debate. Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal narrated through a chain from Sufyan that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) performed wudu for every prayer, but on the day of conquest (of Mecca), he performed wudu once, prayed the prayers, and only then renewed it. When Umar asked him about this unusual act, the Prophet said, “I did it intentionally.” This narration is also found in Sahih Muslim and the Sunan collections through slightly varying chains. It indicates that performing wudu for each prayer is normative, but there may be exceptions. Ibn Jarir narrates seeing Jabir ibn Abdullah praying all prayers with one ablution, renewing only if he passed wind or was otherwise ritually impure, wiping his shoes as part of his purification. Jabir confirmed that he followed the Prophet’s practice in this regard. Similarly, a hadith from Abu Dawud and others tells of Abdullah ibn Umar’s consistent practice of performing full wudu for each prayer, whether he was in a pure state or not, but he would forgo wudu with miswak (tooth-cleaning) if the ablution became too burdensome. This is based on authentic chains and supports the recommendation for full wudu before every prayer. The hadith literature is rich with narrations from the Prophet and his companions affirming that wudu involves washing the face, hands up to the elbows, wiping the head, and washing the feet up to the ankles. There is some minor scholarly difference about the exact extent and sequence, and whether wiping the head (masah) requires completion or partial coverage. The majority view favors washing the feet up to the ankles, as the Quran commands, with the “heels” being the prominent bones near the ankle joint. Some hold wiping over footwear is allowed in certain conditions, based on sound prophetic practice. Scholars advise earnestly following the correct sequence and thoroughness of wudu, including washing between fingers, rinsing the mouth, inhaling water into the nose (istinshaq), and striking a balance between strict obligation and recommended acts as indicated by various authentic traditions. This ayah (Quran 5:6) also provides evidence for the obligation of wudu by mandating specific washing actions "upon standing for prayer". The phrase includes an implied necessity to have the correct intention for prayer at the start of wudu, supported by prophetic sayings emphasizing that acts are judged by intentions. When circumstances like illness, travel, or lack of water make wudu impossible, tayammum (dry ablution) with clean earth is permitted as a concession, facilitating ease and mercy, and the ayah expressly mentions this allowance. Moreover, the verse concludes by reminding the believers that God intends to purify them and complete His favor upon them, encouraging gratitude for these provisions and upliftments. In sum, the substantial body of prophetic tradition and scholarly interpretation affirms the Quranic injunction to perform wudu before prayer with proper thoroughness and intention, adjusting for hardship by permission of tayammum. The Prophet himself and his companions exemplified these practices consistently, serving as living guidance for believers.