ablution

Ablution it's a concept which comes from the Latin word ablution. The notion refers to act of washing (cleanse or purify) and is usually applied specifically to the purifying rites carried out by certain religions.

The Christianity, the Judaism, the Islam and the Hinduism are among the religions that, in different contexts, appeal to ablution. The christian baptism, for example, it includes the ablution of the baptized with water.

In the case of Judaism, there is space called mikve, where the faithful immerse themselves in water to perform ablution. The Muslims, for their part, undergo ablation before salat (the daily prayers).

Each ablution ritual has its own characteristics. In the case of the aforementioned ablution of Judaism, it must take place in a place where the water flows and is not stagnant. This allows the person achieve your purification after you have been in contact with something impure.

Although ablution is usually done with Water, in some cases the use of solid elements to achieve purification. Those Muslims who live in desert areas and have limited access to water can perform ablution with stones or earth. In this way they replace the water with elements that are within their reach, achieving in the same way the purification that is sought through the ritual.

Muslims, on the other hand, differentiate between small ablutions Y great ablutions according to the type of action that motivates the rite. The purification that takes place before salat is a small ablution.

Ablution and salat

To perform salat, it is necessary to have performed the cleanliness staff and have clean clothes. According to the rules of religion, it is mandatory to bathe after having had sexual intercourse and, in the specific case of women, after giving birth or during the days of the menstrual cycle.

It should be mentioned that ablution is only mandatory if certain terms, although most of them are practically impossible to avoid, since they include having slept, urinated or having touched the sexual organ of the spouse with the hand.

To proceed with ablution it is required that the person feel the legitimate intention, which is called An'nia; It is not something that you have to express through words, but rather a feeling of true commitment to the practice.

It is known by the name of oudu'e to the method to perform ablution, which is described below:

* a prayer should be uttered that exalts the name of Allah and mentions his mercy and mercy;

* wash the palms of the hands three times;

* rinse your mouth, also three times;

* bring water to the nose with the right hand, inspire to make it enter the Body and then expel it on the left hand, to wash the nostrils. This step must be repeated three times;

* wash the face completely, and then the region of the arms that goes from the elbows to the hands, starting with the right arm, all three times;

* moisten the hands and run them over the head, from the forehead to the nape of the neck and vice versa, only once;

* insert your index finger into each ear and use your thumb to rub the outside;

* starting with the right leg, wash up the feet and up to the ankle, three times each;

* perform the prayer that the Prophet taught the faithful, which includes the phrase "peace and blessings of Allah be upon him."

Once all these steps have been completed, you can use a towel or a piece of absorbent paper to dry the parts of the body that have remained damp.