Cleanliness Prerequisite for Prayer

Allah’s Messenger (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “The Salaat (prayer) of a person who does Hadath (passes urine, stool or wind) is not accepted till he performs (repeats) the Wudhu.” [Bukhari]

Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) says: “O you who believe! When you intend to offer prayer, wash your faces and your hands up to the elbows, lightly rub (by passing wet hands over) your heads, and (wash) your feet up to the ankles. If you are in a state of Janaba, purify yourselves (bathe your whole body).” [Surah al-Maidah: Ayat 6]

The method that Islam has adopted to keep the body clean is in accordance with man’s material nature. If man were merely a soul, there would have been no necessity to bathe or wash. But since his soul resides in a material cover made of the earth’s elements, and he makes use of its vegetables and minerals, and he leaves the excreta of his stomach on it, Islam has made Wudhu (ablution) and Ghusl (bathing) compulsory for him so that he may keep clean of filth.