FIRST REMINDER. Yaumul Ahad, 1st day of Rajab (18th March). OBLIGATORY (WAAJIBAAT) AND SUMNAH PART OF WUDUU. BismilLahir Rahmaanir Raheem. ALLAH, may He be exalted, says: “O you who believe! When you intend to offer As-Salat (the prayer), wash your faces and your hands (forearms) up to the elbows, rub (by passing wet hands over) your heads, and (wash) your feet up to ankles”[al-Maa’idah 5:6]. From the above we can notice that the essential parts (“pillars”) of wuduu are six: 1. Washing the face, of which the mouth and nose are part. 2. Washing the arms up to the elbows. Which includes the palms. 3. Wiping the head. Which includes the ears. 4. Washing the feet up to the ankles. 5. Washing these parts of the body in the proper order. 6. Doing these actions consecutively (that is, washing one after the other, with no lengthy lapse of time in between). Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said: What is meant by the obligatory (fard) parts of wudoo’ here is the essential parts (pillars). Thus we may understand that the scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) use different expressions, so they may describe the obligatory (fard) parts as essential parts (arkaan, lit. pillars) and vice versa, from ash-Sharh al-Mumti‘ (1/183). So the obligatory (waajib) parts of wuduu are its pillars or essential parts, which may also be described as fard. They are the actions without which wudoo’ cannot be valid. With regard to saying Bismillaah before doing wuduu, Imam Ahmad was of the view that it is obligatory. However, the majority of scholars are of the view that it is one of the Sunnahs of wuduu’ and is not obligatory. Either way, we are thought to say it so don't ignore it. To be continued in Shaa ALLAH. May ALLAH keep guiding us all and protect us from any satanic influences. Aameen.