201. Tahiyyatul Wudhu

By Asma bint Shameem 

Tahiyyatul Wudhu is the two units of prayer that we can pray after completing our Wudhu. 

One day the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam was dreaming and he heard the footsteps of Bilal radhi Allaahu anhu In Jannah with him In his dream. So when he woke up, he asked Bilal radhi Allaahu anhu about it. 

“Tell me about the most hopeful act (i.e one which you deem the most rewarding with Allaah) you  have done since your acceptance of Islaam because I heard the sound of the steps of your shoes in front of me in paradise.” 

Bilal radhi Allaahu anhu said : 

“I do not consider any act more hopeful than that whenever I make wudhu at any time of night or day, I offer salah for as long as was destined for me to offer.” (Al-bukhari and Muslim)

And Bilal radhi Allaahu anhu also said: 

“I never gave the adhaan but I prayed two rak‘ahs, and I never invalidated my Wudhu but I did Wudhu immediately and thought that I owed it to Allaah to pray two rak‘ahs.”

(at-Tirmidhi— saheeh by al-Albaani)

Tahiyyatul Wudhu is a Sunnah prayer; something the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam approved of. 

Bilal radhi Allaahu anhu prayed these rak’aat whenever he made wudhu. And that earned him the pleasure of Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala. 

We should also try and pray these rak’aat whenever we can. And hopefully we too, can earn the pleasure of our Rabb. 

Can I pray Tahiyyatul wudhu even during the prohibited time of prayer?

Yes, it’s true that the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam has prohibited praying nawaafil after Fajr until sunrise and after Asr until Maghrib. 

However, this is a *GENERAL* prohibition and NOT something *absolute*. 

Therefore, it is ALLOWED to pray Tahiyyatul Wudhu even during these prohibited times because there is a SPECIFIC REASON for this prayer.

The prohibition to pray at these specific times applies to GENERAL VOLUNTARY prayers, which the scholars call al-nafl al-mutlaq (general nafl prayer). 

But IF there’s a NEED and a REASON to pray, it’s ALLOWED EVEN at the prohibited times. 

So if you want to pray Tahiyyatul wudhu, or Tahiyyatul Masjid, or the two rak’ah after Tawaaf, or you have to pray the  istikhaarah Prayer, or you missed the Sunnah associated with the obligatory Salaah, and other scenarios, then it’s allowed to pray such prayers even at the prohibited times because there’s a REASON why these prayers are being done. 

Shaikh Ibn Uthaymeen said about the hadeeth regarding prayer during the prohibited times:

“To sum up, this hadeeth is specific; if a person offers a prayer for which there is a *reason*, then it is not prohibited. 

*If a person does wudhu’, it is permissible for him to pray two rak’ahs at a time when prayer is otherwise forbidden, because there is a reason for this prayer.*

What I have mentioned....is the correct view, because there is no prohibition on the prayers for which there is a reason.”

[Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (14/344)]

Can I combine Tahiyyatul Wudhu with other prayers? 

Yes. 

Since Tahiyyatul wudhu is any two rak’ah prayer done after completing the wudhu, we can COMBINE the intention of praying Tahiyyatul wudhu with other prayers, even the FARDH prayer and thus get DOUBLE rewards In Shaa’ Allaah. 

And Allaah knows best.