Wudu is the weapon of the believer and is a means of protection. It is recommended to be constantly in a state of wudu, and this is one of the etiquettes of the seeker on the path to Allah. If harm comes to you when you are not in a state of wudu, then only blame yourself.
These are some of the benefits of remaining in wudu:
- Allah increases your provision
- You are better able to control yourself and thus your character improves
- Your guardian angels who are constantly with you will love you
- You are protected from committing acts of disobedience
- You are protected from sorcery, the evil eye and all types of harm
If you are in a state of wudu and have already performed a prayer with that wudu, it is recommended to renew your wudu to perform another prayer, whether the prayer is obligatory or recommended.
It is narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would perform wudu for the obligatory prayer regardless of whether he was already in a state of purity or not. Sayyiduna Umar and Sayyiduna Ali would perform wudu for each obligatory prayer, even if they were already in a state of wudu. They would recite the verse:
‘O you who believe, when you rise to perform the prayer, wash your faces..’ (5:6)
It has also been narrated that the Prophet ﷺ would perform two, three or even four obligatory prayers without renewing his wudu. On the Farewell Pilgrimage, for example, he prayed Zuhr and Asr at Arafah and Maghrib and Isha at Muzdalifah and it is not narrated that he performed wudu between those two times.
Extracts from Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz’s classes on the rulings and etiquettes of purification from Habib Abdullah bin Husayn Balfaqih’s “Kifayat al-Raghib” in Shafi fiqh.