The Esoteric Interpretation of Wudu (Part Two)

Wings of Ascent, Ladders of Elevation: The Mysteries of Washing the Face and Hands, Wiping the Head and Feet, and the Seeker’s Spiritual Ascension

Contents

Chapter One: Adorning the Face to Win the Heart: Washing the Face

• Passing the hand over the face: caressing the beauty of all existence
• Ablution water: the water of love and the vehicle of everlasting beauty
• Washing the face: purifying and adorning the beauty of our humanity
• The loving supplication for washing the face: a vessel for the journey to the world of resurrection
• The face as the heart’s representative and enduring showcase

Chapter Two: The Mysteries of the Forehead and the Manifestation of the Face of God

• The heart prostrating to the earth before the forehead touches the place of prostration
• The forehead: the crown of the face, a mine of divine light, and the place where the believer’s beacon is set
• Spiritual physiognomy: the whiteness of faith set against the darkness of heedlessness
• Ablution as watering the face to revive the truth of our humanity
• The Face of God means the chosen face, in absolute submission to the Most High

Chapter Three: Washing the Right Hand and the Teachings of the People of the Right

• The wisdom of washing the right hand from the elbow to the fingertips
• The right hand as a symbol of power, generosity, and truthful action
• The mystery of the People of the Right and receiving the record of one’s deeds in the right hand
• The transmitted supplication for washing the right hand and connection with the friends of God

Chapter Four: Washing the Left Hand and Breaking Free from Darkness

• The wisdom behind the distinction between right and left in the order of creation
• Purifying the left hand of material impurities and moral vices
• Being spared the receipt of one’s record of deeds from the left or from behind
• The two hands working in harmony in the service of divine unity and obedience to the Worshipped

Chapter Five: The Mysteries of Wiping the Head and Feet (The Summit of Thought and Steadfastness)

• The human crown: the lofty summit of humanity in wiping the head
• Freeing the seat of thought from the onslaught of satanic delusions through the moisture of ablution
• Wiping the feet to the ankles and seeking steadfastness on the bridge of the straight path
• Supplications for wiping the head and feet, and immersion in the ocean of the All-Merciful’s compassion
• A synthesis of the ascent: ablution as wings of flight and a ladder to the ascension of servitude

Golden passages from the book

Adorning the human face and caressing the beauty of all existence with the water of ablution
“When a person passes a hand wet with ablution water over their face, it is as though they have tenderly caressed the beauty of all existence! Adorning the human face calls for greater sensitivity and delicacy than adorning the entire cosmos, for the human being is creation in miniature. Ablution water is the water of love and the vehicle of everlasting beauty. Washing the face with ablution water is not merely removing dust from the skin; it is a purification and adornment, and a lighting of the lamp of humanity, so that the seeker’s divine radiance may shine like the full sun on the plain of resurrection.” (p. 2)

The believer’s beacon is on the forehead: a source of light in the darkness of resurrection
“Ablution water runs from the forehead down over the face, and the forehead stands for a person’s entire identity and honour. The human heart wears a crown, and the forehead is the crown’s exalted place. The believer’s beacon is set upon the forehead: a light born of sincere prostrations and contact with ablution water. On the Day when all are groping their way through the darkness and terror of resurrection, it is the bright, radiant forehead of those who performed ablution that will make the straight path as clear as day.” (p. 5)

Ablution means watering the face so it may become a site of the manifestation of the Face of God
“A person’s face is their identity card, their record, and the enduring showcase of their heart and soul in this world, the intermediate realm, and the hereafter. Ablution means continually watering this face to revive it and fill it with light. A sound, pure, polished face is the ‘Face of God’: a face that has bowed only in worship of the Worshipped, and upon which no image has been imprinted except the manifestation of the Most Beautiful Names. Every turning toward the qibla gathers a person’s scattered attention into unity and focuses the whole of their awareness upon the axis of the eternal divine Essence.” (p. 7)

Washing the right hand: a covenant with divine power and the writing of one’s deeds with the pen of the People of the Right
“Washing the right hand from the elbow to the fingertips immerses a person’s will and actions in the ocean of divine aid. The right hand symbolizes power, giving, generosity, and truthfulness. By washing the right hand, the seeker pledges never to join hands with falsehood and to put their limbs to use in obedience to God, so that on the Last Day they may receive their record of deeds with pride in their right hand (فَأَمَّا مَنْ أُوتِيَ كِتَابَهُ بِيَمِينِهِ).” (p. 315)

Washing the Left Hand: Purification from Material Bondage and Severing the Roots of Darkness
“The left hand represents an inclination toward multiplicity and the management of material affairs. Washing it with pure water cleanses the soul of its attachment to the earth and frees it from the chains of greed and worldliness. The blessing the left hand receives from its companionship with the right is to become a servant of divine values. By washing the left hand, the wayfarer seeks refuge in the Lord’s fortress of protection from having the record of their deeds handed to them from behind or in their left hand on the Day of Judgement.” (p. 315)

Wiping the Head: Crowning the Summit of Thought and Bowing Before the Throne of the All-Merciful
“The head is the lofty summit of the human form and the palace from which the intellect rules. Wiping it with the moisture remaining from ablution crowns the intellect with divine unity and bows thought before the greatness of the Lord. As the hand gently passes over the crown of the head, veils of illusion and satanic delusion are torn away, and the summit of the wayfarer’s thought attunes directly to the lights of grace from the heavenly Throne of the All-Merciful, becoming pure of all arrogance, self-conceit and pride.” (p. 315)

Wiping the Feet: Steadfastness on the Bridge of Sirat and Purifying One’s Steps on the Path of the Journey
“The feet are the tent poles of the body and the means by which a person travels through the material world. Wiping the tops of the feet up to the ankles strengthens the wayfarer’s resolve to walk the path of truth. At this moment, the believer whispers: «اللَّهُمَّ ثَبِّتْ قَدَمَيَّ عَلَى الصِّرَاطِ يَوْمَ تَزِلُّ فِيهِ الْأَقْدَامُ». This wiping safeguards the steps from slipping into the deadly abysses of desire and sin, and quickens a person’s feet for the ascent toward the celestial realm.” (p. 315)

Wings of Ascension and a Ladder of Ascent: Hands Made God’s Hand in the Prayer Niche
“Complete ablution is the ladder by which your supplication ascends in intimate prayer, and the strong wings that carry you toward your spiritual ascent. A hand cleansed with the water of ablution and washed of sins becomes an embodiment of the sacred hadith «كُنْتُ يَدَهُ الَّتِي يَبْطِشُ بِهَا» and is transformed into a hand endowed with divine power. In such a state, the wayfarer’s supplication in the qunut can move mountains of affliction, and their takbir can shatter the ramparts of darkness—for they have leaned on the roof of ascent with the wings of purity.” (p. 320)

Frequently Asked Questions