State five actions performed during purification (wudu).

Mark scheme

Marking points from the official mark scheme (May/June 2022). The mark or mark type is shown in brackets.

1. [5] A01 – Knowledge and understanding
2. Make intention (niyyah)
3. Wash hands
4. Wash arms
5. Wipe face
6. Rinse mouth
7. Rinse nose
8. Wipe hair/head
9. Wash feet
10. Perform each action 3x
11. [10] A01 – Knowledge and understanding
12. Purification (wudu) means ritual ablution or washing, which is a requirement for prayer. However, if a Sunni Muslim has undertaken wudu and has not 'broken' that wudu, from earlier in the day, they generally consider that they do not need to make a fresh wudu, because they are regarded as being in a state of purification.
13. Most Shi'i Muslims believe that they need to make wudu before each prayer, but they usually combine the midday and afternoon prayers as well as the sunset and night prayers. So, Shi'i Muslims make wudu before zuhur and then, after zuhur, pray asr but do not need to make wudu again as the prayers are combined.
14. If a Muslim is in a situation where no water is available, they can make a form of dry ablution using sand instead of water (tayyamum). Therefore, they do not need to make wudu where it is not possible to find water.
15. Some Muslims argue that wudu is according to possibilities, and the most important thing is to pray. So, if a Muslim was ill, bandaged up in hospital for example, they might make the best form of purification they could, and still pray as best they could. They believe God would not want to stop their prayer.
16. Whilst generally many types of prayer require wudu, du'a prayers are personal prayers usually said under one's breath or sometimes out loud. These may be in very different, individual circumstances and often wudu is not thought necessary.
17. [10] AO2 – Analysis and evaluation
18. Candidates might begin by defining purification (wudu) and prayer (salah).
19. Prayer is a specific, compulsory action, and Muslims say their intention to say the prayer at its start. This comes after and separately from wudu, so the two should be seen as separate acts. Even if, in practice, one follows the other, the intention makes the act distinct.
20. Many Muslims believe that it is not essential to perform a fresh act of purification if a Muslim has not done anything to invalidate the last act. However, the prayer should still be performed.
21. There might be an occasion where wudu could not be performed in the normal way, but Muslims might find another way, such as dry ablution using sand, as a separate act.
22. Usually the two go together: Muslims perform wudu before prayer or, if they already have wudu since the last time, they may continue but at least they are clear in their minds that they are in a state of wudu/purification, as this is seen as fitting for prayer.
23. The purpose of wudu is to prepare a Muslim to be clean and pure to face God in prayer, so the two are very much linked.
24. Both are performed according to the Sunnah of Muhammad (pbuh). They could therefore be seen as part of the whole of a Muslim's daily practice.
25. Candidates should come to a balanced conclusion after weighing up the factors they find.