Many businesses including educational establishments have started celebrating a diverse workforce, student and staff population but a diverse workforce may mean that extra facilities need to be provided to accommodate different needs. Providing prayer rooms is common place in healthcare, offices, public spaces and universities however there are further facilities that can be provided to cater for different needs – particularly in the washroom.
Currently, Muslims make up 25% of the global population, 5% of the UK’s population and is the 2nd largest religion in the world after Christianity. Wudu is an important ritual within the Islamic faith and separate facilities are needed to perform the Wudu ablution process. As a business, providing washroom facilities that cater to different faiths can show you care about the requirements of different individuals whilst educational institutions may be able to attract more students and staff by providing Wudu facilities.
In this blog, we answer some common questions about Wudu and look at what Wudu washing facilities you can provide as a business.
Wudu (or Wudhu) is a cleansing ritual or ablution that is an important part of purity and cleanliness in Islam before performing worship. It follows a process to wash hands, mouth, nostrils, arms, face, ears, hair and feet. It prepares one mentally and physically ahead of prayer and must therefore be performed correctly.
Muslims start the process in the name of God and start by thoroughly washing both hands.
The mouth is then rinsed three times followed by the nostrils, again three times. Next the face is washed from the forehead to below the chin and wiping inside and around to the ears repeated three times. Forearms are then cleansed up to the elbow starting with the right arm, then the left with each arm repeated three times.
The wet hands are then passed over the hair from the front top of the forehead to the back of the neck. The process is completed by finally washing feet up to the ankle starting with the right foot followed by the left.
Take a look at our video that shows Wudu being performed with Dudley Industries wash station.
Purity and cleanliness have great significance in Islam. Wudu is both physical and spiritual preparation before prayer, and provides ‘purification’ before communicating with God. Prayer cannot commence without it. Health benefits of Wudu are proven in that regular washing of hands and face and rinsing the mouth are shown to reduce the transfer of germs and disease.
Islamic prayer is conducted 5 times a day and whilst Wudu does not need to be repeated before each prayer it is recommended to have a fresh one. Wudu is broken or invalidated by discharging solid or liquid or wind from private parts including sexual intercourse, bleeding, vomiting, falling asleep or taking any intoxicating substance.
Currently there are no laws that state you must provide Wudu washing facilities in the workplace. However, if you have a diverse workforce you may want to consider going the extra mile to provide a caring and considerate environment. But what wudu washing facilities are needed?
Various facilities can be considered including wash stations, squat pans, foot troughs and hand washing facilities. If providing specific wash stations for different parts of the body are not feasible, an all in one Wudu wash station will provide a complete solution for the hands, feet and face. A wudu wash station stool can also be provided to further support the Wudu ablution process.
Dudley Industries stainless steel Wudu wash station is the ideal solution for those looking to offer hygienic Wudu washing facilities. Featuring a push tap and soap holder, the unit also provides a built in foot trough for washing of the feet. Unlike other washing facilities, it can be positioned next to the prayer room or any other place where there is access to water in the building.
If you would like more information about Dudley Industries Wudu wash station range, contact our team.
With thanks to Yass Al-Hassani MSc BSc for his contributions to this article.