What is the ruling on praying without ablution (wudu) in Islam?

Praying without ablution (wudu) in Islam renders the prayer invalid (batil). Ablution is a mandatory precondition (shart) for the validity of prayer, not merely a recommended practice. The Qur'an establishes this in Surah Al-Ma'idah (5:6): "O you who believe, when you rise to perform prayer, wash your faces and your forearms to the elbows, wipe over your heads, and wash your feet to the ankles."

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) reinforced this ruling in a hadith recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari: "Allah does not accept the prayer of anyone of you if he has committed hadath (ritual impurity) until he performs ablution." This means that no matter how sincerely a person prays, the prayer has no legal validity without wudu and must be repeated after performing proper ablution.

The prayer is not merely makruh (disliked but still valid); it is completely void. Ablution involves washing the face, arms to the elbows, wiping the head, and washing the feet to the ankles. When water is unavailable, tayammum (dry ablution using clean earth or sand) serves as a valid substitute.