Second Benefit:
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Allah does not accept the prayer of any one of you when he falls into ḥadath (ritual impurity) until he performs wudu (ablution).” [al-Bukhari (6954); Muslim (255)].

Key terms in the ḥadith:
• “Allah does not accept”: phrased as a negation, which is more forceful than a simple prohibition because it both forbids the act and negates its very reality.
• “He falls into ḥadath”: i.e., something exits from either of the two passages or any other nullifier of wudu; in its original sense, ḥadath means “to cause harm.”
• Ḥadath: a legal condition that attaches to the body; while it persists, any act of worship that requires purity is invalid.

Overall meaning:
The Wise Lawgiver directs anyone who wishes to perform the prayer to enter it only in a proper and dignified state, for prayer is the firm bond between the Lord and His servant and the avenue of intimate discourse with Him. Accordingly, He commands the worshipper to perform wudu and attain purity, and makes it clear that without this the prayer is rejected and not accepted.

Points derived from the ḥadith:

1. The prayer of a person in ritual impurity is not accepted until he purifies himself from both major and minor states.
2. “Does not accept” here means that the prayer is invalid and does not discharge the obligation.
3. Ḥadath nullifies wudu and, if it occurs during the prayer, renders the prayer void.
4. The report establishes that purification is a condition for the validity of prayer.