Question: Some people claim, "The Qur'an says, 'Perform salat so as to make dhikr of [remember] Me' (Ta Ha 14) and 'Make dhikr of [remember] Allah much' (Al-Ahzab 41). Salat is a dhikr, that is, remembrance of Allah. One is not absolved from the obligation of remembering Allah, which is the main duty, even if one is naked or menstruating or sexually impure. Nothing and no physical condition can be an obstacle to performing salat." Do they mean to say that there is no need for wudu' and ghusl to perform salat?
ANSWER
Such a claim cannot be made by a Muslim. Only a hypocrite or a missioner can claim it.

They say that what is important is to remember Allah so it does not matter whether one is naked, menstruating, or sexually impure. It is understood from their statements that they do not believe in salat. Their aim is to distort our religion. Yes, salat is to remember Allah, but not all forms of remembrance of Allah are considered to be salat. Therefore, saying, "There is no need for ghusl and wudu' in order to remember Allah. Salat is a form of remembrance of Him, so it is not necessary to do ghusl and wudu' to perform salat" means trying to distort our religion insidiously.

The necessary conditions of salat have been explained in the Qur'an al-karim and hadith-i sharifs. Therefore, one cannot offer it at all times regardless of one's physical condition. Salat has conditions (to be fulfilled before one begins it): (1) purification from hadath; (2) purification from najasat; (3) covering the awrah; (4) performing salat at the specified times; (5) intention; and (6) facing the direction of the qiblah. Apart from these mentioned conditions to be fulfilled before salat, there are conditions to be fulfilled during salat as well.

1. Taharah (purification) from hadath (something requiring wudu' or ghusl):
When a person becomes junub (impure due to sexual intercourse or semen discharge) or when the monthly period of a woman has stopped, both of them has to take ghusl. If there is no water available, the relevant person has to perform tayammum. If one is in a state of minor impurity, one must perform wudu' then. The Qur'an al-karim says (what means):

(Do not approach salat when you are junub until you take ghusl.) [An-Nisa' 43]

(O you who believe! When you rise up for salat, wash your faces and your hands up to your elbows and wipe your heads and wash your feet up to your ankles. If you have become junub, take ghusl.) [Al-Ma'idah 6]

There are lots of ahadith on purification from hadath, some of which are as follows:

(A salat performed without wudu' is not valid.) [Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud]

(Allahu ta'ala does not accept a salat if one performed it without [wudu' or ghusl] having purified oneself from hadath.) [Muslim, Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, Nasai]

(Supplication [du'a] is the key to mercy. Wudu' is the key to salat. Salat is the key to Paradise.) [Daylami]

(A woman in her menstrual period leaves salat. If istihada blood [non-menstrual bleeding, bleeding due to illness] continues to flow after her menstrual blood has stopped, she takes a bath, offers salats, and fasts. But she has to renew wudu' for each salat after the time for it comes.) [Darimi]

(If a woman continues to see postnatal bleeding though 40 days have elapsed, then she is considered to be excused. She takes a bath and resumes salat. If blood goes on flowing, she renews wudu' for each salat after the time for it comes.) [Hakim]

(Ghusl abrogated wudu'.) [Bayhaqi] (That is, one can perform salat with the ghusl one has taken. It is not necessary to do also wudu'.)

(When Jibril 'alaihis-salam brought the first revelation, he taught wudu' and salat.) [Daraqutni]

(If a person's wudu' breaks while he is performing salat, let him hold his nose with his hand and leave off salat.) [Ibn Majah] (When he does so, the people seeing him will think that his nose is bleeding. Thus, he will avoid other people's having ill thoughts about him.)

(Two angels arrived at the grave of a person and struck a blow to him. Thereupon, his grave was filled with fire, and he fainted. When he came around, he asked the angels, "Why did you hit me?" The angels answered, "You performed salat though you were not in a state of purity, and you did not help an oppressed person though you were able to.") [Tabarani]

2. Taharah from najasat (substances that Islam prescribes as dirty):
When a person is performing salat, his clothes and the place where he is performing salat must be clean. (Hindiyya)

The Qur'an al-karim says (what means):
(And keep your clothes clean.) [Al-Mudathir 4]

3. Covering the awrah:
When performing salat, it is fard for a man to cover the part between his navel and knees, and for a woman to cover her entire body except her hands and face. (Radd-ul-mukhtar)

A Qur'anic verse says (what means):
([When performing salat] wear your adorned [clean, favorite, beautiful] clothes every time you do prostration.) [Al-A'raf 31]

4. Time:
Salat cannot be performed before the entry of its specified time. The time for it must come. (Halabi)

A Qur'anic verse says (what means):
(Salat was made obligatory upon Believers at specific times.) [An-Nisa' 103]

5. Intention:
Making intention for salat is a necessary condition. (Durar)

It is stated in a hadith-i sharif:
(An act of worship done without intention is not acceptable.) [Daylami]

6. Facing the direction of the qiblah:
The Qur'an al-karim says (what means):
(Turn you face toward the Masjid al-Haram. And wherever you are, turn your faces in that direction.) [Al-Baqara 144]

The above-mentioned proofs show clearly that a salat performed without observing its conditions (conditions before salat and conditions during salat) will not be valid.