Wudu: How to Perform Ablution
الوضوء
Before praying, a Muslim must be in a state of ritual purity. Wudu (ablution) is the washing of specific body parts as taught by the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. It is a prerequisite for prayer: your salah is not valid without it.
“The Prophet ﷺ said: 'Allah does not accept the prayer of any one of you if he is in a state of impurity until he performs wudu.'”
Before you begin
- •Water must be clean and pure (tahir)
- •The intention (niyyah) to perform wudu must be in the heart
- •Remove anything that prevents water from reaching the skin (nail polish, heavy makeup, etc.)
The steps of wudu
Step 1 of 10: Intention (Niyyah)
Make the intention in your heart to perform wudu for the sake of Allah. The intention is in the heart, not spoken aloud.
The Prophet ﷺ never instructed verbal intention for wudu. It is purely in the heart.
Dua after wudu
Hadith: Sahih Muslim 234أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ
Ashhadu an la ilaha illallahu wahdahu la sharika lahu, wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan abduhu wa rasuluh.
I bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone, with no partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and messenger.
What is obligatory (fard)
- 1
The intention (niyyah), held in the heart before beginning.
The intention is never spoken aloud. Scholars differ on whether it is a condition or a pillar; either way it must be present.
Hadith: Sahih al-Bukhari 1 - 2
Washing the whole face once, from the hairline to the chin and from ear to ear.
Quran: Quran 5:6 - 3
Washing both arms up to and including the elbows.
Quran: Quran 5:6 - 4
Wiping the head with wet hands.
Quran: Quran 5:6 - 5
Washing both feet up to and including the ankles.
Quran: Quran 5:6 - 6
Performing them in the order given in the verse, without a long pause between them.
The Hanbali and Shafi'i schools treat order and continuity as obligatory. The Hanafi school treats them as strongly recommended.
Hadith: Sahih Muslim 226
What is recommended (sunnah)
- 1
Saying Bismillah before beginning.
Hadith: Sunan Abu Dawud 101 - 2
Using the siwak or brushing the teeth.
Hadith: Sahih al-Bukhari 887 - 3
Washing the hands three times before starting.
Hadith: Sahih al-Bukhari 159 - 4
Rinsing the mouth and the nose three times each.
Hadith: Sahih al-Bukhari 159 - 5
Running wet fingers through the beard.
Hadith: Jami' at-Tirmidhi 31 - 6
Running water between the fingers and between the toes.
Hadith: Sunan Abu Dawud 142 - 7
Beginning with the right side before the left.
Hadith: Sahih al-Bukhari 168 - 8
Washing each part three times rather than once.
Hadith: Sahih al-Bukhari 159 - 9
Wiping the ears with the same water used for the head.
Hadith: Sunan an-Nasa'i 102 - 10
Saying the supplication after completing the wudu.
Hadith: Sahih Muslim 234
The two groupings below are the obligatory acts (fard) and the recommended acts (sunnah). The schools agree on the acts themselves and differ on how many of them count as obligatory: the Hanafi school names four, while the Maliki, Shafi'i, and Hanbali schools add the intention and, between them, the order and continuity. Follow whichever school your local mosque teaches.
What breaks your wudu
Anything that exits from the private parts (urine, stool, gas)
Deep sleep (light dozing while seated does not break wudu)
Loss of consciousness
Bleeding from a wound (difference of opinion among scholars: some say it breaks wudu, some say it doesn't)