Wudu in short
- Wash both hands
- Rinse the mouth
- Clean the nose
- Wash the face
- Wash the right arm
- Wash the left arm
- Wipe the head
- Wipe the ears
- Wash the right foot
- Wash the left foot
Before you start
- Make the intention in your heart
- Say Bismillah
- Use clean water
- Remove anything that would stop water reaching the skin
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ
Bismillāh
In the name of Allah.
The ten steps of wudu
Do them in this order, calmly, without wasting water. The washing steps are done three times; the head and ears are wiped once.
-
Wash both hands
Wash both hands up to the wrists before beginning the rest of wudu.
- Wash the right hand and the left hand
- Wash both hands up to the wrists
- Rub between the fingers
- Repeat this three times
Make sure water reaches the whole of both hands and the wrists.
Source: Bukhari 159
-
Rinse the mouth
Take water into the mouth, move it around, and spit it out.
- Take water with the right hand
- Put the water into the mouth
- Rinse the mouth thoroughly
- Spit the water out
- Repeat this three times
Make sure the water moves around the mouth properly. Do not rush this step.
Source: Bukhari 164
-
Clean the nose
Sniff water gently into the nose and blow it out.
- Take water with the right hand
- Sniff the water gently into the nose
- Blow it out using the left hand
- Repeat this three times
Do this gently and carefully, so the water reaches inside the nose without causing harm.
Source: Bukhari 162
-
Wash the face
Wash the whole face, from the hairline down to the chin and from one ear to the other.
- Take water in both hands
- Wash the entire face thoroughly
- Make sure no part is missed
- Repeat this three times
Do not leave dry areas around the sides of the face or the chin.
Source: Qur'an 5:6 · Bukhari 159
-
Wash the right arm
Wash the right arm from the fingertips up to and including the elbow.
- Begin with the right arm
- Wash from the fingers upward
- Include the entire forearm
- Make sure the elbow is fully washed
- Repeat this three times
Water must reach the whole arm. Do not leave the elbow partly dry.
Source: Qur'an 5:6 · Bukhari 159
-
Wash the left arm
Wash the left arm from the fingertips up to and including the elbow.
- Wash from the fingers upward
- Include the entire forearm
- Make sure the elbow is fully washed
- Repeat this three times
Water must reach the whole arm. Do not leave the elbow partly dry.
Source: Qur'an 5:6 · Bukhari 159
-
Wipe the head
Wipe over the head once, using wet hands.
- Wet both hands
- Place the hands at the front of the head
- Wipe them back toward the rear of the head
- Then bring them back to the front
- This is done once
This step is wiping, not washing, so it is not repeated three times like the face or arms.
Source: Qur'an 5:6 · Bukhari 185
-
Wipe the ears
Wipe both ears using the wetness left on your hands.
- Use the same wet hands after wiping the head
- Wipe inside the ears with the index fingers
- Wipe behind the ears with the thumbs
The ears are wiped, not washed.
Source: Abu Dawud 134
-
Wash the right foot
Wash the right foot fully, including the ankle.
- Begin with the right foot
- Wash from the toes up to the ankle
- Rub between the toes
- Make sure the heel is fully washed
- Repeat this three times
Missing the heel is a common mistake. Make sure water reaches the ankle and all around the foot.
Source: Qur'an 5:6 · Bukhari 159
-
Wash the left foot
Wash the left foot fully, including the ankle.
- Wash from the toes up to the ankle
- Rub between the toes
- Make sure the heel is fully washed
- Repeat this three times
Make sure water reaches the ankle and the heel fully.
Source: Qur'an 5:6 · Bukhari 159
In the Shafi'i school, the head is wiped three times and the ears are wiped with fresh water.
After wudu
Once wudu is complete, you may recite the testimony of faith. Salah can begin once wudu is complete.
أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ، اللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْنِي مِنَ التَّوَّابِينَ وَاجْعَلْنِي مِنَ الْمُتَطَهِّرِينَ
Ashhadu an lā ilāha illā Allāhu waḥdahu lā sharīka lah, wa ashhadu anna Muḥammadan ʿabduhu wa rasūluh. Allāhumma-jʿalnī mina-t-tawwābīn, wa-jʿalnī mina-l-mutaṭahhirīn.
I bear witness that there is no god worthy of worship except Allah alone, without partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger. O Allah, make me among those who constantly repent and who purify themselves.
Source: the testimony is in Muslim 234b. The added request to be among those who repent and purify themselves is in Tirmidhi 55, whose chain is discussed and is graded weak by Darussalam.
Common mistakes
- Rushing
- Missing the heels
- Not washing fully up to the elbows
- Not washing fully up to the ankles
- Forgetting the order
- Wasting water
Some details of wudu differ between the schools of fiqh. If you are unsure about anything, ask your local imam.