General
How do you make wudu?
Wudu has a minimum that must be done for it to be valid, and a complete way that follows the Sunnah.
The obligatory parts
- 1
Wash the whole face once. This includes rinsing the mouth and the nose.
- 2
Wash both arms up to the elbows once.
- 3
Wipe the whole head, including the ears.
- 4
Wash both feet up to the ankles once.
“Once” means that the whole of that part is washed thoroughly. These parts are washed in this order, one after the other, with no long break in between. They come from the verse of wudu in Surah al-Ma'idah (5:6).
The complete way
- 1
Intend in the heart to purify yourself. The intention is not spoken aloud.
- 2
Say Bismillah.
- 3
Wash the hands three times.
- 4
Rinse the mouth three times and the nose three times, blowing the water out of the nose with the left hand.
- 5
Wash the face three times, from the hairline to the chin and from ear to ear. A man also washes his beard: inside and out if it is thin, or its surface with wet fingers run through it if it is thick.
- 6
Wash the arms three times, from the fingertips to the elbows. Anything that keeps water from reaching the skin, such as dough, mud or paint, must be removed first.
- 7
Wipe the head and the ears once with fresh water: pass wet hands from the front of the head to the back and bring them back again, then wipe inside the ears with the index fingers and behind them with the thumbs.
- 8
Wash the feet three times, up to the ankles.
Men and women make wudu in the same way. A woman wipes her hair from the front of her head to the nape of her neck, and does not have to wipe its full length.
For wudu to be valid, the person must be Muslim, of sound mind, old enough to discern, and intending wudu. The water must be pure, and anything that keeps water from reaching the skin or nails, such as nail polish, must be removed.
After finishing, it is recommended to say: “Ashhadu an la ilaha ill-Allah wahdahu la sharika lah, wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan ‘abduhu wa rasuluhu.”