Wudu

1 Why we wash first

Before you stand in front of Allah, you wash. Not just hygiene: a reset. The Prophet ﷺ said that with every drop, small sins fall away (Sahih Muslim 244), and "purity is half of faith" (Sahih Muslim 223).

2 The eight steps

Eight steps, about two minutes. Tap any card to see the counts, the rulings and what to say.

1 Bismillah بسم الله Intend in your heart that you are making wudu, then say Bismillah. Tap for what to know Bismillah بسم الله Say once بِسْمِ اللَّه Bismillah In the name of Allah. The intention is in the heart, not on the tongue. Knowing you are about to make wudu is the intention. Tap to go back

2 Hands اليدان Wash both hands up to the wrists, three times. Work the water between your fingers. Tap for what to know Hands اليدان Three times Sunnah, not obligatory. It is how the Prophet ﷺ began, and it wakes you up for what follows. If you have rings on, move them so the water reaches underneath. Tap to go back

3 Rinse the mouth المضمضة Take water into your mouth, swill it around, and spit it out. Three times. Tap for what to know Rinse the mouth المضمضة Three times Use your right hand to bring the water up. If you are not fasting, be thorough about it. Most schools call this sunnah. The Hanbali school holds the mouth and nose to be obligatory, so do not skip them. Tap to go back

4 Rinse the nose الاستنشاق Sniff water gently into your nose, then blow it out. Three times. Tap for what to know Rinse the nose الاستنشاق Three times Sniff in with the right hand, blow out with the left. Gently, not deep. Same ruling as the mouth: sunnah for most, obligatory for the Hanbali school. Tap to go back

5 The face الوجه Wash your whole face, three times: hairline to chin, and ear to ear. Tap for what to know The face الوجه Three times Named in the Quran This is one of the four Allah names directly: "wash your faces" (Quran 5:6). Miss a patch and the wudu is not valid, so cover the whole face once properly before you count. A thick beard is wiped over; the skin beneath does not have to be reached. Tap to go back

6 The arms اليدان إلى المرفقين Wash the right arm from fingertips to past the elbow, three times. Then the left, three times. Tap for what to know The arms اليدان إلى المرفقين Three times each, right first Named in the Quran "And your arms to the elbows" (Quran 5:6). The elbow itself is included, so go a little past it. Right before left, in this and in the feet. The Prophet ﷺ liked to begin with the right. Tap to go back

7 Wipe the head المسح بالرأس Wet your hands, shake off the excess, and wipe over your head once. Then wipe inside and behind your ears. Tap for what to know Wipe the head المسح بالرأس Once This one is a wipe, not a wash No pouring, no running water, no dripping. Damp hands over the hair and that is it. This is the step people most often get wrong. How much of the head differs: the Hanafi school takes a quarter, the Shafi'i school any part of it, the Maliki and Hanbali schools the whole head. A woman wipes over her hair without removing her hijab, pushing it back at the hairline. Tap to go back

8 The feet الرجلان Wash the right foot to past the ankle, three times, then the left. Get between the toes. Tap for what to know The feet الرجلان Three times each, right first Named in the Quran "And your feet to the ankles" (Quran 5:6). The Prophet ﷺ warned about the heels being left dry, so run your hand round the back of each foot. Then, looking up, say أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ Ash-hadu an la ilaha illallah, wahdahu la sharika lah, wa ash-hadu 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 His Messenger." Sahih Muslim 234, narrated by Umar ibn al-Khattab Say this and the eight gates of Paradise are opened for you to enter by whichever you wish. Tap to go back

3 Keeping it, and losing it

That's it. Two minutes, and you're ready. Wudu breaks with using the bathroom, passing wind, or deep sleep - then you simply make it again. Keep it, and you walk around all day in a state of readiness.

4 After you finish

Wudu is not only preparation. The Prophet ﷺ said that when a Muslim washes for wudu, the sins his eyes looked at leave with the water, the sins his hands reached for leave with the water, and the sins his feet walked to leave with the water, until he comes out cleansed of sin (Sahih Muslim 244).

So say the words at the end, printed on the back of step eight, and then pray two rakats if you have a moment. That pair after wudu is one of the quietest, easiest good deeds in the deen, and the Prophet ﷺ tied it to Paradise for Bilal, who prayed them every single time he made wudu.

Next module: The Prayer →