obligatory
How to make Wudu (ablution)
Wudu is the ritual washing that purifies you for Salah, tawaf, and reading the Quran directly. It stays valid until broken by things like sleep, using the bathroom, or passing wind.
When: Before every prayer (unless your previous wudu is still valid), and before touching the Mushaf.
Steps
Intention (niyyah)
Silently intend, in your heart, that you are performing wudu for the sake of Allah. No verbal formula is required.
Say Bismillah
Say 'Bismillah' (In the name of Allah) before you begin.
Wash hands three times
Wash both hands up to the wrists three times, ensuring between the fingers is wet.
Rinse mouth three times
Take water in your right hand, rinse your mouth three times, swishing thoroughly.
Sniff water into the nose three times
Sniff water into your nostrils and blow it out with the left hand. Repeat three times.
Wash the face three times
From the hairline to the chin, and from ear to ear. Three times.
Wash the arms three times
Wash the right arm from fingertips up to and including the elbow, three times. Then the left arm the same way.
Wipe the head
Wet your hands and wipe them once over your head, from the front to the back and back to the front.
Wipe the ears
With the same wetness, wipe the inside of your ears with your index fingers and the outside with your thumbs.
Wash the feet three times
Wash the right foot up to the ankle, ensuring between the toes gets wet. Three times. Then the left foot.
Closing du'a
Say: Ash-hadu an lā ilāha illallāh waḥdahu lā sharīka lah, wa ash-hadu anna Muḥammadan ʿabduhu wa rasūluh — the eight gates of Paradise open for the one who says this after wudu (Sahih Muslim 234).
Notes
- The order (face, arms, head, feet) is important — do it in sequence.
- Don't waste water: even at a river, use only what you need (Prophetic sunnah).
- Wudu is broken by: sleep, passing wind, urine or stool, deep sleep. If any of these happen, wudu must be repeated.