How to Perform Wuḍūʾ (Ablution)

A practical guide with Qur’an and Sunnah references

Methodological note. This guide presents a practical Sunni formulation based primarily on the Qur’an and authentic or well-established hadith reports. Where recognized schools of law differ on details, the difference is identified rather than presented as a dispute-free rule.

1. When Wuḍūʾ Is Required

Wuḍūʾ is the ritual purification performed before prayer when a person is in a state of minor ritual impurity. Qur’an 5:6 commands believers to wash the face and arms to the elbows, wipe the head, and wash the feet to the ankles. The same verse explains the concession of tayammum when water is unavailable or certain circumstances apply.

2. Step-by-Step Wuḍūʾ

Make the intention (niyyah) to purify yourself for worship. The intention is in the heart; it does not need to be spoken aloud.
Say “Bismillāh” before beginning.
Wash both hands up to the wrists. Washing three times is customary; one complete wash is sufficient for the limb.
Rinse the mouth and then rinse the nose, using the right hand to draw water into the nose and the left hand to expel it. Three times is customary.
Wash the entire face from the normal hairline to the chin and from ear to ear. Wash three times if desired without excess.
Wash the right arm from the fingertips through and including the elbow, then the left arm. Make sure water reaches all required areas.
Wipe the head with wet hands. A complete wipe of the head is the safest general presentation; the exact extent differs among schools.
Wipe the ears with wet fingers. This is a Sunnah according to many scholars.
Wash the right foot through and including the ankle, then the left. Make sure water reaches between the toes and all areas of the foot.
After completing wuḍūʾ, it is recommended to say the testimony of faith: “Ashhadu an lā ilāha illā Allāh waḥdahu lā sharīka lah, wa ashhadu anna Muḥammadan ʿabduhu wa rasūluh.”

3. Important Points

The Qur’an explicitly establishes washing the face, arms to the elbows, wiping the head, and washing the feet to the ankles (Qur’an 5:6).
Do not waste water. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم performed wuḍūʾ with a relatively small quantity of water.
Remove anything that prevents water from reaching the skin, such as a physical barrier covering the required area.
If a person is unable to use water or cannot find water in circumstances covered by Islamic law, tayammum may apply.
For wiping over footwear, wounds, or dressings, separate rulings apply; they should not be confused with ordinary foot-washing.

Note: The exact number of washes and some details of wiping differ in fiqh. One wash that fully covers the required limb is valid; repeating up to three times is established in the Sunnah.

References

Qur’an, Sūrat al-Mā’idah 5:6 — purification before prayer and tayammum. quran.com/5/6
Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Ablutions (Kitāb al-Wuḍūʾ), including reports describing the Prophet’s wuḍūʾ. sunnah.com/bukhari/4
Sahih Muslim, Book of Purification (Kitāb al-Ṭahārah), reports on the Prophet’s purification.
Sahih al-Bukhari 138 — Ibn ʿAbbās describes the Prophet’s ablution. sunnah.com/bukhari/4