A step-by-step guide to performing Wudu, with an interactive checklist.
AI-generated English narration.
Wudu (ablution) is the ritual washing that removes minor impurity and is required before Salah. The Qur’an sets out its core steps directly, and the generally agreed practical sequence, drawing on this verse and the Prophet’s example, is:
- Make the intention (niyyah) in your heart to perform Wudu.
- Say “Bismillah” (in the name of Allah).
- Wash both hands up to the wrists, three times.
- Rinse the mouth with water, three times.
- Sniff water into the nostrils and blow it out, three times.
- Wash the face from hairline to chin and ear to ear, three times.
- Wash both arms up to and including the elbows, three times, starting with the right.
- Wipe the head once with wet hands.
- Wipe the ears, inside and out.
- Wash both feet up to and including the ankles, three times, starting with the right.
The exact number of times each part is washed, and some finer details, vary slightly between the schools of Islamic law — the sequence above reflects the practice most commonly taught. Use the checklist below to work through the steps yourself.
Get the printable wudu checklist, with a 7-day practice log.
Common mistakes
- Leaving the heels or the backs of the feet dry. When some companions rushed and only passed wet hands over their feet, the Prophet (peace be upon him) called out, “Save your heels from the fire” (Sahih al-Bukhari 60). Make sure water reaches the whole foot, including the heel and between the toes.
- Leaving even a small patch unwashed. A man left a spot the size of a fingernail dry on his foot, and the Prophet (peace be upon him) told him, “Go back and perform ablution well” (Sahih Muslim 243).
- Stopping short of the elbows or the ankles. Qur’an 5:6 names the elbows and the ankles as the limits, so wash up to and including them.
- Rushing. Most of these mistakes happen in a hurry before a prayer. Take the extra minute; the checklist above helps while you are learning.
Once you can make wudu, the next lesson explains what breaks it.
Key points
- Wudu is the ritual washing required before Salah, described directly in the Qur'an (5:6).
- Its core elements are: washing the face, washing the arms to the elbows, wiping the head, and washing the feet to the ankles.
- Additional agreed practices include washing the hands and rinsing the mouth and nose first.
- Minor details of the sequence vary slightly between the schools of Islamic law.
Qur’an
“O you who have believed, when you rise to [perform] prayer, wash your faces and your forearms to the elbows and wipe over your heads and wash your feet to the ankles. And if you are in a state of janabah, then purify yourselves. But if you are ill or on a journey... and do not find water, then seek clean earth and wipe over your faces and hands with it. Allah does not intend to make difficulty for you, but He intends to purify you and complete His favor upon you that you may be grateful.”
Surah Al-Ma'idah (5) — 5:6
Hadith
Save your heels from the fire.
Sahih al-Bukhari, no. 60 .
When to read: Said loudly, two or three times, when some companions in a hurry were only passing wet hands over their feet instead of washing them.
Go back and perform ablution well.
Sahih Muslim, no. 243 .
When to read: Said to a man who had left a spot the size of a fingernail dry on his foot. He went back, redid his wudu, and then prayed.
Hadith text and grading above are shown as supplied by their source. HikmahBridge does not grade Hadith itself. See Sources & Methodology.
Scholarly notes
The exact number of times each part is washed, and some finer details, vary slightly between the schools of Islamic law. The sequence given here reflects the practice most commonly taught.
Report a correction. HikmahBridge is an educational resource, not a replacement for a qualified scholar or teacher.
Lesson 7 of 17 in How to Pray