How to Perform Wudu (Ablution) Step by Step

Wudu is performed by making the intention, saying Bismillah, washing the hands, rinsing the mouth and nose, washing the face, washing the arms up to and including the elbows, wiping the head and ears, and washing the feet up to and including the ankles. Four of these acts — the face, the arms, the head and the feet — are named in the Quran (5:6) and are obligatory in every school; the rest come from the way the Prophet ﷺ was seen performing it. The whole sequence takes two or three minutes, and without it the prayer is not valid.

The hadith states that last point plainly: "The prayer of one who has broken his wudu is not accepted until he performs wudu" (Sahih al-Bukhari 135; Sahih Muslim 225).

The Verse Behind It

The instruction comes from Surah al-Ma'idah:

"O you who believe, when you rise for prayer, wash your faces and your arms to the elbows, wipe your heads, and wash your feet to the ankles." (Quran 5:6)

The same verse goes on to cover ghusl and the dry ablution, tayammum. Everything else in the method — the order, the repetitions, the mouth, nose and ears — is known from companions who watched the Prophet ﷺ and described what they saw. The two most detailed descriptions are those of Uthman ibn Affan (Sahih al-Bukhari 159; Sahih Muslim 226) and Abdullah ibn Zayd (Sahih al-Bukhari 185; Sahih Muslim 235).

Before You Begin

Use pure water: tap, rain, well, river and sea water all qualify. Remove anything that stops water reaching the skin, such as ordinary nail polish, waterproof make-up, paint or glue. Henna and ink stains do not count as a barrier, because they colour the skin without coating it. Move a tight ring or watch so water gets underneath.

The Steps

Make the intention. It is held in the heart and is simply the decision that this washing is for wudu; it does not need to be spoken. The basis is the hadith "Actions are only by intentions" (Sahih al-Bukhari 1; Sahih Muslim 1907).

Say "Bismillah" (in the name of Allah). The hadith "There is no wudu for one who does not mention Allah's name over it" is recorded in Sunan Abu Dawud and Jami' at-Tirmidhi; Imam Ahmad is reported to have said no chain on this topic was strong, while Ibn Hajar and al-Albani graded it hasan through its several routes. The majority treat it as sunnah; the Hanbali school holds it obligatory when remembered.

Wash both hands up to the wrists three times, passing water between the fingers.

Rinse the mouth three times, bringing the water with the right hand.

Rinse the nose three times: draw water into the nostrils with the right hand and blow it out using the left.

Wash the face three times, from where the hair normally begins on the forehead to the bottom of the chin, and from one earlobe to the other. A man with a thick beard washes its surface and may run wet fingers through it.

Wash the right arm three times from the fingertips up to and including the elbow, then the left arm the same way. The elbow is inside the washed area, so the water must pass over it.

Wipe the head once with wet hands. In the description of Abdullah ibn Zayd, the hands start at the front of the head, pass to the nape, and return to where they started (Sahih al-Bukhari 185). This is a wipe, not a wash, and it is done once.

Wipe the ears once: index fingers inside the ear, thumbs along the back. Some schools recommend fresh water for the ears; others allow the wetness left from the head. Both are practised.

Wash the right foot three times up to and including the ankle bones, passing a finger between the toes, then the left foot the same way. Watch the heels: the Prophet ﷺ saw people whose heels were still dry and called out, "Woe to the heels from the Fire" (Sahih al-Bukhari 60; Sahih Muslim 241).

Finish with the testimony: "Ashhadu an la ilaha illallahu wahdahu la sharika lah, wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan abduhu wa rasuluh" — I bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone, without partner, and that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger. Whoever completes wudu and says this, the eight gates of Paradise are opened for him (Sahih Muslim 234). A version in Jami' at-Tirmidhi adds "Allahumma ij'alni min at-tawwabina waj'alni min al-mutatahhirin"; al-Tirmidhi noted a weakness in its chain, and al-Albani graded the addition sahih.

How Many Times?

Three washings is the fuller sunnah, not a condition. The Prophet ﷺ was seen washing each limb once (Sahih al-Bukhari 157), twice (Sahih al-Bukhari 158) and three times (Sahih al-Bukhari 159). One complete washing that covers the whole limb fulfils the obligation in every school.

What Is Obligatory and What Is Sunnah

All four schools agree on the four acts named in the verse. They differ on what else is obligatory and on how much of the head must be wiped:

• Hanafi: four — washing the face, washing the arms with the elbows, wiping a quarter of the head, washing the feet with the ankles. Intention, order and continuity are sunnah.
• Shafi'i: six — intention, the face, the arms, wiping any part of the head, the feet, and keeping the order of the verse.
• Maliki: seven — intention, the face, the arms, wiping the whole head, the feet, rubbing each limb (dalk) and continuity without a long break (muwalat).
• Hanbali: six — the face (which includes rinsing the mouth and nose), the arms, wiping the whole head (the ears counted as part of it), the feet, order and continuity. Intention is a condition of validity.

Following the full method above, in order and without long breaks, satisfies every school at once.

What Breaks Wudu

The schools agree that wudu is broken by anything leaving the front or back passage (urine, faeces, wind, prostatic fluid), by deep sleep in which a person loses awareness, by loss of consciousness, and by anything that requires ghusl. Light dozing while sitting firmly is treated differently: the Companions would sleep while waiting for the prayer and then pray without renewing wudu (Sahih Muslim 376).

The main points of difference:

• Touching the opposite sex. The Shafi'i school holds that skin contact between a man and a woman who are not mahram breaks wudu, reading "or you have touched women" (Quran 4:43) literally. The Maliki and Hanbali schools hold it breaks only with desire. The Hanafi school holds it does not break, citing Aisha's account that her hand touched the Prophet's feet while he was in prostration (Sahih Muslim 486).
• Touching one's own private parts with the hand, without a barrier, breaks wudu in the Shafi'i, Hanbali and Maliki schools, based on the hadith of Busrah bint Safwan (Sunan Abu Dawud 181, graded sahih by al-Albani). The Hanafi school holds it does not, based on the hadith of Talq ibn Ali, "Is it anything but a part of you?" (Sunan Abu Dawud 182, graded sahih by al-Albani).
• Bleeding and vomiting. Flowing blood or pus, and vomiting a mouthful, break wudu in the Hanafi school; the Hanbali school counts a large amount of impure matter; the Shafi'i and Maliki schools hold that they do not break it.
• Eating camel meat breaks wudu in the Hanbali school, based on the hadith in which the Prophet ﷺ was asked "Should we perform wudu after camel meat?" and answered "Yes" (Sahih Muslim 360). The other schools read the command as washing the hands, or as superseded.

When You Are Unsure

If you are sure you made wudu but unsure whether you broke it, act on the certainty. The Prophet ﷺ said of a man who felt something during prayer: "He should not leave until he hears a sound or notices a smell" (Sahih al-Bukhari 137; Sahih Muslim 361). The Hanafi, Shafi'i and Hanbali schools apply this generally; the well-known Maliki position holds that a real doubt outside the prayer calls for renewing wudu.

Wudu does not expire with time. On the day Makkah was conquered, the Prophet ﷺ prayed several prayers with a single wudu (Sahih Muslim 277).

Wiping Over Leather Socks and Socks

If wudu was complete when the footwear went on, a person may wipe over it instead of washing the feet. Al-Mughirah ibn Shu'bah went to remove the Prophet's leather socks and was told to leave them, "for I put them on while my feet were pure" (Sahih al-Bukhari 206).

The period is one day and night for a resident and three for a traveller (Sahih Muslim 276), the position of the Hanafi, Shafi'i and Hanbali schools; the well-known Maliki position sets no fixed limit. On cloth socks, the Hanbali school and the later Hanafi position allow wiping over socks that are thick and stay up on their own, the Shafi'i school requires a covering sturdy enough to walk in, and the Maliki school limits wiping to leather.

When Water Is Not Available

When there is no water, or using it would cause harm, the Quran permits tayammum (4:43; 5:6): the palms are struck on clean earth and passed over the face and hands. Ammar ibn Yasir described the Prophet ﷺ doing exactly this (Sahih al-Bukhari 338). The schools differ on whether one strike is enough and whether the arms are wiped to the elbows.

Why It Is More Than Hygiene

The Prophet ﷺ said that when a Muslim washes his face, every sin his eyes looked at leaves with the water; when he washes his hands, every sin his hands did; when he washes his feet, every sin they walked towards, until he emerges cleansed of sin (Sahih Muslim 244). His community will be called on the Day of Resurrection with faces and limbs shining from the traces of wudu (Sahih al-Bukhari 136).

For the full-body bath, see the ghusl guide; for what comes next, how to pray salah step by step.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does ghusl count as wudu?

A valid ghusl from major impurity also covers minor impurity, so no separate wudu is needed unless something breaks wudu during the bath; the Hanbali school, in its well-known position, asks that the intention cover both. An ordinary shower taken only to get clean is different: the Shafi'i, Maliki and Hanbali schools require intention for wudu, so it does not count in their view, while the Hanafi school, which does not require intention, considers the limbs washed.

Can I pray with nail polish on?

Not if the polish was on during wudu. It coats the nail and stops water reaching it, so the washing is incomplete. Henna is different: it stains without coating.

Do I need a new wudu for every prayer?

No. Wudu lasts until something breaks it, and one wudu can serve several prayers (Sahih Muslim 277). Renewing it for each prayer is recommended, not required.

What if I remember during the prayer that I missed a part?

If an obligatory part was not washed or wiped, the wudu is incomplete and the prayer is not valid. Complete the wudu as your school directs — where continuity is required, a long gap can mean starting again — and repeat the prayer. Missing a sunnah act such as the third washing does not affect validity.

References

• Quran 4:43; 5:6
• Sahih al-Bukhari 1, 60, 135, 136, 137, 157, 158, 159, 185, 206, 338
• Sahih Muslim 225, 226, 234, 235, 241, 244, 276, 277, 360, 361, 376, 486, 1907
• Sunan Abu Dawud 181, 182
• Sunan Abu Dawud and Jami' at-Tirmidhi, on saying Bismillah; Jami' at-Tirmidhi, on the closing supplication