How to perform Wudu

Wuhu is an essential part of Muslim hygiene. It is necessary for a Muslim to be in a state of wudu before performing salat or reciting Quran. It is an act of washing exposed body parts using clean water. It is often translated as ‘partial ablution’ as opposed to ghusl or “full ablution”.

The Qur'anic mandate for wudhu comes in the sixth ayat of sura 5 (Al-Ma'ida):

 "O you who believe! when you rise up to prayer, wash your faces and your hands as far as the elbows, wipe your heads and your feet to the ankles; and if you are under an obligation to perform a total ablution, then wash (yourselves) and if you are sick or on a journey, or one of you come from the privy, or you have touched the women, and you cannot find water, betake yourselves to pure earth and wipe your faces and your hands therewith, God does not desire to put on you any difficulty, but He wishes to purify you and that He may complete His favor on you, so that you may be grateful."

Steps

1-Make the neeyat (intention) to perform wudhu

2 - Pray Bismilla-hirrahmaan-nirraheem

3 - Wash the hands up to and including the wrists - also wash between the fingers

4 - Wash your mouth 3 times by using your right hand to put water in your mouth and rinsing (try to gargle also allowing the water to reach the throat)) - between rinsing brush your teeth with miswaak or your right index finger. Miswaak will be more beneficial as this is a sunnah of prophet Muhammad (saw)

5 - Wash the nose 3 times. Each time, gently place water into the nose with the right hand, and exhale by placing left at the top of your nose (releasing anything in the nose).

6 - Wash the entire face three times (from the top of the forehead to the bottom of the chin, and from earlobe to earlobe), Place water in your hands by holding both hands together and then gently pour the water over your face making sure you rub the face from he top of the forehead to the bottom of the chin, and from earlobe to earlobe - try not to splash the water too harshly.

7 - Wash both arms up to the elbow 3 times. Pass fingers of both hands through each other.

8 - Wet hands and starting with your hands flat on the top of your head near the hairline, wipe them to the back of the neck. This is only done once. This act is called masah of the head.

9 - With wet fingers, place thumbs at backs of ears, use index finger on curves of ear and middle finger to wash the ears (front and back). Then the back of the neck is wiped with the reverse of your hand. This is only done once. This is called making masah the ears.

10 - Run all fingers through the beard

11 - Wash both feet up to the ankles. Start with right foot and make sure you clean in between the toes using figures from your left hand.

Rinse your hands when finished