What wudu is, and why it matters

Wudu is the washing you do before salah. You wash your face, your arms, wipe your head and wash your feet. Allah commanded it in the Quran: when you stand up for prayer, wash your faces and your arms up to the elbows, wipe your heads, and wash your feet up to the ankles¹.

Nabi ﷺ said: the salah of someone who has broken their wudu is not accepted until they make wudu². So wudu is the key to salah. Nabi ﷺ also said: cleanliness is half of faith³.

The reward of wudu

• Sins leave with the water. When a believer washes the face, every sin the eyes looked at leaves with the water, down to the last drop. The same happens with the hands and the feet⁴.
• Even from under the nails. Whoever makes wudu well, the sins leave the body, even from under the nails⁵.
• Shining on the Day of Judgement. The ummah of Nabi ﷺ will be called with shining faces, hands and feet, from the marks of wudu⁶. This is how he will know us.
• Wudu when it is hard. Nabi ﷺ said that making wudu well when it is hard, like on a cold day, wipes away sins and raises your rank⁷.
• Two rakat after wudu. Whoever makes wudu like Nabi ﷺ did, then prays two rakat (units of prayer) with full attention, their past sins are forgiven⁸.

Bilal, the man who called the adhan, earned something special from this small habit⁹.

When you need wudu

Wudu is required for

• Every salah. The five daily prayers, Jumuah, Eid, Janazah (the funeral prayer), and every sunnah and nafl (voluntary) prayer.
• Sujud of recitation (the prostration when you recite certain ayat), according to the four schools.
• Tawaf, walking around the Kaaba, according to most scholars.
• Touching the mushaf (the written Arabic Quran), according to the four schools. Reading from memory does not need wudu. Many scholars also allow reading on a phone screen without wudu, since the phone is not a mushaf.

Wudu is a good deed (sunnah) for

• Going to sleep. Nabi ﷺ told Al-Bara: when you go to bed, make wudu like for salah, and lie on your right side¹².
• Sleeping while junub (after intimacy, before ghusl). Nabi ﷺ made wudu before sleeping in that state¹³.
• Before being intimate a second time¹⁴.
• Dhikr, dua and reading Quran from memory. Not required, but a good way to come to Allah.
• After carrying a dead body¹⁵. Scholars say this is recommended, not required.
• Renewing wudu for each salah. Nabi ﷺ often made a fresh wudu for each prayer. Anas said the Companions prayed several prayers with one wudu, until they broke it¹⁶. Both are fine.

The four parts every school requires

These four come straight from the Quran¹⁷. If one of them is missed, the wudu does not count. In every school, water must reach the skin of each washed part.

1. Wash the face

• Top to bottom: from where the hair normally starts on the forehead to the bottom of the chin.
• Side to side: from one ear to the other. The ears themselves are wiped, not washed.
• A thin beard: water must reach the skin under it.
• A thick beard: wash the outside, and run wet fingers through it, as Nabi ﷺ did¹⁸.
• The eyebrows, eyelashes and the outside of the lips are part of the face. The inside of the eyes is not washed.

2. Wash the arms up to and including the elbows

• Start at the fingertips and go past the elbow. Abu Huraira washed a little above the elbow to be sure, and said this is how Nabi ﷺ did it¹⁹.
• Do not forget the back of the hand, the elbow point and between the fingers²⁰.
• A ring or watch: move it or take it off so water gets under it.

3. Wipe the head

• Wipe, do not wash. Pass wet hands over the head.
• The way of Nabi ﷺ: put your wet hands at the front, take them to the back of the head, then bring them back to the front²¹.
• How much must you wipe? The schools differ:
  • Hanafi: at least a quarter of the head.
  • Shafi'i: any part of the head, even a few hairs.
  • Maliki and Hanbali: the whole head.
• Wiping the whole head, the way Nabi ﷺ did, is valid in every school.

4. Wash the feet up to and including the ankles

• Wash the whole foot, the heels, the soles and the ankle bones.
• Nabi ﷺ once saw people with dry heels and called out: save your heels from the Fire²².
• Run your little finger between the toes²³.

The extra required acts, by school

On top of the four parts, each school counts a few more things as required. Most of these are about how you make wudu.

• Intention. Nabi ﷺ said: actions are judged by intentions²⁶. The intention is in the heart: you know you are making wudu to become pure for salah. You do not need to say it out loud. Hanafis say wudu without intention is valid, but you miss the reward.
• Continuity means you do not let one part dry before you wash the next, in normal weather. A short pause to fix the tap is fine. A long gap, like stopping to take a phone call for ten minutes, breaks continuity for Malikis and Hanbalis, so start again.
• Bismillah. Nabi ﷺ said: there is no wudu for someone who does not mention Allah's name over it²⁷. Hanbalis take this as required when you remember. The other schools say it is a strong sunnah, and wudu without it still counts. If you forget, your wudu is valid in every school.

Every sunnah of wudu

A sunnah is something Nabi ﷺ did or taught. You are rewarded for it, but your wudu still counts without it. Try to keep them all.

Before you start

• Siwak (a tooth stick) or brushing your teeth. Nabi ﷺ said: if it were not hard on my ummah, I would have ordered them to use siwak for every salah²⁸. He also said siwak cleans the mouth and pleases the Lord²⁹.
• Bismillah³⁰.
• Wash the hands three times before putting them in the water³¹. This is stronger after waking up: nobody knows where their hands were during sleep³².

During wudu

• Rinse the mouth and nose. Take water into the mouth and swirl it. Sniff water into the nose and blow it out³³. You can do both with one handful, three times³⁴.
• Sniff deeply, unless you are fasting³⁵.
• Three times for each washed part³⁶. Once is valid³⁷, and twice is valid³⁸. Three is the most complete.
• Right before left. Nabi ﷺ liked to start with the right in everything³⁹.
• Run your fingers through the beard⁴⁰ and between the fingers and toes⁴¹.
• Wipe the whole head, front to back and back again⁴².
• Wipe the ears, inside and outside⁴³. Most scholars say this is sunnah. Use your index fingers inside and your thumbs behind.
• Go a little past the elbows and ankles, to be sure⁴⁴.

After wudu

• Say: Ashhadu an la ilaha illallahu wahdahu la sharika lah, wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan abduhu wa rasuluh. It means: I bear witness there is no god but Allah alone, with no partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger. Whoever says this after a good wudu, the eight gates of Paradise are opened for them, to enter by any gate they like⁴⁵.
• You can add: Allahummaj'alni minat-tawwabin, waj'alni minal-mutatahhirin. It means: O Allah, make me of those who turn back to You, and make me of those who keep pure⁴⁶.
• Pray two rakat with full attention⁴⁷. This is the habit of Bilal⁴⁸.

Wudu step by step

Here is a full wudu, the sunnah way. Req. means required in every school. Practice it with pictures on our Wudu page.

Wiping the head is done once. The washed parts are done up to three times.

Some Hanafi scholars like wiping the back of the neck with the backs of the hands. Most scholars say there is no sound hadith for it, so it is not part of the steps above.

What to avoid

• Wasting water. Nabi ﷺ made wudu with about one mudd, roughly two large handfuls, or about two thirds of a liter⁴⁹. Leaving the tap running at full flow is the opposite of the sunnah, even at home. Use a gentle stream and turn it off when you can.
• Washing more than three times. Nabi ﷺ showed a man wudu, each part three times, then said: this is wudu. Whoever does more than this has done wrong and gone too far⁵⁰. A fourth wash is not extra reward. If you missed a spot, wash just that spot.
• Rushing. Dry heels, dry elbows and a dry strip near the ears are the most common mistakes⁵¹.
• Giving in to whispers. Repeating wudu again and again because you are not sure is from shaytan, not the sunnah. See the section on doubt below.
• Talking about worldly things during wudu. It is not forbidden, but scholars say it is better to keep your mind on what you are doing.

What breaks wudu

What all four schools agree on

• Using the toilet: urine or stool. Allah mentions coming from the toilet in the wudu ayah⁵².
• Passing wind⁵³.
• Other fluids from the private parts: madhi (the clear fluid that comes with arousal) and wadi (the thick fluid that can come after urinating). Ali was told to wash and make wudu after madhi⁵⁴. See Ghusl for the full detail.
• Deep sleep. Nabi ﷺ said the eyes are what keep a person aware, so whoever sleeps should make wudu⁵⁵. Light dozing while sitting firmly is different. The Companions dozed while waiting for Isha and then prayed without making wudu⁵⁶.
• Losing consciousness: fainting, being knocked out, general anesthetic, or being drunk.
• Anything that needs ghusl also breaks wudu.

Where the schools differ

• Touching private parts. Nabi ﷺ said: whoever touches his private part, let him make wudu⁵⁷. But when a man asked him about it, he also said: it is only a part of your body⁵⁸. Most scholars follow the first hadith. Hanafis follow the second. Touching over clothes does not break it in any school.
• Touching the opposite sex. Allah mentions touching women in the wudu ayah⁵⁹. Shafi'is take it as any skin contact. Others say it means intimacy. Aisha said her hand touched the feet of Nabi ﷺ while he was in sujud at night, and he kept praying⁶⁰. Touching your wife, mother or child with no desire does not break wudu for Hanafis, Malikis or Hanbalis.
• Vomit. Nabi ﷺ once vomited and then made wudu⁶¹. Hanafis and Hanbalis take this as a rule. Malikis and Shafi'is say it shows it is good, not required.
• Camel meat. A man asked Nabi ﷺ: should I make wudu after eating mutton? He said: if you want. Should I make wudu after camel meat? He said: yes⁶². Hanbalis follow this. Most scholars say it was changed later or means washing the hands.
• Touching a baby's private parts while changing a diaper. Shafi'is and Hanbalis say touching another person's private parts with the bare hand breaks wudu, even a baby's. Hanafis say it does not. Using wipes or gloves avoids the question.

What does not break wudu

• Eating and drinking, even cooked food. Nabi ﷺ ate cooked meat and prayed without a new wudu⁶³. (Camel meat is the Hanbali exception.)
• Light dozing while sitting⁶⁴.
• Cutting hair or nails, shaving, or removing nail polish.
• A small cut, a small amount of blood, a scratch or a pimple.
• Seeing anyone's body, including your own, or being seen.
• Bad words or anger. They are sins to avoid, but they do not break wudu. A fresh wudu can still help calm you.
• Touching a dog or something impure. Wash the spot if it was wet. The wudu is still valid.
• Taking off shoes or regular socks after a normal wudu. (If you wiped over socks, see Wiping over socks.)
• Tears, sweat, saliva or breast milk.

Doubt: the rule that brings peace

A man asked Nabi ﷺ about someone who thinks he passed wind during salah. He said: do not leave the salah unless you hear a sound or notice a smell⁶⁵.

From this, scholars took a big rule: certainty is not removed by doubt.

• You are sure you made wudu, and doubt whether you broke it? You still have wudu.
• You are sure you broke it, and doubt whether you made wudu after? You do not have wudu. Make it.
• During wudu, you are not sure if you washed a part? Wash it now.
• After you finish, you wonder if you missed something? Ignore it. A doubt after finishing does not count.

Malikis have one difference: if the doubt about breaking wudu comes outside salah, they ask you to make wudu again, unless you are someone who has many such doubts.

Special cases

A cast, bandage or wound

• Wash every part you can. Wipe over the cast or bandage with a wet hand, once.
• Hanafis say wiping most of the bandage is enough. Shafi'is and Hanbalis say wipe all of it. Shafi'is also add tayammum for the injured part.
• If water would harm the wound and it cannot be covered, use tayammum for that part⁶⁶. See Tayammum.
• A small plaster on a cut works the same way: wipe over it.

Socks and shoes

Instead of washing the feet, you can wipe over leather khuffs, and many scholars allow wiping over thick socks. You must have put them on with wudu. The full rules, time limits and school differences are in Wiping over socks.

Turban and hijab

• Nabi ﷺ once wiped over his forelock and then over his turban⁶⁷.
• Hanbalis allow wiping over a turban, and over a woman's head covering wrapped under the chin, with conditions.
• Most scholars want some of the hair itself wiped. A woman can slip her wet hand under the front of her hijab and wipe her hair. For Hanafis, this must be at least a quarter of the head.
• You do not need to take the hijab off in front of others. Make wudu in a private place, or wipe under the front.

Bleeding or leaking that does not stop

• Some people have constant urine drips, wind, bleeding between periods, or a wound that keeps weeping.
• Nabi ﷺ told a woman with constant bleeding: make wudu for every salah⁶⁸.
• So: make wudu after the prayer time begins, then pray. What comes out during that time does not break it.
• Hanafis and Hanbalis say this wudu lasts until the time of that prayer ends, so you can pray extra prayers with it. Shafi'is say one fard prayer per wudu, plus any sunnah prayers. Malikis say the constant leaking does not break wudu at all, but a new wudu is recommended.
• Use a pad or protection if it helps, and do your best. Allah does not ask more than you can do.

Nail polish, henna and make-up

• Nail polish is a layer on the nail. Water cannot reach under it, so wudu with it does not count. Take it off before wudu. Some women wear polish only during their period, when they do not pray. So-called breathable polish is disputed; most scholars say test it carefully or avoid it.
• Henna is only a color in the skin. Wudu with it is fine. The same goes for ink stains and hair dye.
• Make-up: water-resistant foundation, thick concealer and waterproof mascara can stop water from reaching the skin or lashes. Remove them first. Light, water-based make-up that washes off with water is not a problem.
• Paint, glue or thick cream on the skin: scrape or wash it off first. A thin oily film that water still runs over is fine.

Contact lenses, dentures and braces

• Contact lenses: you do not need to take them out. The inside of the eye is not washed in wudu.
• Dentures: you do not need to take them out. Rinse your mouth with them in.
• Braces, fillings, crowns and implants: no problem at all.
• Tattoos under the skin do not stop water. Wudu is valid.

Wudu at work, in public and on a plane

At work or school

• Make wudu at home before you leave, and try to keep it. Many people can pray Dhuhr with their morning wudu.
• Wear socks you can wipe over, put on after wudu. Then you only need the sink for your face, arms and head. See Wiping over socks.
• Carry a small water bottle. You can make a full wudu over a sink with very little water.
• Wipe the floor and sink dry after. Leaving a mess makes things harder for other Muslims who come after you.

In a public bathroom

• It is fine to make wudu at the sink in a bathroom.
• Scholars dislike saying Allah's name inside the toilet itself. If the sink is in the same room, many scholars say: say Bismillah quietly, or in your heart.
• If you cannot lift your foot to the sink, wipe over socks, or pour water from a bottle while sitting.

On a plane or with little water

• Once per part is enough⁶⁹. A small bottle of water is plenty.
• Make wudu before you board if you can, and wear socks you can wipe over.
• In the plane bathroom, wet your hands and wash each part once, carefully. Wipe the head and the socks.
• If there is truly no water you can use, use tayammum⁷⁰. See Tayammum.

Common questions

I made wudu, then took a shower. Do I need wudu again?

If you did not break your wudu in the shower, no. Washing does not break wudu. If you made a full ghusl with intention, that also covers wudu. See Ghusl.

Can I pray more than one salah with one wudu?

Yes. As long as you have not broken it, one wudu is good for as many prayers as you like⁷¹. A fresh wudu for each prayer is a good deed, not a duty.

Does my child's wudu have to be perfect?

No. Teach them the steps with love, and let them copy you. Our Wudu page with pictures is a good way to practice together. Gently check the heels and elbows.

I am a new Muslim. What is the least I must do?

Intend it in your heart. Wash your face, wash your arms to the elbows, wipe your head, and wash your feet to the ankles, in that order, once each, without a long break. That is valid. Then add the sunnahs one by one as you learn them.

Can I make wudu with tap water that has chlorine, or with warm water?

Yes. Tap water, warm water and water with a little chlorine are all fine for wudu. See Water for what kind of water you can use.

Do I have to dry myself after wudu?

No. Drying with a towel is allowed, and leaving the water to dry is also fine.

I noticed after salah that a spot on my foot was dry. What now?

If you are sure, your wudu was not complete. Make wudu and pray that salah again⁷². If it was only a doubt, ignore it.

Can I touch the Quran app on my phone without wudu?

Many scholars allow it, because a phone is not a mushaf, and the words are only on the screen while it is open. Having wudu is still better when you read Quran.