How do I make wudu (ablution) step by step?

The short answer

Wash your hands, rinse your mouth and nose, wash your face, then your arms up to the elbows, wipe your head, and wash your feet up to the ankles. The Quran names the face, arms, head and feet; the Prophet ﷺ showed the rest. Each part can be washed once, twice or three times, and passing wind, urine or stool breaks wudu.

Evidence 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Explanation

The core of wudu is in the Quran: "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" 1.

The Companions showed how the Prophet ﷺ did it. Uthman ibn Affan washed his hands three times, rinsed his mouth, sniffed water into his nose and blew it out, washed his face three times, washed his forearms up to the elbows three times, passed his wet hands over his head, and washed each foot three times, then quoted the Prophet ﷺ about whoever "performs ablution like that of mine" 2. Abdullah ibn Zayd showed the head-wipe in detail: from the front of the head to the nape of the neck and back again 3.

Three times is the fullest way, but the Prophet ﷺ also washed each part only once 4, so a single thorough wash is enough. Being thorough matters more than counting: passing people making wudu, Abu Hurayrah told them to do it thoroughly, quoting the Prophet ﷺ: "Save your heels from the Hell-fire" 5. Make sure water reaches every part, especially the heels.

When you finish, the Prophet ﷺ taught a short testimony: "I testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the servant of Allah and His Messenger", and said that the eight gates of Paradise are opened for whoever says it after a complete wudu 6.

Wudu is broken by passing urine, stool or wind; the prayer of such a person "is not accepted till he performs the ablution" 7. Wudu is not only cleaning. With every face, hand and foot washed, the sins done by them are washed away with the water 8.

The evidence

  1. 1
    Quran Al-Maaida · 5:6

    Wash the face and arms to the elbows, wipe the head and wash the feet to the ankles.

    يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓاْ إِذَا قُمۡتُمۡ إِلَى ٱلصَّلَوٰةِ فَٱغۡسِلُواْ وُجُوهَكُمۡ وَأَيۡدِيَكُمۡ إِلَى ٱلۡمَرَافِقِ وَٱمۡسَحُواْ بِرُءُوسِكُمۡ وَأَرۡجُلَكُمۡ إِلَى ٱلۡكَعۡبَيۡنِۚ وَإِن كُنتُمۡ جُنُبࣰ ا فَٱطَّهَّرُواْۚ وَإِن كُنتُم مَّرۡضَىٰٓ أَوۡ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍ أَوۡ جَآءَ أَحَدࣱ مِّنكُم مِّنَ ٱلۡغَآئِطِ أَوۡ لَٰمَسۡتُمُ ٱلنِّسَآءَ فَلَمۡ تَجِدُواْ مَآءࣰ فَتَيَمَّمُواْ صَعِيدࣰ ا طَيِّبࣰ ا فَٱمۡسَحُواْ بِوُجُوهِكُمۡ وَأَيۡدِيكُم مِّنۡهُۚ مَا يُرِيدُ ٱللَّهُ لِيَجۡعَلَ عَلَيۡكُم مِّنۡ حَرَجࣲ وَلَٰكِن يُرِيدُ لِيُطَهِّرَكُمۡ وَلِيُتِمَّ نِعۡمَتَهُۥ عَلَيۡكُمۡ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تَشۡكُرُونَ ۝٦

    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 or one of you comes from the place of relieving himself or you have contacted women 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

  2. 2
    Hadith Sahih al-Bukhari 159
    Sahih Bukhari

    Uthman demonstrated the Prophet's wudu, washing each part three times.

    Narrated Humran: (the slave of 'Uthman) I saw 'Uthman bin 'Affan asking for a tumbler of water (and when it was brought) he poured water over his hands and washed them thrice and then put his right hand in the water container and rinsed his mouth, washed his nose by putting water in it and then blowing it out. then he washed his face and forearms up to the elbows thrice, passed his wet hands over his head and washed his feet up to the ankles thrice. Then he said, "Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said 'If anyone performs ablution like that of mine and offers a two-rak'at prayer during which he does not think of anything else (not related to the present prayer) then his past sins will be forgiven

    العربية

    حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْعَزِيزِ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الأُوَيْسِيُّ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، أَنَّ عَطَاءَ بْنَ يَزِيدَ، أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّ حُمْرَانَ مَوْلَى عُثْمَانَ أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّهُ، رَأَى عُثْمَانَ بْنَ عَفَّانَ دَعَا بِإِنَاءٍ، فَأَفْرَغَ عَلَى كَفَّيْهِ ثَلاَثَ مِرَارٍ فَغَسَلَهُمَا، ثُمَّ أَدْخَلَ يَمِينَهُ فِي الإِنَاءِ فَمَضْمَضَ، وَاسْتَنْشَقَ، ثُمَّ غَسَلَ وَجْهَهُ ثَلاَثًا، وَيَدَيْهِ إِلَى الْمِرْفَقَيْنِ ثَلاَثَ مِرَارٍ، ثُمَّ مَسَحَ بِرَأْسِهِ، ثُمَّ غَسَلَ رِجْلَيْهِ ثَلاَثَ مِرَارٍ إِلَى الْكَعْبَيْنِ، ثُمَّ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ "‏ مَنْ تَوَضَّأَ نَحْوَ وُضُوئِي هَذَا، ثُمَّ صَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ، لاَ يُحَدِّثُ فِيهِمَا نَفْسَهُ، غُفِرَ لَهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِهِ ‏"‏‏.‏

  3. 3
    Hadith Sahih al-Bukhari 185
    Sahih Bukhari

    Abdullah ibn Zayd showed the head-wipe from the front to the nape and back.

    Narrated Yahya Al-Mazini:A person asked `Abdullah bin Zaid who was the grandfather of `Amr bin Yahya, "Can you show me how Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) used to perform ablution?" `Abdullah bin Zaid replied in the affirmative and asked for water. He poured it on his hands and washed them twice, then he rinsed his mouth thrice and washed his nose with water thrice by putting water in it and blowing it out. He washed his face thrice and after that he washed his forearms up to the elbows twice and then passed his wet hands over his head from its front to its back and vice versa (beginning from the front and taking them to the back of his head up to the nape of the neck and then brought them to the front again from where he had started) and washed his feet (up to the ankles)

    العربية

    حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ يُوسُفَ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا مَالِكٌ، عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ يَحْيَى الْمَازِنِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، أَنَّ رَجُلاً، قَالَ لِعَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ زَيْدٍ ـ وَهُوَ جَدُّ عَمْرِو بْنِ يَحْيَى ـ أَتَسْتَطِيعُ أَنْ تُرِيَنِي، كَيْفَ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَتَوَضَّأُ فَقَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ زَيْدٍ نَعَمْ‏.‏ فَدَعَا بِمَاءٍ، فَأَفْرَغَ عَلَى يَدَيْهِ فَغَسَلَ يَدَهُ مَرَّتَيْنِ، ثُمَّ مَضْمَضَ وَاسْتَنْثَرَ ثَلاَثًا، ثُمَّ غَسَلَ وَجْهَهُ ثَلاَثًا، ثُمَّ غَسَلَ يَدَيْهِ مَرَّتَيْنِ مَرَّتَيْنِ إِلَى الْمِرْفَقَيْنِ، ثُمَّ مَسَحَ رَأْسَهُ بِيَدَيْهِ، فَأَقْبَلَ بِهِمَا وَأَدْبَرَ، بَدَأَ بِمُقَدَّمِ رَأْسِهِ، حَتَّى ذَهَبَ بِهِمَا إِلَى قَفَاهُ، ثُمَّ رَدَّهُمَا إِلَى الْمَكَانِ الَّذِي بَدَأَ مِنْهُ، ثُمَّ غَسَلَ رِجْلَيْهِ‏.‏

  4. 4
    Hadith Sahih al-Bukhari 157
    Sahih Bukhari

    The Prophet ﷺ performed wudu washing each part only once.

    Narrated Ibn `Abbas:The Prophet (ﷺ) performed ablution by washing the body parts only once

    العربية

    حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يُوسُفَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ أَسْلَمَ، عَنْ عَطَاءِ بْنِ يَسَارٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، قَالَ تَوَضَّأَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم مَرَّةً مَرَّةً‏.‏

  5. 5
    Hadith Sahih al-Bukhari 165
    Sahih Bukhari

    Perform wudu thoroughly and save your heels from the Fire.

    Narrated Muhammad Ibn Ziyad:I heard Abu Huraira saying as he passed by us while the people were performing ablution from a utensil containing water, "Perform ablution perfectly and thoroughly for Abul-Qasim (the Prophet) said, 'Save your heels from the Hell-fire

    العربية

    حَدَّثَنَا آدَمُ بْنُ أَبِي إِيَاسٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ زِيَادٍ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ ـ وَكَانَ يَمُرُّ بِنَا وَالنَّاسُ يَتَوَضَّئُونَ مِنَ الْمِطْهَرَةِ ـ قَالَ أَسْبِغُوا الْوُضُوءَ فَإِنَّ أَبَا الْقَاسِمِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ "‏ وَيْلٌ لِلأَعْقَابِ مِنَ النَّارِ ‏"‏‏.‏

  6. 6
    Hadith Sahih Muslim 234
    Sahih Muslim

    Whoever completes wudu and says the shahadah has the eight gates of Paradise opened for him.

    Uqba b. 'Amir reported:We were entrusted with the task of tending the camels. On my turn when I came back in the evening after grazing them in the pastures, I found Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) stand and address the people. I heard these words of his: If any Muslim performs ablution well, then stands and prays two rak'ahs setting about them with his heart as well as his face, Paradise would be guaranteed to him. I said: What a fine thing is this! And a narrator who was before me said: The first was better than even this. When I cast a glance, I saw that it was 'Umar who said: I see that you have just come and observed: If anyone amongst you performs the ablution, and then completes the ablution well and then says: I testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the servant of Allah and His Messenger, the eight gates of Paradise would be opened for him and he may enter by whichever of them he wishes

    العربية

    حَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ حَاتِمِ بْنِ مَيْمُونٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ مَهْدِيٍّ، حَدَّثَنَا مُعَاوِيَةُ بْنُ صَالِحٍ، عَنْ رَبِيعَةَ، - يَعْنِي ابْنَ يَزِيدَ - عَنْ أَبِي إِدْرِيسَ الْخَوْلاَنِيِّ، عَنْ عُقْبَةَ بْنِ عَامِرٍ، ح وَحَدَّثَنِي أَبُو عُثْمَانَ، عَنْ جُبَيْرِ بْنِ نُفَيْرٍ، عَنْ عُقْبَةَ بْنِ عَامِرٍ، قَالَ كَانَتْ عَلَيْنَا رِعَايَةُ الإِبِلِ فَجَاءَتْ نَوْبَتِي فَرَوَّحْتُهَا بِعَشِيٍّ فَأَدْرَكْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَائِمًا يُحَدِّثُ النَّاسَ فَأَدْرَكْتُ مِنْ قَوْلِهِ ‏"‏ مَا مِنْ مُسْلِمٍ يَتَوَضَّأُ فَيُحْسِنُ وُضُوءَهُ ثُمَّ يَقُومُ فَيُصَلِّي رَكْعَتَيْنِ مُقْبِلٌ عَلَيْهِمَا بِقَلْبِهِ وَوَجْهِهِ إِلاَّ وَجَبَتْ لَهُ الْجَنَّةُ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ فَقُلْتُ مَا أَجْوَدَ هَذِهِ ‏.‏ فَإِذَا قَائِلٌ بَيْنَ يَدَىَّ يَقُولُ الَّتِي قَبْلَهَا أَجْوَدُ ‏.‏ فَنَظَرْتُ فَإِذَا عُمَرُ قَالَ إِنِّي قَدْ رَأَيْتُكَ جِئْتَ آنِفًا قَالَ ‏"‏ مَا مِنْكُمْ مِنْ أَحَدٍ يَتَوَضَّأُ فَيُبْلِغُ - أَوْ فَيُسْبِغُ - الْوُضُوءَ ثُمَّ يَقُولُ أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولُهُ إِلاَّ فُتِحَتْ لَهُ أَبْوَابُ الْجَنَّةِ الثَّمَانِيَةُ يَدْخُلُ مِنْ أَيِّهَا شَاءَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

  7. 7
    Hadith Sahih al-Bukhari 135
    Sahih Bukhari

    The prayer of one who has passed urine, stool or wind is not accepted until he makes wudu.

    Narrated Abu Huraira:Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "The prayer of a person who does Hadath (passes urine, stool or wind) is not accepted till he performs the ablution." A person from Hadaramout asked Abu Huraira, "What is 'Hadath'?" Abu Huraira replied, " 'Hadath' means the passing of wind

    العربية

    حَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ الْحَنْظَلِيُّ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا مَعْمَرٌ، عَنْ هَمَّامِ بْنِ مُنَبِّهٍ، أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ، يَقُولُ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ "‏ لاَ تُقْبَلُ صَلاَةُ مَنْ أَحْدَثَ حَتَّى يَتَوَضَّأَ ‏"‏‏.‏ قَالَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ حَضْرَمَوْتَ مَا الْحَدَثُ يَا أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ فُسَاءٌ أَوْ ضُرَاطٌ‏.‏

  8. 8
    Hadith Sahih Muslim 244
    Sahih Muslim

    Sins are washed away from the face, hands and feet with the water of wudu.

    Abu Huraira reported:Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: When a bondsman-a Muslim or a believer-washes his face (in course of ablution), every sin he contemplated with his eyes, will be washed away from his face along with water, or with the last drop of water; when he washes his hands, every sin they wrought will be effaced from his hands with the water, or with the last drop of water; and when he washes his feet, every sin towards which his feet have walked will be washed away with the water or with the last drop of water with the result that he comes out pure from all sins

    العربية

    حَدَّثَنَا سُوَيْدُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، عَنْ مَالِكِ بْنِ أَنَسٍ، ح وَحَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الطَّاهِرِ، - وَاللَّفْظُ لَهُ - أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ وَهْبٍ، عَنْ مَالِكِ بْنِ أَنَسٍ، عَنْ سُهَيْلِ بْنِ أَبِي صَالِحٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ "‏ إِذَا تَوَضَّأَ الْعَبْدُ الْمُسْلِمُ - أَوِ الْمُؤْمِنُ - فَغَسَلَ وَجْهَهُ خَرَجَ مِنْ وَجْهِهِ كُلُّ خَطِيئَةٍ نَظَرَ إِلَيْهَا بِعَيْنَيْهِ مَعَ الْمَاءِ - أَوْ مَعَ آخِرِ قَطْرِ الْمَاءِ - فَإِذَا غَسَلَ يَدَيْهِ خَرَجَ مِنْ يَدَيْهِ كُلُّ خَطِيئَةٍ كَانَ بَطَشَتْهَا يَدَاهُ مَعَ الْمَاءِ - أَوْ مَعَ آخِرِ قَطْرِ الْمَاءِ - فَإِذَا غَسَلَ رِجْلَيْهِ خَرَجَتْ كُلُّ خَطِيئَةٍ مَشَتْهَا رِجْلاَهُ مَعَ الْمَاءِ - أَوْ مَعَ آخِرِ قَطْرِ الْمَاءِ - حَتَّى يَخْرُجَ نَقِيًّا مِنَ الذُّنُوبِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

This answer was compiled with the help of AI, using only the verified texts shown here. Every reference links to its source. If you find a mistake, please report it. Updated 2026-09-24

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