How to Perform Wudu Step by Step (With Dua After Wudu)

To perform wudu, make the intention to purify yourself, say Bismillah, then wash your hands, rinse your mouth and nose, wash your face, wash your arms up to the elbows, wipe your head and ears with wet hands, and wash your feet up to the ankles. Each washing is usually done three times, starting with the right side.

Wudu (wudu', وضوء) is the ritual washing Muslims perform before prayer, often translated as "ablution." The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said that no prayer is accepted without purification (Sahih Muslim 224), so learning wudu is one of the first things a new Muslim does. This guide covers the Quranic basis, each step, the dua after wudu, women's questions, what breaks wudu, and what to do when there is no water.

Key takeaways

• The four core acts of wudu are named in Quran 5:6: washing the face, washing the arms to the elbows, wiping the head and washing the feet to the ankles.
• The full step-by-step method comes from the Prophet's practice, described by Uthman ibn Affan in Sahih al-Bukhari 159.
• Sahih Muslim 234 records that whoever performs wudu well and then says the testimony of faith will have the eight gates of Paradise opened for them.
• When water is unavailable or harmful, Muslims perform tayammum with clean earth instead, as Quran 4:43 and 5:6 allow.
• The four Sunni schools agree on the core steps but differ on a few details, such as whether intention and order are obligatory and what breaks wudu.

What does the Quran say about wudu?

The instructions for wudu come in a single verse of Surah al-Ma'idah. It names the parts to wash, mentions the full bath for major impurity, and gives the alternative when there is no water:

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.

— Quran 5:6

The verse ends by explaining the purpose: God does not intend hardship but purification and the completion of His favor. Wudu is a physical wash, but Muslims also understand it as a spiritual reset before standing in front of God.

How to perform wudu step by step

This sequence follows the Prophet's practice as described by Uthman ibn Affan (Sahih al-Bukhari 159). Steps marked as washing are normally done three times; once is the minimum.

1. Make the intention. In your heart, intend to perform wudu for prayer. It does not need to be spoken.
2. Say Bismillah. Say Bismillah ("In the name of God") before you begin.
3. Wash your hands. Wash both hands up to the wrists, including between the fingers, three times.
4. Rinse your mouth. Take water into your mouth, swirl it and spit it out, three times.
5. Rinse your nose. Draw water gently into your nose with the right hand and blow it out with the left, three times.
6. Wash your face. Wash from the hairline to the chin and from ear to ear, three times. Men with beards run wet fingers through them.
7. Wash your arms. Wash the right arm from the fingertips up to and including the elbow, three times, then the left.
8. Wipe your head. Pass wet hands over your head from the front to the back and back again, once.
9. Wipe your ears. With the same wet fingers, wipe the inside of the ears with the index fingers and the back with the thumbs.
10. Wash your feet. Wash the right foot up to and including the ankle, three times, making sure water reaches between the toes, then the left.

Uthman reported that the Prophet said whoever performs wudu like this and then prays two rak'ahs with full attention will have his past sins forgiven (Sahih al-Bukhari 159). Once you finish, you are ready to pray. Our guide on how to pray salah step by step continues from here.

What is obligatory and what is sunnah?

Every school agrees that the four acts named in the Quran are obligatory. They differ on what else is required for wudu to be valid. Rinsing the mouth and nose, washing three times and wiping the ears are sunnah (recommended) in most schools, though the Hanbali school treats rinsing the mouth and nose as part of washing the face.

In practice, if you follow the ten steps above in order, without long pauses, and rub each part as you wash, your wudu is valid in every school.

What is the dua after wudu?

After finishing, it is recommended to say the testimony of faith. Umar ibn al-Khattab reported that the Prophet said whoever performs wudu thoroughly and then says it will have the eight gates of Paradise opened for them, to enter by whichever they wish (Sahih Muslim 234).

Arabic: أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ

Say: Ash-hadu an la ilaha illa-llahu wahdahu la sharika lah, wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan 'abduhu wa rasuluh.

Meaning: I bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone, with no partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and messenger.

A version in Jami' at-Tirmidhi 55 adds:

Arabic: اللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْنِي مِنَ التَّوَّابِينَ وَاجْعَلْنِي مِنَ الْمُتَطَهِّرِينَ

Say: Allahumma-j'alni mina-t-tawwabina wa-j'alni mina-l-mutatahhirin.

Meaning: O God, make me among those who turn to You in repentance, and make me among those who purify themselves.

Al-Albani graded this addition authentic, while Ibn Hajar doubted that it belongs to the original hadith. Its wording echoes Quran 2:222: "Indeed, Allah loves those who are constantly repentant and loves those who purify themselves." The first sentence is the shahada, and God's name At-Tawwab means the One who accepts repentance.

How to perform wudu for women

Wudu is the same for women and men. Women often have a few practical questions.

What about the hijab?

Most scholars require that the wiping touches at least part of the hair or scalp itself. A simple way to do this in public is to loosen the front of the scarf and pass a wet hand over the front part of the head. The Hanafi school requires at least a quarter of the head, and the Maliki and Hanbali schools the whole head, so check how much your school requires. Some Hanbali scholars allow wiping over a headscarf wrapped under the chin when removing it is difficult.

Makeup and nail polish

Water must reach the skin and nails of the parts being washed. Ordinary nail polish forms a waterproof layer, so most scholars say it must be removed before wudu. Henna only stains the nail and does not block water, so it is fine. The same principle applies to makeup: thin, water-permeable makeup is generally not a problem, but waterproof layers that stop water reaching the skin need to be removed from the face first.

Menstruation

During menstruation or postnatal bleeding a woman does not pray, so wudu is not needed for prayer. When the bleeding ends, she takes a full bath (ghusl), not just wudu.

What breaks wudu?

Once you have wudu, you keep it until something breaks it. You can pray several prayers with the same wudu. All four schools agree on the main things that break it, and they differ on a few others.

Agreed by all four schools:

• Anything leaving the front or back private parts, including urine, feces and passing wind.
• Deep sleep in which a person loses awareness, especially lying down.
• Losing consciousness, through fainting, illness or intoxication.

Where the schools differ:

If you are unsure whether your wudu has broken, scholars teach that certainty is not removed by doubt: you remain in wudu unless you are sure it was broken.

Can you do wudu in the shower?

Yes. Wudu done in the shower is valid as long as you make the intention and the obligatory parts are washed and the head is wiped. Because the Shafi'i and Hanbali schools require the order, it is safest to wash the parts in the usual sequence rather than all at once. Many scholars also hold that a full ritual bath (ghusl) for major impurity counts as wudu as well, provided nothing breaks it before prayer.

Tayammum: wudu without water

Tayammum (tayammum, تيمم) is dry purification with clean earth, allowed when water cannot be found, or when using it would cause harm, for example through illness or extreme cold. The Quran permits it in Quran 4:43 and 5:6. The Prophet also said that the earth was made "a place for praying and a thing to perform Tayammum" for his community (Sahih al-Bukhari 335).

How to perform tayammum:

1. Make the intention to purify yourself for prayer.
2. Say Bismillah.
3. Strike clean earth, dust or stone lightly with both palms, and blow or shake off excess dust.
4. Wipe your face with both palms.
5. Wipe the back of each hand with the other palm.

This method, with a single strike and wiping to the wrists, follows the Prophet's demonstration to his companion Ammar ibn Yasir, recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, and is the Hanbali position. The Hanafi and Shafi'i schools teach two strikes, one for the face and a second for the arms up to the elbows. The Maliki school requires one strike and wiping to the wrists, and recommends a second strike and wiping to the elbows. Tayammum is broken by anything that breaks wudu, and by finding water.

Wiping over socks

Instead of washing the feet, a person who put on leather socks (khuffs) while in wudu may wipe over them. Al-Mughirah reported that the Prophet told him to leave his khuffs on because he had put them on in a state of purity, then wiped over them (Sahih al-Bukhari 206). All four schools accept this.

The Prophet set a limit of one day and night for a resident and three days and nights for a traveler, as Ali ibn Abi Talib reported (Sahih Muslim 276). The Hanafi, Shafi'i and Hanbali schools apply this limit, while the main Maliki view sets no fixed limit. On ordinary cloth socks, the schools differ: the Hanbali school and later Hanafi scholars allow wiping over thick socks that stay up on their own, and many contemporary scholars allow ordinary socks, while the Shafi'i and Maliki schools are stricter.

Read the verse of wudu on Quran Universe

You can read Quran 5:6 on Quran Universe with the Arabic text, word-by-word meaning and Tafsir Ibn Kathir, which explains each part of the verse. If you are new to Islam, our guide on how to convert to Islam puts wudu in the context of your first steps, and why Muslims pray five times a day explains how often you will use it.

Frequently asked questions

How do you perform wudu step by step?

Make the intention and say Bismillah. Wash your hands, rinse your mouth and nose, and wash your face, each three times. Wash your right arm then left arm up to the elbows. Wipe your head and ears once with wet hands. Finally, wash your right foot then left foot up to the ankles, three times each.

What is the dua after wudu?

After wudu, say: Ash-hadu an la ilaha illa-llahu wahdahu la sharika lah, wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan 'abduhu wa rasuluh, meaning "I bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone, with no partner, and that Muhammad is His servant and messenger." Sahih Muslim 234 says the eight gates of Paradise are opened for the person who says it.

What breaks wudu?

All schools agree that using the toilet, passing wind, deep sleep and losing consciousness break wudu. The schools differ on touching the opposite sex, touching one's private parts, bleeding, vomiting and eating camel meat. If you are unsure whether your wudu has broken, you remain in wudu until you are certain it was broken.

How do women perform wudu with hijab?

Women perform wudu exactly like men. For the head, most scholars require wiping at least part of the hair itself, which can be done by loosening the front of the scarf and passing a wet hand over the front of the head. Nail polish that blocks water must be removed first, while henna does not affect wudu.

What do you do if there is no water for wudu?

If water cannot be found, or using it would cause harm, Muslims perform tayammum. Strike clean earth or dust with both palms, then wipe the face and the hands. The Quran permits this in verses 4:43 and 5:6. Tayammum ends when water becomes available or when anything that breaks wudu occurs.