The Correct Method of Wudu Step by Step: What Is Obligatory and What Is Sunnah?
Wudu is a great act of worship and a purification prescribed by Allah for Muslims before prayer. The Quran establishes its basis, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) explained its method through his practice. Some details concerning the recommended acts are matters of scholarly disagreement. This article therefore presents the established practical method while distinguishing between what is obligatory and what is more complete, based on verse 6 of Surat al-Ma’idah and fatwas by Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Baz published on his official website.
The Basis of Wudu in the Quran
Allah Almighty said: “O you who believe, when you rise for prayer, wash your faces and your hands up to the elbows, wipe your heads, and wash your feet up to the ankles” [al-Ma’idah: 6]. The verse identifies the main body parts involved in wudu: the face; the hands up to the elbows; the head, which is wiped; and the feet up to the ankles.
The Method of Wudu Step by Step
A Muslim should form the intention for wudu in the heart; it is not necessary to utter the intention aloud. It is prescribed to begin by saying “In the name of Allah.” Then one washes the hands, rinses the mouth and inhales water into the nose, and washes the entire face. Next, one washes the right hand up to and including the elbow, then the left, wipes the head and ears once, and then washes the right foot up to and including the ankle, followed by the left.
The more complete practice when washing the applicable body parts is to wash each three times, without wasting water. The head, however, is wiped once. It is established that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) performed wudu washing each part once, twice, and three times. Therefore, washing a body part once while ensuring that water reaches all of it is sufficient for the basic requirement of washing; washing it three times is Sunnah and more complete where it is prescribed.
What Is Obligatory and What Is Sunnah?
According to Sheikh bin Baz, the basic obligatory acts are washing the face; washing the hands up to and including the elbows; wiping the head; and washing the feet up to and including the ankles, while observing the order and continuity included in the method of wudu, according to the relevant jurisprudential details. Rinsing the mouth and inhaling water into the nose are considered part of washing the face by a group of scholars. They should therefore be observed and not omitted.
Washing the hands at the beginning of wudu and washing the body parts three times are generally among the Sunnah practices, with specific rulings concerning washing the hands after nighttime sleep. Scholars have differed over saying “In the name of Allah” at the beginning of wudu: some consider it obligatory when one remembers, while others consider it Sunnah. Maintaining this practice is therefore the safer and more complete course. Sheikh bin Baz stated that a person who forgets it or is unaware of its ruling bears no blame.
Is Istinja Required Before Every Wudu?
No. Istinja is not required before every wudu. If the cause of the invalidation of wudu is, for example, passing wind or sleep, it is not necessary to wash the place from which an impurity emerges; one simply performs the prescribed wudu. If urine or feces is discharged, however, the traces of the discharge must be removed through istinja or istijmar in the prescribed manner, followed by wudu.
What Should Be Said After Wudu?
Among the established supplications after completing wudu is for a Muslim to say: “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.” The basis of this remembrance is established in Sahih Muslim. The addition, “O Allah, make me among those who constantly repent and make me among those who purify themselves,” appears in a narration in al-Tirmidhi, and Sheikh bin Baz stated that its chain of transmission is hasan (good).
Important Note
The purpose of wudu is to achieve purification in the prescribed manner, not to give in to obsessive doubts or repeat the washing of body parts without need. For the obligatory washing, it is sufficient for water to cover the body part once, while washing three times is more complete for the parts that are washed. In matters over which there is valid scholarly disagreement, such as the ruling on saying “In the name of Allah” and certain details concerning rinsing the mouth and inhaling water into the nose, people should not denounce one another in matters of juristic reasoning. Anyone who needs a ruling concerning a specific situation should note that this article is not a personal fatwa and should consult a reliable scholarly authority.
Sources
The Holy Quran: Surat al-Ma’idah, verse 6.
The official website of Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Baz: “The Prescribed Method of Wudu and What Is Said After It” — https://binbaz.org.sa/fatwas/18835/
The official website of Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Baz: “The Obligatory Acts and Sunnahs of Wudu” — https://binbaz.org.sa/fatwas/13505/
The official website of Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Baz: “The Method of the Prophet’s Wudu” — https://binbaz.org.sa/fatwas/3649/
