How to make wudhu according to the Sunnah

by Asma bint Shameem

Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala teaches us in the Qur’aan how to make wudhu.

🍃He said:

“O you who believe! When you intend to offer As-Salaat (the prayer), wash your faces and your hands (forearms) up to the elbows, rub (by passing wet hands over) your heads, and (wash) your feet up to ankles”

[Surah al-Maa’idah 5:6].

🌷The Pillars (Fardh) of wudhu

Based on the above Aayah, there are SIX essential parts (“pillars”) or Fardh of wudhu.

If any of these steps is missing, the wudhu is NOT VALID.

1. Washing the face, of which the mouth and nose are part once.

2. Washing the arms up to the elbows once.

3. Wiping the head.

4. Washing the feet up to the ankle once.

5. Washing these parts of the body in the proper order.

6. Doing these actions consecutively (that is, washing one after the other, with no lengthy lapse of time in between).

(ar-Rawd al-Murbi‘ ma‘a Haashiyat Ibn Qaasim 1/181-188).

🔺As for rinsing the mouth and nose, there’s a difference of opinion regarding this issue.

Some of the scholars said that it is mandatory while others said that it is a Sunnah.

So it is always better and safer not to skip rinsing the nose and mouth to avoid any areas of difference among the people of knowledge.

🍃 Shaykh Ibn Jibreen said:

"Madhmadhah (rinsing the mouth) means moving the water inside the mouth.

Istinshaaq (rinsing the nose) means sniffing water into the nostrils.

Istinthaar means blowing water out of the nose.

The preponderant opinion is that rinsing the mouth and nose is part of a complete ablution and a complete washing of the face; though many scholars held that it is a Sunnah.

Nevertheless, evidence indicates that it is obligatory and that whoever deliberately omits the rinsing of the mouth and nose in ablution is obliged to repeat it because he thus failed to wash one of the body parts that must be washed during ablution. The reported description of the Prophet’s wudhu indicates that he used to rinse his nose and mouth and commanded rinsing them in many Ahaadeeth.”

(Sharh ‘Umdat Al-Ahkaam)

🔺It is proven from the authentic Ahaadeeth that washing the body parts once or twice or thrice is the Sunnah.

The least is once. And the most is three times.

🍃Abi Raafi’ radhi Allaahu anhu said:

“I saw the Prophet ﷺ make wudhu Thalaathan Thalaathan (three), and Maratain Maratain (two), and marah marah (once).”

(at-Tabaraani; saheeh by al-Albaani)

🔺Some of the scholars are of the opinion that saying “Bismillaah” before beginning wudhu is fardh.

But the stronger scholarly opinion is that it’s Sunnah.

🌷The Sunnahs of wudhu:

🍃 Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan said:

The sunnahs of wudhu are as follows:

1. Using siwaak,

which is to be done when rinsing the mouth, so that by means of the siwaak and rinsing the mouth, the mouth will be cleansed for worship and be prepared for recitation of Qur’aan and conversing with Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted.

2. Say Bismillaah

It is prescribed to say Bismillaah according to the majority of scholars, but they differ as to whether it is obligatory or Sunnah.

If one remembers to say it, it may be said either at the beginning of Wudhu ’ or during it.“

3. Washing the hands three times when starting wudhu’, before washing the face, because of the hadiths which speak of that, and because the hands are the tools used to transport water to the other parts of the body, so washing them is prudent action before proceeding with wudhu’.

4. Starting by rinsing the mouth and nose before washing the face, because starting with them is mentioned in the hadiths; and one should do them thoroughly when not fasting.

What is meant by washing the mouth thoroughly is circulating water to all parts of the mouth, and when rinsing the nose it means taking up water to the deepest part of the nose.

So it is Sunnah to exaggerate in snuffing water up the nose unless you’re fasting.

🍃 The Prophet ﷺ said:

“Do wudhu’ well, make the water run in between your fingers and toes, and go to extremes in rinsing the nose, unless you are fasting.”

(Abu Dawood 142 and al-Tirmidhi 788; saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi)

🍃 And the Prophet ﷺ said:

“If anyone of you makes wudhu, then let him put water in his nose.”

(Saheeh Muslim 237)

But that doesn’t mean that it’s “necessary” to snuff up water in the nose all the way.

Rather just washing the nostrils is enough.

🍃 Shaikh Ibn Uthaymeen said:

“It is not necessary to snuff water.

That is: if he takes water in his hand until he enters it to the nostrils, that suffices.

The water reaching the top of the nose is not an obligation and I do not think, In Shaa’ Allaah that there is any harm in it”

(Liqaa al-Bab al-Maftooh no. 215)

5. In the case of a thick beard, ensuring that water reaches throughout; and making sure that water gets in between the fingers and toes.

6. Starting on the right in the case of the hands/arms and feet, before the left.

7. Washing more than once, up to three times, when washing the face, hands/arms and feet.

(al-Mulakhkhas al-Fiqhi 1/44-45)

Wiping the ears is also considered a Sunnah according to the majority of the scholars.

🔺How to do wudhu according to the Sunnah

🍃Humraan the freed slave of ‘Uthmaan radhi Allaahu anhu said:

“Uthmaan ibn ‘Affaan radhi Allaahu anhu called for water to do wudhu.

He washed his hands three times, then he rinsed his mouth and nose, then he washed his face three times, then he washed his right arm up to the elbow three times, then he washed his left arm likewise.

Then he wiped his head, then he washed his right foot up to the ankle three times, then he washed his left foot likewise.

Then he said, “I saw the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ doing wudhu’ as I have done it, then the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ said:

“Whoever does wudhu as I have done it, then prays two rak’ahs in which he focuses completely on his prayer, his previous sins will be forgiven.’” (Saheeh Muslim 331)

So the way to perform wudhu is the following:

1- Have the intention

Remember the intention is in the heart and NOTHING to be said verbally.

2- Say Bismillaah

3- Wash your hands three times from the fingertips up to the wrists

4- Rinse your mouth three times, swirling the water around inside your mouth, and rinse your nose three times, blowing the water out and using the left hand to remove the water from your nose.

Keep in mind that the Sunnah is to wash the mouth and nose “simultaneously” with one scoop of water.

You put half of it in the mouth and sniff up the other half in the nose and blow it out.

But if you do it separately, the wudhu is still valid.

5- Wash you face three times, from the hairline to the jawbone and chin, and from ear to ear.

A man should wash the hair of his beard because it is part of the face.

If his beard is thin he has to wash it inside and out, and if it is thick and covers the skin, he should wash the surface of it only and run his wet fingers through it.

6- Wash your arms three times, starting from the right arm, from the fingertips, including the nails, up to and including the elbows.

7- Wipe your head and ears ONCE with fresh water, not the water left over from washing his arms.

8- Wash the feet three times from the toes up to and including the ankles, starting from the right foot first, paying special attention to the area in between the toes, the heels and the ankle bones.

After doing wudhu it is recommended to say the duaas for wudhu.

Also it’s important to remove anything stuck to the skin before washing for wudhu, such as nail polish, wax, dough, mud, paint, etc, that could prevent water from reaching the skin.

🔺Wiping the head

Although wiping the head is usually done once, according to Shaykh al-Albaani, the Prophet ﷺ also sometimes wiped his head three times.

🍃Shaykh al-Albaani said:

“rather, it is authentic from the hadeeth of ‘Uthmaan that the Prophet ﷺ wiped his head three times.”

Reported by Abu Dawood with a good chain and for it also are 3 good isnaad and I’ve spoken about these chains in some detail in Saheeh Abi Dawood 95 & 98.

Al-Haafidh (ibn Hajr al-Asqalaani) said in al-Fath (explanation of Saheeh al-Bukhaari):

“Abu Dawood reported from two viewpoints and one of them authenticated by ibn Khuzaymah and other than him in the hadeeth of ‘Uthmaan that he wiped his head three times…”

I (Shaykh al-Albaani) say:

“it’s the haqq, because it’s reported once even if it’s done more (than once up to three), there’s no problem because it’s reported that it’s done three times.

It’s sunnah, and from its affair is that it’s acted on sometimes and it’s abandoned sometimes and it’s as-San’aani preferred it in “Sabulus Salaam” (explanation of Bulughul Maraam) so return to it if you will.”

(Tamaamul Minnah fit Ta’leeq ‘ala Fiqhis Sunnah)

🔺How to wipe the head:

Put your wet hands at the front of your head and bring them to the back of your head, then bring them back to the place where you started.

Then put your index fingers in your ears and wipe the back of the ears with your thumbs.

A woman should wipe her head the same way as the man, except that she doesn’t have to bring her hands back up towards the front of her head.

🔺 What about wiping the NECK?

Wiping the neck during wudhu is not part of the Sunnah.

All the ahaadeeth regarding this wiping are NOT authentic and are graded as “da’eef” according to the the scholars of hadeeth.

🍃 Ibn Taymiyah said:

“There is no saheeh report from the Prophet ﷺ which says that he wiped his neck during wudhu;

rather no such thing has been narrated from him in any saheeh hadeeth.

Rather the saheeh ahaadeeth which describe the wudhu of the Prophet ﷺ do NOT mention that he wiped his neck.

Hence the majority of scholars, such as Maalik, al-Shaafa’i and Ahmed did not regard that as mustahabb.

Those who say that it is mustahabb rely on a da’eef (weak) hadeeth which says that he wiped his head until he reached the back of his head.

Such reports cannot be relied on, and it does not contradict what is indicated by the sound ahaadeeth.

Whoever does not wipe his neck, his wudhu is valid according to scholarly consensus.”

(Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 21/127)

🍃Ibn al-Qayyim said:

“There is no saheeh hadeeth from the Prophet ﷺ about wiping the neck at all.”

(Zaad al-Ma’aad 1/195)

🍃Shaykh Ibn Baaz said:

“It is not mustahabb or prescribed in sharee’ah to wipe the neck, rather the head and the ears only are to be wiped, as is indicated by the Qur’aan and Sunnah.”

(Majmoo’ Fataawa Ibn Baaz, 10/103)

🌷 How to make wudhu without extravagance or wasting water

Someone asked Shaykh Abdul-Muhsin Al-Abbaad:

“How do we use the water for wudhu without extravagance if the water runs continuously?”

He said:

“Water runs from the faucet in every place. So it is upon the one making wudhu that when he opens the faucet that he does not open it with strength.

Rather, he opens it in accordance to what suffices him. When he is making wudhu, he should not increase beyond three washes [of every limb].

So like that a person will not be an extravagant one.

So he does not exceed the limit and he does not let the water flow powerfully such that a lot of water is wasted during the wudhu”.

(Sharh Sunan Abu Dawood 98)

And Allaah knows best