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How to Perform Wudu

The ablution for prayer, step by step — with its order, its counts and the boundaries that are fard. Based on the Hanafi school following the Diyanet Ilmihal; the differences of the other schools are stated separately.

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Wudu has four fard acts

If any one of these four is missing, the wudu is not valid. The remaining steps are sunnah: they carry reward and a sequence, but the validity of wudu rests on these four. (According to the Hanafi school.)

  1. Fard 1Washing the faceFrom the hairline to under the chin, from ear to ear
  2. Fard 2Washing the armsThe elbows are inside the washed area
  3. Fard 3Wiping the headOne quarter is sufficient
  4. Fard 4Washing the feetThe ankles are inside the washed area

Step by step

Together with the sunnah and mustahabb acts the full sequence is fourteen steps. Four of them are fard and marked in gold. For the washing steps once is fard; washing three times is sunnah.

  1. Sunnah

    Intention (niyyah)

    The intention to perform wudu is made in the heart. It does not have to be spoken.

  2. Sunnah

    Basmala

    One says: “Bismillâhirrahmânirrahîm.”

  3. Sunnah3 times

    The hands, up to the wrists

    The spaces between the fingers are rubbed. A ring is moved so that water reaches underneath it.

  4. Sunnah

    Cleaning the teeth (miswak)

    If no miswak is available, a toothbrush or a finger fulfils this sunnah.

  5. Sunnah3 times

    Rinsing the mouth — madmada

    Water is taken into the mouth with the right hand and swirled.

  6. Sunnah3 times

    Drawing water into the nose — istinshâq

    Water is drawn in with the right hand and cleared with the left.

  7. Fard3 times

    Washing the face

    The whole face is washed so that no spot remains dry.

    The fard boundaryFrom the hairline to below the chin; from one earlobe to the other.

  8. Fard3 timesRight arm first

    Washing the right arm

    Begin at the fingertips and rub every side of the arm.

    The fard boundaryFrom the fingertips past the elbow — the elbow is inside the washed area.

    Most often missed: the elbow and the back of the arm.

  9. Fard3 timesThen the left arm

    Washing the left arm

    The same boundary and the same count as the right arm.

  10. Fardonce

    Wiping the head

    The hands are moistened and passed over the head. This is not washing but mash (wiping): no water is poured, the wet hand is drawn across.

    The fard measureOne quarter of the head. Wiping all of it is sunnah.

  11. Sunnahonce

    Wiping the ears

    The index fingers go into the ear openings, the thumbs behind the ears.

    No fresh water is taken for the ears; the moisture left from wiping the head suffices.

  12. Sunnahonce

    Wiping the nape

    The nape and neck are wiped with the back of the hand.

  13. Fard3 timesRight foot first

    Washing the right foot

    The spaces between the toes are rubbed with the little finger of the left hand.

    The fard boundaryFrom the toes past the ankle bone — the ankle is inside the washed area.

    Most often missed: the heel and the spaces between the toes.

  14. Fard3 timesThen the left foot

    Washing the left foot

    The same boundary and the same count as the right foot. The wudu is complete here.

Differences between the schools

The sequence follows the Hanafi school. In the other schools the degree of individual steps changes: the order stays the same, the ruling changes.

Is the intention (niyyah) fard?
Hanafi
Sunnah. A wudu performed without an explicit intention is valid; without intention, however, it lacks the reward of an act of worship.
Shafi'i · Maliki · Hanbali
Fard; without intention the wudu is not complete.
Must the order (tartib) be kept?
Hanafi · Maliki
Sunnah.
Shafi'i · Hanbali
Fard; if the order is broken the wudu is performed again.
Must it be performed without interruption (muwalat)?
Hanafi · Shafi'i
Sunnah.
Maliki · Hanbali
Fard; it must be completed before the limbs dry.
How much of the head is wiped?
Hanafi
One quarter is fard.
Shafi'i
Wiping a part of the head is sufficient.
Maliki · Hanbali
The whole head is wiped.

Frequently asked questions

How many fard acts does wudu have?

According to the Hanafi school, four: washing the face, washing the arms including the elbows, wiping one quarter of the head, and washing the feet including the ankles.

How many times is each limb washed?

Once is fard. Washing three times is sunnah and the customary practice. More than three times is considered excess and is not recommended.

Does the whole head have to be wiped?

In the Hanafi school one quarter is fard and wiping all of it is sunnah. In the Maliki and Hanbali schools the whole head is wiped.

Is fresh water taken for the ears?

Not in the Hanafi school; the moisture remaining from wiping the head is sufficient.

What is the difference between washing and wiping (mash)?

In washing, water flows over the limb; in mash no water is poured and the wet hand is drawn across it. The head, the ears and the nape are wiped.

What is done when there is no water?

If the conditions are met, tayammum is performed; it takes the place of wudu.

Related pages

GhuslThe full-body washing — its fard acts and orderTayammumWhen no water is availableNamaz vakitleriPrayer times for cities in Türkiye

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Note

Source: Presidency of Religious Affairs of Türkiye (Diyanet), Ilmihal I — Faith and Worship, chapter “Wudu”.

This page is not a fatwa. It is a reminder of the sequence and the fard boundaries. For a question about your own situation, consult a mosque community or a qualified person.