Wudhu

 What is wudhu?

Before we can pray salah we must prepare ourselves mentally, physically and spiritually. A large portion of this preparation is what is known as wudhu (ablution). It is a purification process that every Muslim must perform before their prayers can be read or accepted. It holds such importance in Islam that if anyone decided to leave it due to forgetfulness, ignorance or negligence their prayer will not be accepted.

Our beloved Prophet Muhammad (Peace and blessings be upon him) said:

"No salah is accepted without wudhu (purification)" Sahih Muslim, Book 2, Hadith 2

So how do we perform wudhu?


Step 1- Make your intention to perform wudhu 

The first step is to understand that you are about to begin the process of wudhu so that you can perform salah. There are no words or special statements that need to be said here. Creating the intention is a matter of heart and mind. As long as you fully know within your heart that you intend to perform wudhu to pray salah your intention will be accepted. 


Step 2- Say bismillah 

This is a critical part of making wudhu. Before we begin to wash ourselves we must say bismillah (In the name of Allah). You can say it silently to yourself.

 

Step 3- Wash your hands three times 

Prophet Muhammad (Peace and blessings be upon him) taught us to start with our right side first. That means you will need to wash your right hand from the fingertips to the wrist three times. Make sure water touches every part of the hand. Then repeat this action three times with the left hand.  


Step 4- Rinse your mouth three times 

Take some water into your right hand and rinse your mouth three times. Do this thoroughly to clean your mouth properly. 


Step 5- Sniff water into your nostrils three times 

Take some water into your right hand and sniff it into your nose. I used the word 'sniff' here to give you an idea of what this means. You will need to snort or inhale the water into your nose and then blow it out, just so that the water touches the soft part of your nose. Repeat this three times. Be sure not to take too much water in or you may hurt yourself. 


Step 6- Wash your face three times 

Every part of the face needs to be washed. That means from ear to ear and from the top of your . forehead to the bottom of your chin. Do this step three times. For men who have beards take your wet hands and pass them through your beard as you wash your face. 


Step 7- Wash your arms three times 

Start from the fingertips and wash your right arm up to the elbow three times. Make sure that no part is left dry. Afterwards, follow the same process to your left arm and do it three times. 


Step 8- Wipe your head once 

Did you notice I said 'wipe' not 'wash'. The choice of words here was intentional. Move your wet hands from the top of the forehead to the back of the head. This is only done once. It doesn't matter whether you have long hair or short, or even if you are bold. The process is the same for everyone. 


Step 9- Clean your ears once 

This step should be performed with the same water from step 8. Using your wet hands you will use your index finger to clean the inside of your ears and your thumb to clean the area behind your ears. This is only done once. 


Step 10- Wash your feet three times 

Similar to what was done with our hands, we will also wash our feet three times. Begin from your toes on your right foot and wash up to and including the ankle. Make sure water touches every area of the right foot, especially between the toes and the back of the ankle. Do this three times with the right foot then repeat with the left food. 


Step 11- Recite the shahadah 

When the prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would complete his wudhu he would say the shahadah:

'Ash-hadu an la ilaha ilal lahu wa ash hadu anna Muhammadan 'abduhu wa rasuluh'

Which means: I testify that there is no God but Allah and I testify that Muhammad (Peace and blessings be upon him) is His servant and messenger"


And your wudhu is now complete and you can go to perform your salah 😊

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