We need to prepare mentally, physically, and emotionally before we can do salah. The word for a big part of this planning is “wudu.” It is a ritual that every Muslim has to do to clean themselves before they can pray.

This part of the salah is so important that if someone skips it because they don’t know how or forgot to do it, Allah will not accept their prayer.

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: “No salah is accepted without wudu (purification)”

Sahih Muslim, Book 2, Hadith 2

How To Perform Ablution / Wudu

For Muslims, wudu (or Wudhu) is an important part of being pure and clean before worship. It is a cleansing practice or ablution. You wash your hands, mouth, nose, arms, face, ears, hair, and feet in a certain order. It gets you emotionally and physically ready for prayer, so it’s important to do it right.

Step 1 – Set Your Mind On Doing Wudu

Before you can do prayer, you must first understand that you are about to start the process of wudu. These are not necessary words or statements. Intention is something that comes from the heart and mind.

Step 2 – Say Bismillah

This is a very important part of making wudu. We need to say Bismillah, which means “In the Name of Allah,” before we wash our hands. You can say it to yourself in mind.

Step 3 – Wash Your Hands Three Times

We learned to start with our right side from Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). That means you have to wash your right hand three times, from the tips of your fingers to your wrist.

Water should touch every part of your hand. After that, use your left hand three times to do the same thing.

Step 4 – Rinse Your Mouth Three Times

Use your right hand to hold water and rinse your mouth three times. Do this all the way through to clean your mouth right.

Step 5 – Sniff Water Into Your Nostrils Three Times

Put some water in your right hand and breathe it in.

To help you understand what this means, we used the word “sniff.” Three times, you need to snort or breathe the water into your nose and then blow it out. If you drink too much water, you could hurt yourself.

Step 6 – Wash Your Face Three Times

It is necessary to wash the whole face. From ear to ear and from the top of your head to the bottom of your chin. Do this three times.

For guys with beards, wash your face and run your wet hands through your beard.

Step 7 – Wash Your Arms Three Times

To clean your right arm three times, start at the tips and work your way up to the elbow. Make sure there are no dry spots. After that, do the same thing three times with your left arm.

Step 8 – Wipe Your Head Once

In step 8, it says to “wipe” your head instead of “wash.” There was thought behind the words used here. Put your wet hands on the forehead and move them to the back of the head. Then, move your hands from the back of the head to the forehead. Only one time is this done.

It’s not important what kind of hair you have. The process is the same whether you have hair that is long or short.

Step 9 – Clean Your Ears Once

You should use the same water from step 8 for this step. When your hands are wet, clean the inside of your ears with your middle finger and the back of your ears with your thumb.

Only one time is this done.

Step 10 – Wash Your Feet Three Times

The same way we washed our hands, we will now wash our feet three times. Start at the toes of your right foot and wash all the way up to your ankle. Don’t forget to wet the right foot all the way up to the back of the ankle and between the toes. Three times with your right foot, then three times with your left foot.

What Are The Duas Of Wudu?

1

‘Ash-hadu ‘an laa ‘ilaaha ‘illallaahu wahdahu laa shareeka lahu wa ‘ash-hadu ‘anna Muhammadan ‘abduhu wa Rasooluhu.

I bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah alone, Who has no partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and His Messenger.

Reference: Muslim 1/209.

2

Allaahummaj’alnee minat-tawwaabeena waj’alnee minal-mutatahhireen.

O Allah, make me among those who turn to You in repentance, and make me among those who are purified.

Reference: At-Tirmithi 1/78. See also Al-Albani, Sahih At- Tirmithi 1/18

3

Subhaanaka Allaahumma wa bihamdika, ‘ash-hadu ‘an laa ‘ilaaha ‘illaa ‘Anta, ‘astaghfiruka wa ‘atoobu ‘ilayk.

Glory is to You, O Allah, and praise; I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but You. I seek Your forgiveness and turn to You in repentance.

Reference: An-Nasa’i, ‘Amalul-Yawm wal-Laylah, p. 173. See also Al-Albani, ‘Irwa’ul-Ghalil 1/135 and 2/94.

Conclusion

Wudu is a vital act of purification that holds significant importance in Islam. It is not just a physical cleansing but also a mental and spiritual preparation for salah. By following the correct steps of wudu, a Muslim ensures they are in the proper state of cleanliness to stand before Allah in prayer.

The detailed process of washing specific body parts, coupled with sincere intention, reflects the importance of purity in worship. The duas recited at the end of wudu further emphasize the connection to Allah, asking for forgiveness and guidance. Therefore, performing wudu correctly is essential for accepting salah and maintaining the spiritual and physical purity required in daily prayers.