How to Perform Wudu: A Step-by-Step Guide (Hanafi)

Wudu (ablution) is the washing that prepares you to stand before Allah in prayer. It is short, simple and something you will do several times every day, so it is worth learning properly. The Prophet ﷺ said: "The prayer of a person who does Hadath (passes urine, stool or wind) is not accepted till he performs the ablution." (Sahih al-Bukhari 135)

This guide follows the Hanafi school. Other schools differ on some details, so if you follow a different madhab, check with your local scholar.

The verse of wudu

Allah describes wudu in the Quran:

يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓاْ إِذَا قُمۡتُمۡ إِلَى ٱلصَّلَوٰةِ فَٱغۡسِلُواْ وُجُوهَكُمۡ وَأَيۡدِيَكُمۡ إِلَى ٱلۡمَرَافِقِ وَٱمۡسَحُواْ بِرُءُوسِكُمۡ وَأَرۡجُلَكُمۡ إِلَى ٱلۡكَعۡبَيۡنِۚ

"O you who have believed, when you rise to [perform] prayer, wash your faces and your forearms to the elbows and wipe over your heads and wash your feet to the ankles." (Quran 5:6, opening part of the verse. Translation: Saheeh International)

The four obligatory (fard) acts of wudu

In the Hanafi school, wudu has only four integral (fard) acts. If any of these is missed, even by a small dry spot, the wudu is not valid:

1. Wash the whole face once.
2. Wash both arms up to and including the elbows once.
3. Wipe at least a quarter of the head with wet hands.
4. Wash both feet up to and including the ankles once.

Washing each part once is the obligation. Washing each part three times is an emphasised Sunnah, and wiping the whole head once is also an emphasised Sunnah.

How to perform wudu step by step

Humran, the freed slave of 'Uthman ibn 'Affan, described how 'Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) showed people the Prophet's wudu (Sahih al-Bukhari 159). The steps below follow that description, with the Hanafi rulings on each step.

1. Make your intention. In your heart, intend to purify yourself for prayer.
2. Wash your hands up to the wrists, three times.
3. Rinse your mouth, taking water in with your right hand.
4. Rinse your nose by drawing water in and blowing it out.
5. Wash your face three times, making sure the water covers the whole face.
6. Wash each arm three times from the fingertips up to and including the elbow.
7. Wipe your head once with wet hands. Wiping a quarter is the minimum; wiping the whole head is the Sunnah.
8. Wipe your ears.
9. Wash each foot three times up to and including the ankles, making sure water reaches between the toes and the heels.

Rinsing the mouth and nose and wiping the ears are a confirmed Sunnah (sunnah mu'akkadah) in the Hanafi school. Leaving them out does not make your wudu invalid, but you should not leave them without a reason, and making a habit of leaving them out is blameworthy.

The dua after wudu

'Umar ibn al-Khattab reported that the Prophet ﷺ taught that whoever performs wudu well and then says the following, the eight gates of Paradise are opened for him and he may enter by whichever he wishes (Sahih Muslim 234):

أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولُهُ

Ash-hadu an lā ilāha illallāhu wa anna Muḥammadan 'abdullāhi wa rasūluh

"I testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the servant of Allah and His Messenger."

The reward of a good wudu

In the same narration from 'Uthman, the Prophet ﷺ said that whoever performs wudu like his and then prays two rak'ahs with full focus, "then his past sins will be forgiven" (Sahih al-Bukhari 159). Wudu is not just a routine before prayer. It is an act of worship in itself.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Leaving dry spots, especially on the elbows, heels and between the toes. Because washing these is fard, a dry spot means the wudu is incomplete.
• Wasting water. Scholars list wasting water as disliked in wudu, even when using a tap.
• Being too stingy with water, so that the limbs are only dampened rather than washed.
• Splashing water hard against the face.
• Chatting about worldly things while making wudu.
• Getting someone else to help without a need.
• Doubting yourself. If you are unsure whether you wiped your head properly, wiping the whole head (the Sunnah) removes the doubt. Do not let baseless doubts (waswasa) take over.

Quick FAQs

Is my wudu valid if I only wash each part once?

Yes. In the Hanafi school, washing each part once completely is the obligation. Three times is the emphasised Sunnah, so aim for three when you can.

Do I have to wipe my whole head?

No. The obligation is to wipe at least a quarter of the head. Wiping the whole head once is the Sunnah.

Is my wudu valid if I forget to rinse my mouth?

Yes. In the Hanafi school, rinsing the mouth and nose is a confirmed Sunnah in wudu, not a fard. (In ghusl, the ritual bath, they are obligatory.)

What breaks wudu?

We will cover this in a separate guide, in sha' Allah.

This guide gives general information based on the Hanafi school. For your own circumstances, please consult a qualified scholar. Preparing for the holy month? See our Ramadan preparation checklist.