In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

Wudūʾ, or ablution, is both a traditional ritual and a practical means by which Muslims seek to maintain good physical and spiritual hygiene. Prior to entering Salāt (prayer), the person is required to undertake a certain purification procedure known as “Wudūʾ” without which, the person’s prayer would not be acceptable in the sight of “Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala). Traditionally, Wudūʾ refers to the mental preparation and physical cleanliness of Muslims for the Salāt (prayer/Tholugai), one of the Five Pillars of Islam.

This performance is called Wudūʾ and is preferably carried out as follows:

Step 1

Declare the intention (niyyah) for Wudūʾ in your heart and say Bismillah  (In the Name of Allah).

Step 2

labik-allhumah-labik

Wash the right hand up to and including the wrists three times.  Make sure to rub between the fingers of the hand. And thus make sure no part of the hand is left dry. Then do the same with the left hand for three times.

Step 3

Using your right hand make cup with water and take into your mouth three times. Swish it around in your cheeks and the back of your throat. Do this thoroughly to get all the remaining food in your mouth out.

Step 4

Use your right hand to cup water and inhale it into your nose three times. You can use your left hand to close one nostril and blow out if you need to. Snort sharply and abruptly without taking too much water into your nose and choking yourself. If you cannot inhale water into your nose, you can wet your fingers and put water on the lower part of your nostril.

Step 5

Wash your face three times by spreading your hands from the hairline to the jawbone and chin, from your right ear to the left.
A man should wash the hair of his beard by taking a handful of water and entering it below his chin and rubbing it through his beard and passing the wet fingers through the beard.

Step 6

Wash the right arm  up to  and including  the elbow three times. The arm extends from the fingertips, including the nails, to the lower part of the upper arm. It is essential to remove anything stuck to the hands before washing them, such as dough, mud, paint, nail polish etc. that could prevent the water from reaching the skin. Repeat the same process with the left arm for three times.

Step 7

Wet your hands in water, place both hands at the front of the head (beginning of hairline) and wipe the head backwards until you reach the nape. Then bring them back to the front of the head (beginning of hairline). This process is done only once.
With regard to a woman’s hair, she should wipe it whether it is loose or braided from the front of her head to the roots of the hair at the nape and then bring forward as above, but she does not have to wipe the entire length of her hair.

Step 8

Clean the ears by inserting the tips of the index fingers into the ears. Twist them round the folds of the ears. Then wipe the back of the ears with your thumbs. From bottom of the ear upwards. This process in done only once.

Step 9

Wash the right feet up to and including the ankles for three times, you should enter the water between the toes with your little finger and then wash the foot (note not wipe feet but wash them) and make sure you wash the sole of the foot and heals. Make sure no parts of the foot is left dry. Wash the left feet same as the right foot three times.

Step 10

While pointing the right index finger to the sky, recite a brief prayer of witness. Generally, the prayer is as follows:

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

“أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إلَّا اللهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّداً عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ”.

In English, this is translated as “I bear witness that there is no deity other than Allah alone; He is One; He has no partner and I bear witness that (Hadrat) Muhammad (sallallahu ala Muhammadu sallallahu alaihu Wasallam) is His (chosen) servant and (true) Messenger.”

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Note:

• Praying in masjid (mosque) is a reclamation. If you offer namaz in masjid (mosque) then kindly recite the below mentioned du’aa’ upon entering and leaving the masjid (mosque):

Dua upon entering the masjid (mosque)

أَعُوذُ بِاللهِ الْعَظِيمِ وَبِوَجْهِهِ الْكَرِيمِ وَسُلْطَانِهِ الْقَدِيمِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ
“A‛oodhu billaahil-‛aẓeemi wa biwajhi-hil-kareemi wa sulṭaani-hil-qadeemi minash-shayṭaan-ir-rajeem”
I seek refuge with Allah, The Supreme and with His Noble Face, and His eternal authority from the accursed devil.

Dua upon leaving the masjid (mosque)

 اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ
“Allaa-hum-ma innee as’aluka min faḍ-lik”
Peace be upon the Messenger of Allah. O Allah, I ask You from Your favour.

• If you perform Wudūʾ in wash room then kindly recite the below mentioned du’aa’ before entering and leaving the wash room:

Dua before entering the toilet

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْخُبُثِ وَالْخَبَائِثِ

“Bismillaah, allaahumma innee a‛oodhu bika minal-khubuthi wal-khabaa’ith”

O Allah, I seek refuge with you from all evil and evil-doers.

Dua after leaving the toilet

غُفْرَانَكَ

“Ghufraanak”

I ask You (Allah) for forgiveness.

• Repeat Wudūʾ after it has been nullified. Actions that nullify Wudūʾ include natural discharges, including urination, defecation, excessive bleeding, and gas. Deep sleep also nullifies Wudūʾ.
  After intercourse, re-performing Wudūʾ alone is not enough to be able to perform Salāt. There is another form of purification that must be performed known as Ghusul (Shower).