The sunnahs and preferred acts (mustahabbat) of ablution (wudu)
Everything in the method of ablution (wudu) beyond the four obligations: the sunnahs, the recommended (mustahabb) acts, and the words recommended at each step.
Besides the four must-do parts, there are extra good things (sunnah and mustahabb) that make your wudu better and earn you more reward. We already showed the full order in How to Make Wudu: here is why some of those extra steps matter.
Sunnahs: the Prophet's ﷺ way
- Make the intention in your heart.
- Say Bismillah at the start.
- Wash your hands up to the wrist.
- Rinse your mouth.
- Use a miswak, if you have one.
- Put water in your nose.
- Comb your beard with your fingers, if you have one.
- Spread your fingers apart so water gets between them.
- Wipe your whole head once.
- Wipe both ears once.
- Spread your toes apart so water gets between them.
- Wash each part three times.
- Wash each part before the last one dries.
- Do all the parts in the right order.
These are the sunnahs: the way the Prophet ﷺ himself made wudu, as his Companions showed it. He said Bismillah, washed his hands, used the miswak, rinsed his mouth and nose, ran water through his beard and between his fingers and toes, wiped his whole head and ears once, and washed each part three times.
123456789101112131415It is also good (mustahabb) to sit somewhere raised, face the qibla, use your right hand for rinsing your mouth and taking water into your nose, use your left hand to clean your nose and to wash your feet, wash your right side before your left, and not ask anyone to help you with wudu unless you really need it.
It is good to start with the right side, to put your little finger into your ears when wiping them, to wipe your neck, to move a loose ring so water gets under it, and to drink the leftover water standing up, as Ali did after showing the Prophet's ﷺ wudu.
12345678After you finish wudu, it is good to say the Shahada and ask Allah's blessing on the Prophet ﷺ; this brings extra reward.
After wudu, the Prophet ﷺ taught the Shahada and the supplication, and promised the gates of Paradise to whoever says them after a good wudu. Reading Surah al-Qadr and praying two rakats afterwards are also rewarded.
1234Here are the words to say when you have finished. They have three parts: you say that you believe in Allah and His Messenger ﷺ, you ask Allah to make you someone who says sorry and stays clean, and you ask Him to make you one of His good servants.
أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ. اللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْنِي مِنَ التَّوَّابِينَ وَاجْعَلْنِي مِنَ الْمُتَطَهِّرِينَ وَاجْعَلْنِي مِنْ عِبَادِكَ الصَّالِحِينَ
Ashhadu an lā ilāha illallāhu waḥdahu lā sharīka lah, wa ashhadu anna Muḥammadan ʿabduhu wa rasūluh. Allāhumma'jʿalnī mina't-tawwābīna, wa'jʿalnī mina'l-mutaṭahhirīn, wa'jʿalnī min ʿibādika'ṣ-ṣāliḥīn.
I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah alone, without any partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger. O Allah, make me among those who constantly repent, make me among those who purify themselves, and make me among Your righteous servants.
Beyond the four obligations, everything else in the method of wudu is either sunnah (the Prophet's ﷺ established practice, whose habitual neglect is blameworthy though the wudu remains valid) or mustahabb: recommended, earning reward but carrying no blame if left out. All of it is already set out in order in How to Make Wudu; this page lists the two categories on their own, together with the words recommended at each step.
| # | Sunnah |
|---|---|
| 1 | Making the intention (niyyah). |
| 2 | Saying the name of Allah (Bismillah). |
| 3 | Washing both hands up to the wrists. |
| 4 | Rinsing the mouth. |
| 5 | Using a miswak. |
| 6 | Putting water into the nose. |
| 7 | Combing through the beard with the fingers. |
| 8 | Separating the fingers of both hands. |
| 9 | Wiping the whole head once. |
| 10 | Wiping both ears once. |
| 11 | Separating the toes of both feet. |
| 12 | Washing each limb three times. |
| 13 | Washing the limbs in succession, one before the previous one dries. |
| 14 | Performing wudu in the correct order. |
Leaving these out does not invalidate the wudu, but leaving them out habitually is blameworthy.
The sunnahs of wudu are the acts of the Prophet's ﷺ own method, as Uthman and Ali showed it, beyond the four obligations: the intention, Bismillah, washing the hands, the miswak, rinsing the mouth and nose, running water through the beard and between the fingers and toes, wiping the whole head and the ears once, and washing each limb three times, in order and without a pause.
123456789101112131415| # | Preferred act |
|---|---|
| 1 | Sitting in an elevated place. |
| 2 | Facing the qiblah. |
| 3 | Using a clay pot for the water. |
| 4 | Using the right hand to rinse the mouth and to take water into the nose. |
| 5 | Using the left hand to clean the nose. |
| 6 | Washing the face with both hands. |
| 7 | Washing the hands from the fingers toward the wrists, not from the elbows. |
| 8 | Inserting the little finger into the ear holes when wiping the ears. |
| 9 | Wiping the neck. |
| 10 | Washing the feet with the left hand. |
| 11 | Rubbing the limbs while washing them. |
| 12 | Washing the right limb before the left. |
| 13 | Washing the limbs more than the prescribed amount. |
| 14 | Moving a loose ring while making wudu. |
| 15 | Not asking anyone for help with wudu unless it is necessary. |
| 16 | Drinking the water left over from wudu, while standing. |
Item 13 is given exactly as the source text states it, even though it appears to sit alongside the makruh rule against washing a part more than three times: see the note flagged on this batch for the owner to clarify.
The preferred acts refine the method further: beginning with the right, inserting the little fingers into the ears, wiping the neck, moving a ring so water passes beneath it, washing beyond the prescribed limits, and drinking the leftover water standing, as Ali did after demonstrating the Prophet's ﷺ wudu.
12345678It is also mustahabb to recite specific words while washing or wiping each part, as mentioned in Hadith, and to send blessings (salawat) on the Prophet ﷺ after washing each limb. Reciting the shahada and sending blessings on the Prophet ﷺ after wudu is itself a means of reward.
اَللّٰهُمَّ أَعِنِّيْ عَلىٰ تِلَاوَةِ الْقُرْآنِ وَذِكْرِكَ وَشُكْرِكَ وَحُسْنِ عِبَادَتِكَ
Allāhumma aʿinnī ʿalā tilāwati'l-Qurʾāni wa dhikrika wa shukrika wa ḥusni ʿibādatik
O Allah, help me to recite the Qur'an, to remember You, to thank You, and to worship You well.
اَللّٰهُمَّ أَرِحْنِيْ رَائِحَةَ الْجَنَّةِ وَلَا تُرِحْنِيْ رَائِحَةَ النَّارِ
Allāhumma ariḥnī rāʾiḥata'l-jannati wa lā turiḥnī rāʾiḥata'n-nār
O Allah, let me smell the fragrance of Paradise, and do not let me smell the odour of the Fire.
اَللّٰهُمَّ بَيِّضْ وَجْهِيْ يَوْمَ تَبْيَضُّ وُجُوهٌ وَتَسْوَدُّ وُجُوهٌ
Allāhumma bayyiḍ wajhī yawma tabyaḍḍu wujūhun wa taswaddu wujūh
O Allah, make my face bright on the day when some faces will be made bright and other faces will be darkened.
اَللّٰهُمَّ أَعْطِنِيْ كِتَابِيْ بِيَمِينِيْ وَحَاسِبْنِيْ حِسَابًا يَسِيرًا
Allāhumma aʿṭinī kitābī bi-yamīnī wa ḥāsibnī ḥisāban yasīrā
O Allah, give me my record in my right hand, and make my reckoning an easy one.
اَللّٰهُمَّ لَا تُعْطِنِيْ كِتَابِيْ بِشِمَالِيْ وَلَا مِنْ وَرَاءِ ظَهْرِيْ
Allāhumma lā tuʿṭinī kitābī bi-shimālī wa lā min warāʾi ẓahrī
O Allah, do not give me my record in my left hand, nor from behind my back.
اَللّٰهُمَّ أَظِلَّنِيْ تَحْتَ ظِلِّ عَرْشِكَ يَوْمَ لَا ظِلَّ إِلَّا ظِلُّ عَرْشِكَ
Allāhumma aẓillanī taḥta ẓilli ʿarshika yawma lā ẓilla illā ẓillu ʿarshik
O Allah, shelter me under the shade of Your Throne, on the day when there is no shade but the shade of Your Throne.
اَللّٰهُمَّ اجْعَلْنِيْ مِنَ الَّذِينَ يَسْتَمِعُونَ الْقَوْلَ فَيَتَّبِعُونَ أَحْسَنَهٗ
Allāhumma'jʿalnī mina'lladhīna yastamiʿūna'l-qawla fa-yattabiʿūna aḥsanah
O Allah, make me among those who listen to speech and follow the best of it.
اَللّٰهُمَّ اعْتِقْ رَقَبَتِيْ مِنَ النَّارِ
Allāhumma aʿtiq raqabatī mina'n-nār
O Allah, free my neck from the Fire.
اَللّٰهُمَّ ثَبِّتْ قَدَمِيْ عَلَى الصِّرَاطِ يَوْمَ تَزِلُّ الْأَقْدَامُ
Allāhumma thabbit qadamī ʿala'ṣ-ṣirāṭi yawma tazillu'l-aqdām
O Allah, keep my feet firm on the Path, on the day when feet will slip.
اَللّٰهُمَّ اجْعَلْ ذَنْبِيْ مَغْفُوْرًا وَسَعْيِيْ مَشْكُوْرًا وَتِجَارَتِيْ لَنْ تَبُوْرَ
Allāhumma'jʿal dhanbī maghfūran wa saʿyī mashkūran wa tijāratī lan tabūr
O Allah, make my sin forgiven, my effort appreciated, and my trade one that will never fail.
After finishing wudu, it is mustahabb to recite the shahada, the supplication of repentance and purity, and Surah al-Qadr. If it is not a disliked time for prayer, praying two rakats of nafl, known as Tahiyyat al-Wudu, is also recommended.
After finishing wudu it is mustahabb to recite the shahada, the supplication of repentance and purity, and Surah al-Qadr, and, outside a disliked time, to pray two rakats of Tahiyyat al-Wudu; the Prophet ﷺ promised the gates of Paradise to whoever perfects his wudu and then says the shahada.
1234The supplication after wudu is in three parts: the declaration of faith, a prayer to be counted among those who repent and purify themselves, and a prayer to be counted among the righteous. The Prophet ﷺ said that whoever makes wudu well and then says these words has the eight gates of Paradise opened for him.
أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ. اللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْنِي مِنَ التَّوَّابِينَ وَاجْعَلْنِي مِنَ الْمُتَطَهِّرِينَ وَاجْعَلْنِي مِنْ عِبَادِكَ الصَّالِحِينَ
Ashhadu an lā ilāha illallāhu waḥdahu lā sharīka lah, wa ashhadu anna Muḥammadan ʿabduhu wa rasūluh. Allāhumma'jʿalnī mina't-tawwābīna, wa'jʿalnī mina'l-mutaṭahhirīn, wa'jʿalnī min ʿibādika'ṣ-ṣāliḥīn.
I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah alone, without any partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger. O Allah, make me among those who constantly repent, make me among those who purify themselves, and make me among Your righteous servants.
Beyond the four fara'id, everything else in the method of wudu is either sunnah (the Prophet's ﷺ established practice, whose habitual neglect is blameworthy though the wudu remains valid) or mustahabb, recommended for reward with no blame for leaving it out. The complete sequence is set out in order in How to Make Wudu; this page treats the two categories, and the transmitted words at each step, on their own.
| # | Sunnah |
|---|---|
| 1 | Making the intention (niyyah). |
| 2 | Saying the name of Allah (tasmiyah). |
| 3 | Washing both hands up to the wrists. |
| 4 | Rinsing the mouth (madmadah). |
| 5 | Using a miswak. |
| 6 | Drawing water into the nose (istinshaq). |
| 7 | Combing through the beard with the fingers (takhlil). |
| 8 | Separating the fingers of both hands (takhlil). |
| 9 | Wiping the whole head once. |
| 10 | Wiping both ears once. |
| 11 | Separating the toes of both feet (takhlil). |
| 12 | Washing each limb three times. |
| 13 | Muwalat: washing the limbs in succession, before the previous one dries. |
| 14 | Tartib: performing wudu in the correct order. |
Omitting a sunnah does not invalidate the wudu, but habitual neglect of it is blameworthy.
The sunan of wudu are the acts of the transmitted method beyond the four fara'id, as Uthman and Ali demonstrated it: the niyyah, the tasmiyah, washing the hands, the siwak, madmadah and istinshaq, takhlil of the beard, fingers and toes, wiping the whole head and the ears once, washing each limb three times, muwalat and tartib.
123456789101112131415| # | Preferred act |
|---|---|
| 1 | Sitting in an elevated place. |
| 2 | Facing the qiblah. |
| 3 | Using a clay pot for the water. |
| 4 | Using the right hand to rinse the mouth and to take water into the nose. |
| 5 | Using the left hand to clean the nose. |
| 6 | Washing the face with both hands. |
| 7 | Washing the hands from the fingers toward the wrists, not from the elbows. |
| 8 | Inserting the little finger into the ear holes when wiping the ears. |
| 9 | Wiping the neck. |
| 10 | Washing the feet with the left hand. |
| 11 | Dalk: rubbing the limbs while washing them. |
| 12 | Washing the right limb before the left (tayamun). |
| 13 | Washing the limbs more than the prescribed amount. |
| 14 | Moving a loose ring while making wudu. |
| 15 | Not asking anyone for help with wudu unless it is necessary. |
| 16 | Drinking the water left over from wudu, while standing. |
Item 13 is reproduced exactly as the source text gives it. It appears to sit in tension with the makruh ruling, given separately, against washing a part more than three times; this has been flagged for the owner rather than resolved here.
The mustahabbat refine it further: tayamun, inserting the little fingers into the ear openings, wiping the neck, moving a ring so that water passes beneath it, exceeding the prescribed limits of washing, and drinking the leftover water standing, as Ali did after demonstrating the Prophet's ﷺ wudu.
12345678It is also mustahabb to recite specific supplications while washing or wiping each part, as mentioned in Hadith, and to send salawat upon the Prophet ﷺ after washing each limb. Reciting the shahada and sending salawat after wudu is itself a means of reward.
اَللّٰهُمَّ أَعِنِّيْ عَلىٰ تِلَاوَةِ الْقُرْآنِ وَذِكْرِكَ وَشُكْرِكَ وَحُسْنِ عِبَادَتِكَ
Allāhumma aʿinnī ʿalā tilāwati'l-Qurʾāni wa dhikrika wa shukrika wa ḥusni ʿibādatik
O Allah, help me to recite the Qur'an, to remember You, to thank You, and to worship You well.
اَللّٰهُمَّ أَرِحْنِيْ رَائِحَةَ الْجَنَّةِ وَلَا تُرِحْنِيْ رَائِحَةَ النَّارِ
Allāhumma ariḥnī rāʾiḥata'l-jannati wa lā turiḥnī rāʾiḥata'n-nār
O Allah, let me smell the fragrance of Paradise, and do not let me smell the odour of the Fire.
اَللّٰهُمَّ بَيِّضْ وَجْهِيْ يَوْمَ تَبْيَضُّ وُجُوهٌ وَتَسْوَدُّ وُجُوهٌ
Allāhumma bayyiḍ wajhī yawma tabyaḍḍu wujūhun wa taswaddu wujūh
O Allah, make my face bright on the day when some faces will be made bright and other faces will be darkened.
اَللّٰهُمَّ أَعْطِنِيْ كِتَابِيْ بِيَمِينِيْ وَحَاسِبْنِيْ حِسَابًا يَسِيرًا
Allāhumma aʿṭinī kitābī bi-yamīnī wa ḥāsibnī ḥisāban yasīrā
O Allah, give me my record in my right hand, and make my reckoning an easy one.
اَللّٰهُمَّ لَا تُعْطِنِيْ كِتَابِيْ بِشِمَالِيْ وَلَا مِنْ وَرَاءِ ظَهْرِيْ
Allāhumma lā tuʿṭinī kitābī bi-shimālī wa lā min warāʾi ẓahrī
O Allah, do not give me my record in my left hand, nor from behind my back.
اَللّٰهُمَّ أَظِلَّنِيْ تَحْتَ ظِلِّ عَرْشِكَ يَوْمَ لَا ظِلَّ إِلَّا ظِلُّ عَرْشِكَ
Allāhumma aẓillanī taḥta ẓilli ʿarshika yawma lā ẓilla illā ẓillu ʿarshik
O Allah, shelter me under the shade of Your Throne, on the day when there is no shade but the shade of Your Throne.
اَللّٰهُمَّ اجْعَلْنِيْ مِنَ الَّذِينَ يَسْتَمِعُونَ الْقَوْلَ فَيَتَّبِعُونَ أَحْسَنَهٗ
Allāhumma'jʿalnī mina'lladhīna yastamiʿūna'l-qawla fa-yattabiʿūna aḥsanah
O Allah, make me among those who listen to speech and follow the best of it.
اَللّٰهُمَّ اعْتِقْ رَقَبَتِيْ مِنَ النَّارِ
Allāhumma aʿtiq raqabatī mina'n-nār
O Allah, free my neck from the Fire.
اَللّٰهُمَّ ثَبِّتْ قَدَمِيْ عَلَى الصِّرَاطِ يَوْمَ تَزِلُّ الْأَقْدَامُ
Allāhumma thabbit qadamī ʿala'ṣ-ṣirāṭi yawma tazillu'l-aqdām
O Allah, keep my feet firm on the Path, on the day when feet will slip.
اَللّٰهُمَّ اجْعَلْ ذَنْبِيْ مَغْفُوْرًا وَسَعْيِيْ مَشْكُوْرًا وَتِجَارَتِيْ لَنْ تَبُوْرَ
Allāhumma'jʿal dhanbī maghfūran wa saʿyī mashkūran wa tijāratī lan tabūr
O Allah, make my sin forgiven, my effort appreciated, and my trade one that will never fail.
After completing wudu, reciting the shahada, the supplication of repentance and purity, and Surah al-Qadr is mustahabb. Where it is not a makruh time for prayer, performing two rakats of nafl, Tahiyyat al-Wudu, is likewise recommended.
After completing wudu, the shahada, the supplication of repentance and purity, and Surah al-Qadr are mustahabb, and Tahiyyat al-Wudu outside a makruh time; the Prophet ﷺ promised the eight gates of Paradise to whoever perfects his wudu and then bears witness.
1234The supplication after wudu is in three parts: the declaration of faith (shahada), a prayer to be counted among the repentant (tawwabin) and the purified (mutatahhirin), and a prayer to be counted among the righteous servants (ibad salihin). The Prophet ﷺ said that whoever makes wudu well and then says these words has the eight gates of Paradise opened for him, and may enter by whichever he wishes.
أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ. اللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْنِي مِنَ التَّوَّابِينَ وَاجْعَلْنِي مِنَ الْمُتَطَهِّرِينَ وَاجْعَلْنِي مِنْ عِبَادِكَ الصَّالِحِينَ
Ashhadu an lā ilāha illallāhu waḥdahu lā sharīka lah, wa ashhadu anna Muḥammadan ʿabduhu wa rasūluh. Allāhumma'jʿalnī mina't-tawwābīna, wa'jʿalnī mina'l-mutaṭahhirīn, wa'jʿalnī min ʿibādika'ṣ-ṣāliḥīn.
I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah alone, without any partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger. O Allah, make me among those who constantly repent, make me among those who purify themselves, and make me among Your righteous servants.
Imam Abu Hamid al-Ghazali records a longer form of the supplication after wudu, in both Ihya Ulum al-Din (in the Book of the Secrets of Purity, Kitab Asrar at-Taharah) and his condensed manual of daily devotions, Bidayat al-Hidayah (in the Etiquettes of Ablution, Adab al-Wudu). It opens with the shahada, adds the formula of the expiation of a gathering (kaffarat al-majlis) with a confession of wrongdoing, and closes with the prayer for repentance and purity extended by further petitions.
أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ. سُبْحَانَكَ اللَّهُمَّ وَبِحَمْدِكَ، أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ، عَمِلْتُ سُوءًا وَظَلَمْتُ نَفْسِي، أَسْتَغْفِرُكَ وَأَتُوبُ إِلَيْكَ، فَاغْفِرْ لِي وَتُبْ عَلَيَّ، إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيمُ. اللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْنِي مِنَ التَّوَّابِينَ، وَاجْعَلْنِي مِنَ الْمُتَطَهِّرِينَ، وَاجْعَلْنِي مِنْ عِبَادِكَ الصَّالِحِينَ، وَاجْعَلْنِي صَبُورًا شَكُورًا، وَاجْعَلْنِي أَذْكُرُكَ ذِكْرًا كَثِيرًا، وَأُسَبِّحُكَ بُكْرَةً وَأَصِيلًا.
Ashhadu an lā ilāha illallāhu waḥdahu lā sharīka lah, wa ashhadu anna Muḥammadan ʿabduhu wa rasūluh. Subḥānaka'llāhumma wa bi-ḥamdik, ashhadu an lā ilāha illā ant, ʿamiltu sūʾan wa ẓalamtu nafsī, astaghfiruka wa atūbu ilayk, fa'ghfir lī wa tub ʿalayya, innaka anta't-tawwābu'r-raḥīm. Allāhumma'jʿalnī mina't-tawwābīn, wa'jʿalnī mina'l-mutaṭahhirīn, wa'jʿalnī min ʿibādika'ṣ-ṣāliḥīn, wa'jʿalnī ṣabūran shakūrā, wa'jʿalnī adhkuruka dhikran kathīrā, wa usabbiḥuka bukratan wa aṣīlā.
I bear witness that there is no deity but Allah alone, without partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger. Glory be to You, O Allah, and with Your praise; I bear witness that there is no deity but You. I have done wrong and wronged myself; I seek Your forgiveness and turn to You in repentance, so forgive me and accept my repentance, for You are the Accepter of repentance, the Merciful. O Allah, make me among those who repent, make me among those who purify themselves, make me among Your righteous servants, make me patient and grateful, and make me one who remembers You much and glorifies You morning and evening.
This is the English translation of Nisab Ahle Khidmaat Sharia, exactly as the book has it, for the passages this page was written from. About 458 words. Switch back to Guide for the rewritten version.
Rulings of Wudu
(All other steps in wudu are Sunnah or recommended, not obligatory.)
Rulings of Wudu Note 1
Reciting the shahada (testimony of faith) and sending blessings on the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) after wudu is a means of reward.
Rulings of Wudu (Ablution) 10. Sunnahs of Wudu
The sunnahs of Wudu are as follows:
- Making an intention.
- Saying the name of Allah.
- Washing both hands up to the wrists.
- Performing the mouth rinsing (Kali).
- Using a miswak (tooth cleaning stick).
- Putting water into the nose.
- Cleaning the beard by combing through it.
- Separating the fingers of both hands.
- Wiping the entire head once.
- Wiping both ears once.
- Separating the toes of both feet.
- Washing each limb three times.
- Washing the limbs in succession.
- Performing Wudu in order.
Rulings of Wudu (Ablution) 11. The Preferable Actions (Mustahabbat) of Wudu
The preferable actions in Wudu are as follows:
- Sitting in an elevated place.
- Facing the Qiblah.
- Using a clay pot to perform Wudu.
- Using the right hand to perform the mouth rinsing (Kali) and to take water in the nose.
- Using the left hand to clean the nose.
- Washing the face with both hands.
- Washing the hands from the fingers towards the wrists (not from the elbows).
- When wiping the ears, inserting the little finger into the ear holes.
- Wiping the neck.
- Washing the feet with the left hand.
- Rubbing the body parts when washing them.
- Washing the right limb before the left.
- Washing the limbs more than the prescribed amount.
- Moving a loose ring when performing Wudu.
- Not seeking help from anyone while performing Wudu unless necessary.
- Drinking the leftover water from Wudu while standing.
- Saying specific prayers while washing or wiping each body part, as mentioned in Hadith:
- When rinsing the mouth:
اَللّٰهُمَّ أَعِنِّيْ عَلىٰ تِلَاوَةِ الْقُرْآنِ وَذِكْرِكَ وَشُكْرِكَ وَحُسْنِ عِبَادَتِكَ
- When taking water in the nose:
اَللّٰهُمَّ أَرِحْنِيْ رَائِحَةَ الْجَنَّةِ وَلَا تُرِحْنِيْ رَائِحَةَ النَّارِ
- When washing the face:
اَللّٰهُمَّ بَيِّضْ وَجْهِيْ يَوْمَ تَبْيَضُّ وُجُوهٌ وَتَسْوَدُّ وُجُوهٌ
- When washing the right hand:
اَللّٰهُمَّ أَعْطِنِيْ كِتَابِيْ بِيَمِينِيْ وَحَاسِبْنِيْ حِسَابًا يَسِيرًا
- When washing the left hand:
اَللّٰهُمَّ لَا تُعْطِنِيْ كِتَابِيْ بِشِمَالِيْ وَلَا مِنْ وَرَاءِ ظَهْرِيْ
- When wiping the head:
اَللّٰهُمَّ أَظِلَّنِيْ تَحْتَ ظِلِّ عَرْشِكَ يَوْمَ لَا ظِلَّ إِلَّا ظِلُّ عَرْشِكَ
- When wiping the ears:
اَللّٰهُمَّ اجْعَلْنِيْ مِنَ الَّذِينَ يَسْتَمِعُونَ الْقَوْلَ فَيَتَّبِعُونَ أَحْسَنَهٗ
- When wiping the neck:
اَللّٰهُمَّ اعْتِقْ رَقَبَتِيْ مِنَ النَّارِ
- When washing the right foot:
اَللّٰهُمَّ ثَبِّتْ قَدَمِيْ عَلَى الصِّرَاطِ يَوْمَ تَزِلُّ الْأَقْدَامُ
- When washing the left foot:
اَللّٰهُمَّ اجْعَلْ ذَنْبِيْ مَغْفُوْرًا وَسَعْيِيْ مَشْكُوْرًا وَتِجَارَتِيْ لَنْ تَبُوْرَ
It is also recommended to recite Salawat (blessings upon the Prophet) after each body part has been washed.
- After performing Wudu, it is recommended to recite the Kalimah Shahadah, the Du'a Muthurah, and Surah Al-‘Anzalah. If it is not a disliked time (Makruh time), performing two Rak'ahs of Nafl prayer (known as Tahiyyat-ul-Wudu) is also recommended.
Related
- The sunnahs, preferred acts and disliked acts of the full bath (ghusl) The five sunnahs of the full bath (ghusl), the acts that are recommended (mustahabb), and the acts that are disliked (makruh) while bathing.
- How to make ablution (wudu), step by step The full sunnah method of ablution (wudu) in order, from the intention to the supplication at the end, with the words to say.
- The four obligatory acts (fard) of ablution (wudu) The four obligatory (fard) acts of ablution (wudu) explained in full: the face, the arms, wiping the head, and the feet.
- How to make the full bath (ghusl), step by step The full sunnah method of the full bath (ghusl) in order, from washing the hands to the final pouring, with the notes that make it valid.