Visual guide 01
Wuḍūʾ, step by step.
A clear movement guide grounded in Qur’an 5:6 and the matching wuḍūʾ demonstration reported in both Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī and Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim.
Before you begin
Start with intention and Allah’s name.
Make the intention (niyyah) in your heart to perform wuḍūʾ, then begin by saying Bismillāh.
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ
Bismillāh
“In the name of Allah.” Said as you begin the wuḍūʾ.
أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ
Ashhadu an lā ilāha illa-llāhu waḥdahu lā sharīka lah, wa ashhadu anna Muḥammadan ʿabduhu wa rasūluh
“I bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone, with no partner, and that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger.” Recommended after completing wuḍūʾ.
Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 234
Follow in order
Seven deliberate stages.
Each picture shows the area being washed, in the order the sequence is performed.
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01
Step 1
Wash the hands
Wash both hands up to the wrists, three times, letting the water reach between the fingers.
Bukhārī 164 · Muslim 226a
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02
Step 2
Rinse the mouth
Take water into your mouth and rinse it thoroughly, three times.
Bukhārī 164 · Muslim 226a
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03
Step 3
Rinse the nose
Draw water gently into the nose and blow it out, three times.
Bukhārī 164 · Muslim 226a
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04
Step 4
Wash the face
Wash the whole face, from the hairline to the chin and from ear to ear, three times.
Qur’an 5:6 · Bukhārī 164
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05
Step 5
Wash the arms
Wash the right arm up to and including the elbow, then the left, three times each.
Qur’an 5:6 · Bukhārī 164
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06
Step 6
Wipe the head
With wet hands, wipe over the head once. This step is a wipe, not a wash.
Qur’an 5:6 · Muslim 226a
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07
Step 7
Wash the feet
Wash the right foot up to and including the ankle, then the left, three times each.
Qur’an 5:6 · Bukhārī 164
Keep the distinctions clear
Wash, wipe, and reach the boundary.
Water reaches the required area: face, arms through elbows, and feet through ankles.
The head is wiped with wet hands in the cited sequence.
The Bukhārī and Muslim demonstration describes three washes; juristic detail about minimum sufficiency belongs in a school-specific module.
Common questions
Questions people ask.
What are the steps of wuḍūʾ?
Wash both hands up to the wrists, rinse the mouth, rinse the nose, wash the whole face, wash the arms up to and including the elbows, wipe over the head, then wash the feet up to and including the ankles. (Qur’an 5:6 · Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 164 · Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 226a)
How do you wash the face in wuḍūʾ?
Wash the whole face, from the hairline to the chin and from ear to ear, three times. (Qur’an 5:6 · Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 164)
Do you wash or wipe the head in wuḍūʾ?
With wet hands, wipe over the head once. This step is a wipe, not a wash. (Qur’an 5:6 · Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 226a)
How do you wash the arms in wuḍūʾ?
Wash the right arm up to and including the elbow, then the left, three times each. (Qur’an 5:6 · Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 164)
How do you wash the feet in wuḍūʾ?
Wash the right foot up to and including the ankle, then the left, three times each. (Qur’an 5:6 · Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 164)
Answers repeat what is shown on this page, with the same references. For anything specific to your situation, ask a qualified teacher or your local mosque.