How to do Wudu (Ablution) – Step By Step Guide For Beginners

The need for Wudu is obligatory and virtuous.

The Need for Ablution:

Ablution is so important for prayers that there is no prayer without it. On the contrary, the scholars call him an infidel man who intentionally performs prayer without ablution. This is because the one who prays without ablution or without ghusl(shower) has disrespected and insulted the worship. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said that the key to Paradise is prayer and the key to prayer is purity.

The Virtue of Ablution

Many virtues of Wudu have been mentioned in Qur’an and Hadith.

The guidance is from the Almighty :

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا قُمْتُمْ إِلَى الصَّلَاةِ فَاغْسِلُوا وُجُوهَكُمْ وَأَيْدِيَكُمْ إِلَى الْمَرَافِقِ وَامْسَحُوا بِرُءُوسِكُمْ وَأَرْجُلَكُمْ إِلَى الْكَعْبَيْنِ ۚ

“O you who believe, when you intend to pray, wash your face, wash your hands up to your elbows And wipe the heads and wash the feet, including the ankles”.

Virtue of Ablution in Hadith

“The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: On the Day of Resurrection, my ummah will be called in such a state that their faces, hands, and feet will be shining with ablution So let them shine as much as they can. (Bukhari& Muslim)”

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: When a Muslim rinses his mouth, the sins of the mouth fall away by completing it, And when he put water in his nose and cleansed it, his sins of nose come out, when he washes his face, the sins of the face are gone, even the sins of eyelids come out, when he washes his hands, the sins of the hands even nails come out when he wipes the head, the sins of the head are come out. Until it comes out of the ears and when he washes his feet, the sins of the feet come out, even of his nails also sins came out, and his walk toward the mosque and praying, forgive his sins more than that.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

Ten virtues will be written for one who performs ablution on ablution.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

One of you should perform ablution and complete ablution, then recite it

اشْهَدُ انْ لّآ اِلهَ اِلَّا اللّهُ وَحْدَه لَا شَرِيْكَ لَه، وَ اَشْهَدُ اَنَّ مُحَمَّدً اعَبْدُهوَرَسُولُه

For this, the eight gates of heaven are opened whichever door one enters.

(There is a narration in Muslim from Hazrat Umar )

Essentials of Wudhu:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا قُمْتُمْ إِلَى الصَّلَاةِ فَاغْسِلُوا وُجُوهَكُمْ وَأَيْدِيَكُمْ إِلَى الْمَرَافِقِ وَامْسَحُوا بِرُءُوسِكُمْ وَأَرْجُلَكُمْ إِلَى الْكَعْبَيْنِ ۚ

This verse represents the four essentials of wudhu, which are mandatory to fulfill:

Four Essentials of Wudhu:

The above verse of the Holy Qur’an proves the four mandatory conditions of ablution. Ablution is not performed without these essentials. Here are four essentials of how to do Wudu;

1. Wash face
2. Wash both handsome times, including the elbows
3. Wiping the head
4. Wash both feet once, including the ankles

The Prophet’s (peace be upon him) Method of Ablution

The Holy Qur’an mentions only four essentials of ablution, but the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) taught the ummah a practical way to wash these four organs properly, which is as follows:

The man should make the intention of purification and removal of impurity and this intention will not be fulfilled with the tongue. Because the place of intention is the heart.

1. Reciteبِسْمِ ٱللَّهِٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِٱلرَّحِيمِ
2. Wash both hands three times
3. Rinse your mouth three times by pouring water in mouth
4. Pour water in the nose three times and wipe the nose with the left hand
5. Wash your face three times. The length of the face should range from the hair of the head to the bottom of the scalp and the width of one earlobe to the earlobe of the other ear.

NOTE: If a man has a thick beard, he should wash his beard from the top and wet it with fingers till the roots of the hairs and if it is short, he should wash the whole beard to the inside.

6. Wash your hands including arms and elbows three times

If the hands or nails are covered with flour, mud or polish etc, it is necessary to remove it before washing so that the water reaches the skin. Otherwise, the ablution will not be performed

7. Then wipe the head and ears once with fresh water

The method of wiping

Place both hands at the beginning of the forehead and turn them upside down to bring it back to where it started. Insert both index fingers into the ear canal and wipe inwards and out of the ears with your thumbs.

Also Read: Benefits of Fasting & Its Importance in English

A woman should wipe her head in such a way that she wipes her hair from the beginning of the forehead to the neck. Not necessary to wipe the hair hanging on the waist.

8. Then came out at the end of the shin, washing both feet up to the ankles three times.

The Evidence for the Above Method is the Following Hadith

Argument: Hamran, the slave of Hazrat Usman (R.A.) narrates: Hazrat Usman (R.A.) asked for ablution water and washed his hands three times. Then he rinsed his mouth and put water in his nose. And then he washed his face three times. Then he washed his right hand three times up to the elbow and his left hand in the same way. Then he wiped his head, then washed his right foot up to the ankle three times, and then washed his left side in the same way and said :

I saw the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) doingWudu as I have performed it. And then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: Whoever performed ablution like me then got up and performed two Nawafil (devotional prayer), if he does not talk during this, then all his past sins are forgiven by Allah Almighty (Muslim-chapter purification)