Correct Way of Performing Ablution (Wudhu)

[Shehzad Sattar]

Topic:- Correct way of performing Ablution
Author:- Abu Tahir Zubair Ali Zai
Translated By:- Moin Khan

When starting performing Wudhu say “Bismillah (بسم الله)”.

Prophet (صلي الله عليه وصلم) said:-

“He who do not start Wudhu by Allah’s name his Wudhu is invalid” ([1])

He (صلي الله عليه وصلم) said to his followers:-

“Perform Wudhu: Bismillah” ([2])

Wudhu should be performed by clean water ([3])
Prophet (صلي الله عليه وصلم) said:

“If I did not feared of burdening on my Ummah, then I would have orderd them to use MISWAK with every Prayer” ([4])

He (صلي الله عليه وصلم) waked up in night and used Miswak and performed Wudhu. ([5])

First wash your hands three times. ([6])
Then rinse three times your mouth and nose. ([7])
Then wash your face three times. ([8])
Then wash your arms three times upto elbows. ([9])
Then wipe over you head (whole head). ([10])

Wipe both of your wet hands over your head. Start from the starting part of head (I.e. forehead) until the end of head and then from there bring it back to the starting part. ([11])

Wipe with your hands over your head once. ([12])

Then wipe interior and exterior part of both ears once. ([13])

Then wash both feet up to ankles three times. ([14])
During Wudhu wash the space between fingers (of hands and feet). ([15])
Wiping of beard is also established. ([16])

Note: - After Wudhu to strike some water over private parts is also allowed (Sunan Abi Dawud : 166 : Hasan). It is the best way of removing doubts (see Musnaf ibn Abi Shaybah: 167/1).

After completing Wudhu read following supplications:-

([17]) أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لاَ شَرِيكَ لَهُ ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ


([18]) سبحانك اللهم وبحمدك اشهد ان لا إله الا أنت استغفرك وأتوب إليك

Some Invalidators of Wudhu are:-

Urine, defecate, sleep (Trimidhi: 3535: and said Hasan Sahih: and it is Hasan), Semen (Sahih Bukhari: 132 and Muslim: 303), Touching private parts (Abu Dawud: 181 & Authenticated by Trimidhi: 82 and it is Hasan), eating flesh of camel (Muslim: 360)


[1] Ibn Majah: 397 chain Hasan, Hakim in Mustadrak: 147/1

[2] Nisai’: 61/1: H: 78: Chain Sahih, Ibn Khuzaimah: 74/1: H: 144 and Sahih Ibn Hibban (al Ihsan: 6544/6510)

[3] Allah subhana wata’ala says:
“Trans:- and if you find no water, then perform Tayammum with clean earth (An Nisa: 43, al Ma’idha: 06)
Abdullah ibn Umer (رضي الله عنهما) performed Wudhu with warm water (Musnaf ibn Abi Shaybah:25/1: H: 256: Chain Sahih). So it is known that Wudhu can be performed by using warm/hot water.

[Note:- Nabeez, Juice, Milk etc. are not allowed for performing Wudhu]

[4] Sahih Bukhari: 887 and Sahih Muslim: 252

[5] Sahih Muslim: 256

[6] Sahih Bukhari: 226 – Maimoon Taba’ee when performed Wadhhu moved his ring (Musnaf ibn Abi Shayba: 39/1: H: 425 : Chain Sahih) while answering the call of nature removing the ring having something (Islamic) written on it is not established. The Hadith about it is weak because of Tadlees of Ibn Juraij. (See Sunan AbI Dawud: 19: with my (Shaikh Zubair’s) checking.

[7] Sahih Bukhari: (159) Sahih Muslim: (226).

Better is to rinse mouth and nose both together with one handful of water as is proved by the Hadith of Sahih Bukhari: (191) Sahih Muslim (235). But it is also allowed to use one handful of water to rinse mouth and one to rinse nose. (see tarikh al Kabeer of Ibn Khathama: H: 1410: Chain Hasan)

[8] Sahih Bukhari: 159, Sahih Muslim 226

[9] Sahih Bukhari: 159, Sahih Muslim 226

[10] Sahih Bukhari: 159, Sahih Muslim 226

[11] Sahih Bukhari: 159, Sahih Muslim 226

[12] Abu Dawud: 111: Chain Sahih

In some narrations wiping over head has been mentioned thrice (see Sunan Abu Dawud: 110, 107: Hasan)

[13] When Abdullah ibn Umer (رضي الله عنهما) performed wudhu he used to put both fingers of Shahadha in his ears (and with them) wiped interior of (both the ears) and with thumb wiped the exterior parts. (Musnaf ibn Abi Shayba: H: 173: Chain Sahih)

Note:- With wiping of head and ears, wiping neck with turned hands is not established.

[14] Sahih Bukhari: 159, Sahih Muslim: 226.

[15] Abu Dawud: 142: chain Hasan [Trimidhi: 39: and said “This Hadith is Hasan Ghareeb”]

[16] Trimidhi: 31 [and said: “This Hadith is Hasan Sahih”] the chain of this Hadith is Hasan

[17] Muslim: 234/17 .

Note:- Sunan Trimidhi: (55) has mentioned this Hadith with the addition of

but because its chain is broken it is weak. Abu Idrees al Khulani & Abu Uthman (saeed bin hani/Musnad al Farooq of Ibn Katheer 111/1) both heard nothing from Umar (رضي الله عنه). See my (Shaykh Zubair’s) book “Anwar us Saheefah fee Ahadith ad-dhaeefah (T: 55) Ê

Ä After Wudhu pointing towards sky is not established. The Hadith of Abu Dawud: (170) is weak because Ibn um Zahrah is Unknown (Majhool). To read supplications while performing Wudhu is not established.

[18] As-Sunan al Kubra of Imam Nisa’I: H: 9909 and Amal ul Yawm wa Lailah: H: 80: Chian Sahih. Hakim and Dhahabi authenticated it (Mustadrak al Hakim: 564/1: H: 2072). Hafidh Ibn Hajar said: “Chain of this Hadith is Sahih” (Nataijul Afkaar: 245/1).

Note:- The way of bathing (GHUSUL) Is that, first wash private parts, then perform wudhu (without wiping over head and washing of feet) and then put water over your body so that no part of the body remains dry and then at last wash your feet.

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