What is Wudu?

Wudu (also spelled Wudhu or Wudu'; called Abdest in Turkish/Urdu) is the Islamic procedure for ritual purification of specific parts of the body using water. It is a prerequisite for performing Salah (prayer), touching or reciting from the Qur'an, and performing tawaf (circumambulation of the Ka'bah). The word comes from the Arabic 'wadaa'a' meaning clarity and radiance.

Wudu: The Islamic ritual of minor purification (ablution) required before prayer, touching the Qur'an, and other acts of worship.

Steps of Wudu

Wudu follows a prescribed sequence: (1) Make intention (niyyah); (2) Say 'Bismillah'; (3) Wash both hands up to the wrists three times; (4) Rinse the mouth three times; (5) Rinse the nose three times; (6) Wash the face three times (from hairline to chin, ear to ear); (7) Wash the right arm up to and including the elbow three times, then the left; (8) Wipe the head once (wet hands passed from front to back and back to front); (9) Clean the ears with wet fingers; (10) Wash the right foot up to and including the ankle three times, then the left.

What breaks Wudu

Wudu is invalidated by: passing urine, faeces, or gas; deep sleep; loss of consciousness; vomiting a mouthful; bleeding profusely from the body; touching the private parts without a barrier (according to some schools). Ghusl (full body wash) is required after sexual intercourse, ejaculation, completion of menstruation or postnatal bleeding, and death.

Virtues of Wudu

The Prophet ﷺ said: 'When a Muslim or a believer washes his face in wudu, every sin his eyes have looked at is washed away from his face along with the water. When he washes his hands, every sin his hands have done is removed. When he washes his feet, every sin to which his feet have walked is washed away — until he comes out of wudu purified from sins.' (Sahih Muslim 244).

Tayammum — dry purification

When water is unavailable or its use would cause harm (illness, extreme cold, scarcity), tayammum may replace wudu. Tayammum is performed by striking clean earth, sand, or dust with both hands and wiping the face and hands. It was revealed in Surah al-Ma'idah (5:6) as a concession for situations where water cannot be used.

Frequently Asked Questions about Wudu

Does wudu break if I touch my wife/husband?

This is a point of scholarly difference. The Shafi'i and Maliki schools generally hold that skin-to-skin contact with the opposite sex breaks wudu; the Hanafi school holds it does not, unless there is desire. Follow the ruling of your madhab (school of jurisprudence).

Does laughing break wudu?

Laughing in salah breaks salah according to the majority of scholars, but does not break wudu outside of prayer — so you would need to repeat the prayer but not the wudu.

How long does wudu last?

Wudu remains valid until something breaks it — there is no time limit. You can make wudu before Fajr and it remains valid for Dhuhr prayer provided nothing has invalidated it in between.

Do I need wudu to read the Qur'an from memory or a screen?

Most scholars hold that wudu is required to physically touch a printed Qur'an. Reciting from memory or reading from a screen (phone/tablet) without touching it is permitted without wudu, though wudu is recommended for all interaction with the Qur'an.

Related Islamic Terms

What is Salah? What is Adhan? What is Jummah?

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