ISLAM QUESTION AND ANSWER

Wudu (Ablution)

1) Declare the intention (niyyah) for Wudu (in your heart):

Narrated from 'Umar bin Al-Khattab:

I heard Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) saying, "The reward of deeds depends upon the intentions and every person will get the reward according to what he has intended."

Sahih al-Bukhari (1) , (6689)

Note: You must have the intention of purifying yourself and removing impurity. The intention should not be spoken out loud for its place is in the heart. This applies to all acts of worship.

For more detail read:

2) Saying ' Bismillah ' (in the name of Allah):

Narrated from Abu Hurayrah:

Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: There is no wudoo for him who does not mention Allah's name upon it.

Sunan Abu Dawud (101) , and also Jami' at-Tirmidhi (25)
Classed as 'Sahih' by Al-Albaani in Sahih wa Da'eef Sunan Abu Dawud (101)

Regarding the phrase that is prescribed for mentioning Allah's name is to say "Bismillah", and same is the case for eating.

For more detail read:

3) Washing both hands three times and rubbing between the fingers:

Wash hands three times up to and including the wrist.

Narrated from Humran:
I saw 'Uthman bin 'Affan asking (for a tumbler of water) to perform ablution (and when it was brought) he poured water from it over his hands and washed them thrice ...
Sahih al-Bukhari (164) , Sunan Abi Dawud (111)

Rub (by passing wet fingers) between fingers.

Narrated from 'Asim bin Laqit bin Sabrah that his father said:
"I said: 'O Messenger of Allah! Tell me about ablution.' He (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: 'Perform ablution properly, and go between the fingers, and sniff water up into your nostrils extensively except when fasting'"

Bulugh al-Maram (39) , Jami` at-Tirmidhi (38) , (788)
Classed as 'Sahih' by Al-Albaani in Sahih wa Da'eef Sunan Tirmidhi (38) , (788)

4) Rinse your mouth and nose three times (Mazmaza wa Istinshaq):

Then rinse mouth three times with right hand, swirling the water around inside mouth, and rinse nose three times with the same hand, then blowing the water out from mouth and using the left hand to remove the water from nose.

Narrated from 'Amr bin Yahya (on the authority of his father):
'Abdullah bin Zaid poured water on his hands from a utensil containing water and washed them and then with single handful of water he rinsed his mouth and cleaned his nose by putting water in it and then blowing it out. He repeated it thrice.
Sahih al-Bukhari (191) , Sunan Abi Dawud (111)

It is preferable to rinse both mouth and nose with single handful as we can find in many sahih ahadith: Sahih al-Bukhari (191) , Sunan Ibn Majah (403) , Bulugh al-Maram (54) , Sunan Ibn Majah (404) , Sunan al-Darimi (724)

It is also permissible to separate the two:

Narrated from Abda bin Abi Lubaba:
"I heard Shaqeeq bin Salma said: ' I saw 'Ali and Uthman (may Allah be pleased with them) washing the parts of ablution thrice, then they said this is how Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) performed ablution' and he (Shaqeeq) said: ' They rinsed mouth and nose separately'"
Tareekh Ibn Abi Khaithma (4419) , Musnad ibn al-J'ad (3406)
Classed as 'Hasan' by Abdul Malik bin Abdullah bin Dehaish in al-Ahadith al-Mukhtara (347) (1/ 473)

Take water in mouth and nose with same (right) hand and then remove water from nose using left hand:

Narrated from 'Ali (may Allah be pleased with him):
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) rinsed the mouth and snuffed up water with the same hand by which he took water.
Sunan Abi Dawud (111)
Classed as 'Sahih' by Al-Albaani in Sahih wa Da'eef Sunan Abu Dawud (111)

Narrated from 'Abd Khair:
We were sitting looking towards 'Ali - as he made wudoo - and he entered into his mouth a handful of water with his right hand and washed his mouth and nose, then expelled it from his nose with his left hand - he did that three times, then said: Whoever would like to see the way of purification of Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) - then this is his purification.
Sunan al-Darimi (728), Classed as 'Sahih' by Al-Albaani in Mishkat al-Masabih (411)

5) Washing face three times:

Wash face thrice, from the hairline to the jawbone and chin, and from ear to ear.

And run wet fingers through the beard during ablution.

Narrated from Humran:
I saw `Uthman bin `Affan asking (for a tumbler of water) to perform ablution (and when it was brought) he poured water from it over his hands and washed them thrice and then put his right hand in the water container and rinsed his mouth and washed his nose by putting water in it and then blowing it out. Then he washed his face thrice...
Sahih al-Bukhari (164)

Narrated ‘Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him):
While performing Wudu, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) would run (his fingers) through his beard.
Sunan Ibn Majah (433) , Sunan Abi Dawud (145) Classed as 'Sahih' by Al-Albaani in Sahih wa Da'eef Sunan Ibn Majah (433) , Sunan Abu Dawud (145)

6) Washing arms up to the elbows three times:

Wash arms up to the elbows thrice. The arm extends from the fingertips, including the nails, to the lower part of the upper arm.
Sahih al-Bukhari (164) , Sahih Muslim (226) , Sahih Muslim (246)

It is essential to remove anything stuck to the hands before washing them, such as dough, mud, paint, etc, that could prevent the water from reaching the skin.

7) Wiping head and ears one time:

Then wipe the head and ears once with fresh water, not the water left over after washing arms.

Wipe head by passing wet hands over head from its front to its back and vice versa, beginning from the front and taking them to the back of head up to the nape of the neck and then bring them to the front again from where one started.
Sahih al-Bukhari (185) , Sahih Muslim (235)

Narrated from Ibn 'Abbas that:
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) wiped his ears, putting his forefingers in his ears and wiping the back of them with his thumbs, so he wiped them inside and out.
Sunan Ibn Majah (439) , Sunan Abi Dawud (123)
Classed as 'Hasan Sahih' by Al-Albaani in Sahih wa Da'eef Sunan Ibn Majah (439)

Note: there is no proof of wiping the back side of the neck during wudu; rather, it is an innovation. It has been covered previously in detail:
Wiping the Back of the Neck During Ablution (Wudu) ?

8) Washing feet three times up to the ankles:

Narrated from Humran, (the freed slave of 'Uthman):
'Uthmaan ibn 'Affaan (may Allah be pleased with him) called for water to do wudu'. He washed his hands three times, then he rinsed his mouth and nose, then he washed his face three times, then he washed his right arm up to the elbow three times, then he washed his left arm likewise. Then he wiped his head, then washed his right foot up to the ankle three times, then washed his left foot likewise. Then he said, “I saw the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) doing wudu’ as I have done it, then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, ‘Whoever does wudu’ as I have done it, then prays two rak’ahs in which he focuses completely on his prayer, his previous sins will be forgiven.'"
Sahih Muslim (226) , Sahih al-Bukhari (159)

Feet must be washed thoroughly, there should not be any space left dry. And it is not enough to just pass wet hands over feet.
Sahih al-Bukhari (163) , Sahih Muslim (241)

For more detail read:

Is it obligatory to wash the feet ?

Run little finger between the toes while washing feet.

Narrated from Mustawarid bin Shaddad:
"I saw the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) performing ablution, and he ran his little finger between his toes."
Sunan Ibn Majah (446)
Classed as 'Sahih' by Al-Albaani in Sahih wa Da'eef Sunan Ibn Majah (446)

9) Washing parts of body twice or once but no more than thrice during wudu:

It is permissible to wash body parts twice or once.

Sahih al-Bukhari (157) , Sahih al-Bukhari (158)

It is also permissible to wash some parts thrice and others twice or once.

Sahih al-Bukhari (185) , Sahih al-Bukhari (186)

But it is not permissible to wash body parts more than three times.

Sunan an-Nasa'i (140)

Classed as 'Hasan Sahih' by Al-Albaani in Sahih wa Da'eef Sunan an-Nasa'i (140)

10) What to say after wudu' ?

When one has completed wudu' It is mustahabb to say:
“Ashhadu an laa ilaaha ill-Allaah wahdahu laa shareeka lah, wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan ‘abduhu wa rasooluhu (I bear witness that there is no one to worship except Allah alone with no partner or associate, and I bear witness that Muhammad is the servant of Allah and His Messenger)”

Narrated from 'Uqba bin 'Amir:
If anyone amongst you performs the ablution, and then completes the ablution well and then says:
I testify that there is no one to worship except Allah alone and that Muhammad is the servant of Allah and His Messenger, the eight gates of Paradise would be opened for him and he may enter by whichever of them he wishes.
Sahih Muslim (234a) , (234b)

Note: There is no proof about raising the finger when saying the shahaadah after wudu'. For more detail read: Ruling on raising the finger when saying the shahaadah following wudoo’

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It is permissible to wipe over the wound covered with a dressing or bandage and wash the remaining part around it. It is proven from Abdullah Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) with Sahih isnaad.

Al-Sunan al-Kubra (1079)
For more details read: How should a person who has a wound do wudoo’ ?

There is no difference between men and women in the way wudu’ should be done.