إِذَا قُمۡتُمۡ إِلَى ٱلصَّلَوٰةِ فَٱغۡسِلُواْ وُجُوهَكُمۡ وَأَيۡدِيَكُمۡ إِلَى ٱلۡمَرَافِقِ وَٱمۡسَحُواْ بِرُءُوسِكُمۡ وَأَرۡجُلَكُمۡ إِلَى ٱلۡكَعۡبَيۡنِۚ
Idhā qumtum ilaṣ-ṣalāti faghsilū wujūhakum wa aydiyakum ilal-marāfiqi wamsaḥū bi ru'ūsikum wa arjulakum ilal-ka'bayn
When you rise for the prayer, wash your faces and your arms up to the elbows, wipe your heads, and wash your feet up to the ankles. (Qur'an 5:6)
- 1Know the four fard parts
Wash the whole face from the hairline to below the chin and from ear to ear; wash both arms including the elbows; wipe at least a quarter of the head with wet hands; wash both feet including the ankles. If any of these is missed, the wudu is not valid.
- 2Avoid the common mistakes
A dry spot on the heels, elbows, or between fingers and toes. Nail polish or any waterproof layer (henna colour is fine). Wiping less than a quarter of the head. A tight ring that stops water reaching the skin. Wasting water or washing more than three times.
- 3Anything leaving the private parts
Urine, stool, wind, and any discharge from the front or back passage break wudu.
- 4Blood, pus and vomit
Blood or pus that flows beyond the spot of the wound breaks wudu; a drop that stays in place does not. Vomiting a mouthful breaks it, and so does bleeding in the mouth when the blood is more than the saliva.
- 5Deep sleep and losing awareness
Sleeping lying down, or leaning on something so that you would fall if it were taken away, breaks wudu. So does fainting or intoxication. Dozing while sitting firmly does not.
- 6Laughing aloud in salah
An adult who laughs out loud, so that others nearby can hear, in a salah with ruku and sujud, breaks both the salah and the wudu. A smile breaks neither.
- 7What does not break wudu
In the Hanafi school: touching your private part, touching your spouse or someone of the opposite gender, eating camel meat, cutting nails or hair, tears, sweat, and a small spot of blood that does not flow.