The first step is to understand that you are about to begin the process of wudu so that you can perform salah. There are no words or special statements that need to be said here. Creating the intention is a matter of the heart and mind.

This is a critical part of making wudu. Before we begin to our wash ourselves we need to say Bismillah (In the Name of Allah). You can say it silently to yourself.

Take some water into your right hand and rinse your mouth three times. Do this thoroughly to clean your mouth properly.

It is also recommended to use a miswak(toothbrush) to brush your teeth.

Take some water in your right hand and sniff it into your nose.

We used the word “sniff” here to give you an idea of what this means. You will need to snort or inhale the water into your nose and then blow it out, three times. Try not to take in too much water or you may hurt yourself.

Every part of the face needs to be washed. That means from ear to ear and from the top of your forehead to the bottom of your chin. Do this step three times.

For men who have beards take your wet hands and pass them through your beard as you wash your face.

When washing your Face 

Start from the fingertips and wash your right arm up to the elbow three times. Make sure that no part is left dry. Afterwards, follow the same process for your left arm and do it three times.

Did you notice that step 8 says to “wipe” your head instead of “wash.” The choice of words here was intentional. Move your wet hands from the top of the forehead to the back of the head, and then from the back of the head to the forehead. This is done thrice.

It doesn’t matter what type of hair you have. Whether you are bald, have short hair or long hair, the process is the same.

Using your wet hands you will use your index fingers to clean the inside of your ears and your thumb to clean the area behind your ears.

Similar to what was done with our hands, we will also wash our feet three times.

Begin from your toes on your right foot and wash up to and including your ankle. Make sure water touches every area of the right foot, especially between the toes and the back of the ankle. Do this three times with the right foot followed by three times with the left foot.

When the Prophet (peace be upon him) would complete his wudu he would say the shahada:

“Ash-hadu an la ilaha  illal lahu wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan ‘abduhu wa rasuluh.”

This means “I testify that there is no god but Allah, and I also testify that Muhammad is His servant and messenger.”

After this statement he would make the following dua: “Allahuma j‘alnee mina tawabeen waj-‘alnee minal mutatahireen”

Which means “O Allah, make me among those who seek repentance and make me among those who purify themselves.”

At this point your wudu is complete and you can begin to pray.