How is wudu performed?
2026-09-20
F06 · Selected fatwas
Shaykh Ibn Bāz
الشيخ عبد العزيز بن عبد الله بن باز
Original Q&A · Complete published question and answer
The complete published question and answer are included. The final paragraph contains an ellipsis in the official transcript, which is preserved; the earlier paragraph explicitly states that the hands return to their starting point. Obligatory washing once is distinguished from the recommended repetitions.
النص العربي
السؤال الأصلي
من القاهرة المستمع محمد برعي يسأل سماحتكم عن الكيفية الصحيحة للوضوء؟ جزاكم الله خيرًا.
الجواب
النبي ﷺ وضح للأمة الوضوء، ارجع إليه ﷺ تفسيرًا لقوله تعالى: يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا قُمْتُمْ إِلَى الصَّلاةِ فَاغْسِلُوا وُجُوهَكُمْ وَأَيْدِيَكُمْ إِلَى الْمَرَافِقِ وَامْسَحُوا بِرُءُوسِكُمْ وَأَرْجُلَكُمْ إِلَى الْكَعْبَيْنِ [المائدة:6] فسره النبي ﷺ، فسرها بفعله للصحابة.
فكان -عليه الصلاة والسلام- إذا قام للوضوء؛ غسل كفيه ثلاث مرات أولًا، وهذا مستحب، ثم يبدأ فيتمضمض ويستنشق، ويغسل وجهه عمومًا من منابت شعر الرأس إلى الذقن طولًا، وعرضًا إلى فروع الأذنين، ثم يغسل ذراعيه مع المرفقين، ثم يمسح رأسه مع أذنيه، ثم يغسل رجليه مع الكعبين، هكذا كان يفعل ﷺ هذه صفة وضوئه، يغسل كفيه ثلاثًا أولًا، ولاسيما إذا قام من النوم يتأكد ذلك، فيجب أن يغسل كفيه ثلاث مرات قبل إدخال يده في الإناء، ثم يبدأ فيتمضمض ويستنشق ويستنثر ويغسل وجهه.
والواجب مرة، الواجب مرة؛ لأن الرسول ﷺ توضأ مرة مرة، ثم يغسل ذراعيه مرة مرة مع المرفقين، ثم يمسح رأسه كله مرة واحدة مع أذنيه، يدخل أصبعيه سباحتيه في صماخ أذنيه، ويمسح ظاهر أذنيه بإبهاميه، ثم يغسل رجليه مع الكعبين مرة واحدة هذا الواجب، وتوضأ لهم مرتين مرتين وتوضأ لهم ثلاثًا ثلاثًا حتى يعلموا السنة، فالمرة الواحدة هذه فريضة، والمرة الثانية سنة، والثلاث هي الكمال، أفضل ما يكون ثلاثًا ثلاثًا، وهو الغالب من فعله -عليه الصلاة والسلام-إلا الرأس مسحة واحدة، لا يكرر ثلاثًا، الرأس يمسحه مرة، يبدأ بمقدمه إلى قفاه، ثم يرد يديه إلى المكان الذي بدأ منه، هكذا كان يفعل، عليه الصلاة والسلام.
والواجب أن تكون المرفقان داخلين في غسل اليدين، وهكذا الكعبان في الرجلين يدخلان في غسل الرجلين، قال أبو هريرة رضي الله عنه : كان النبي ﷺ إذا غسل يديه؛ أشرع في العضد، وإذا غسل رجليه؛ أشرع في الساق، حتى يدخل بذلك المرفقين والكعبين فقوله -جل علا-: إِذَا قُمْتُمْ إِلَى الصَّلاةِ فَاغْسِلُوا وُجُوهَكُمْ وَأَيْدِيَكُمْ إِلَى الْمَرَافِقِ [المائدة:6] (إلى) يعني: مع المرافق، وقوله -جل وعلا-: وَامْسَحُوا بِرُءُوسِكُمْ وَأَرْجُلَكُمْ إِلَى الْكَعْبَيْنِ [المائدة:6]، معناه مع الكعبين، فالكعب مغسول والمرفق مغسول.
هذه صفة وضوئه -عليه الصلاة والسلام- مرة مرة، ومرتين مرتين، وثلاثًا ثلاثًا، وربما غسل بعض الأعضاء مرتين، وبعضها ثلاثًا، فالأمر واسع، الواجب مرة مرة، يتمضمض مرة، ويستنشق مرة، ويغسل وجهه مرة يعمه بالغسل، ثم اليدين مرة مرة، ثم يمسح رأسه مع أذنيه مرة، ثم يغسل رجليه مع الكعبين مرة، هذا هو الواجب.
والأفضل أن يزيد، فيكرر في غسل الوجه واليدين والرجلين مرتين أو ثلاثًا، والثلاث أكمل وأفضل، أما الرأس فإنه يكفيه مرة واحدة لا يكرر، يمسحه مرة واحدة بيديه مع الأذنين، والأفضل أن يبدأ بالمقدم ثم يمر يديه إلى قفاه، ثم يعيدهما إلى ........، مع إدخال أصبعيه في أذنيه، ومسح ظاهرهما بأصبعيه، نعم.
المقدم: جزاكم الله خيرًا، وأحسن إليكم.
English translation
English translation prepared for SalafAlSalih.com from the cited Arabic source. It is not an official translation.
Original question
The listener Muḥammad Burʿī from Cairo asks Your Eminence about the correct way to perform wuḍūʾ. May Allah reward you with good.
Answer
The Prophet ﷺ explained wuḍūʾ to the community. Refer to him ﷺ for the explanation of Allah Most High's words: “O you who believe, when you rise for prayer, wash your faces and your arms to the elbows, wipe your heads, and wash your feet to the ankles” [al-Māʾidah 5:6]. The Prophet ﷺ explained it to the Companions through his practice.
When he, peace and blessings be upon him, began wuḍūʾ, he first washed his hands three times; this is recommended. He then rinsed his mouth, drew water into his nose and washed his entire face, from the hairline to the chin in length and across to where the ears meet the face. He then washed his arms including the elbows, wiped his head and ears, and washed his feet including the ankles. This was his ﷺ practice and the manner of his wuḍūʾ. He first washed his hands three times, particularly on rising from sleep, when this is emphasized: he must wash his hands three times before putting them into the vessel. He then rinses his mouth, draws water into his nose and expels it, and washes his face.
One washing is obligatory, because the Messenger ﷺ performed wuḍūʾ washing each part once. He then washes each arm once, including the elbows, wipes his whole head and ears once, puts his two index fingers into the openings of his ears and wipes the backs of his ears with his thumbs, then washes his feet once, including the ankles. This is obligatory. He also demonstrated wuḍūʾ washing twice and washing three times, so that they would learn the Sunnah. One washing is obligatory, the second is Sunnah, and three is the complete form. Three washings are best and were his usual practice, peace and blessings be upon him, except for the head, which is wiped once, not three times. He wipes it once, starting at the front, moving to the back, then returning his hands to where he began. This was his practice.
The elbows must be included in washing the arms, and the ankles in washing the feet. Abū Hurayrah—may Allah be pleased with him—said that when the Prophet ﷺ washed his arms, he went into the upper arms, and when he washed his feet, he went into the lower legs, thus including the elbows and ankles. In His words, majestic and exalted, “When you rise for prayer, wash your faces and your arms to the elbows” [al-Māʾidah 5:6], “to” means including the elbows. Likewise, “Wipe your heads, and wash your feet to the ankles” [al-Māʾidah 5:6] means including the ankles. The ankles and elbows are washed.
This is the manner of his wuḍūʾ, peace and blessings be upon him: once, twice or three times. Sometimes he washed some parts twice and others three times, so there is latitude. Once is obligatory: rinsing the mouth once, drawing water into the nose once, washing the whole face once, then each arm once, wiping the head and ears once, and washing each foot with the ankles once. This is obligatory.
It is preferable to add to this, repeating the washing of the face, arms and feet twice or three times. Three is more complete and better. As for the head, one wiping suffices without repetition. He wipes it once with both hands, together with the ears. It is preferable to begin at the front, pass his hands to the back, then return them to… while putting his fingers into his ears and wiping their outer surfaces with his fingers. Yes.
Presenter: May Allah reward you with good and be good to you.
Source and editorial notes
Official Ibn Bāz website; related print coverage in Majmūʿ Fatāwā wa-Maqālāt 10/98–99
صفة وضوء النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم
Description of the Prophet’s Wudu
Arabic checked against the complete official published transcript. Text is preserved; spacing is normalized and legacy honorific glyphs are expanded. The English translates every displayed paragraph; Quran quotations are translations of their meanings.