[Fardh [compulsory] acts of wudhu | Sunnah acts of wudhu]
[Factors that break and do not break wudhu]

1. The person making wudhu should face the qiblah and sit on an elevated place so that the water does not splash on him.

2. When commencing wudhu, Bismillahir Rahmânir Raheem should be recited.

3. First of all, the hands should be washed up to the wrists three times.

4. Thereafter, rinse the mouth three times and use a miswâk.

5. If there is no miswâk, a thick cloth or even the fore-finger could be used so that all the dirt is removed.

6. If the person is not fasting, he should gargle the mouth thoroughly. However, if he is fasting, he should not gargle thoroughly because there is a possibility that water will go down the throat.

7. Thereafter, rinse the nose three times and clean it with the left hand. However, the fasting person should not allow the water to go beyond the soft-bone of the nose.

8. Wash the face three times: from the hair-line till below the chin, and from one ear-lobe to the other. Water must reach all these places. Water must also reach below the eye brows - no place should remain dry.

9. Wash the right hand up to and including the elbows.

10. Thereafter wash the left hand up to and including the elbows.

11. Make khilâl of the fingers. That is, pass the fingers of one hand through the fingers of the other hand.

12. If there is a ring or any such jewellery on the fingers, it should be removed so that no part is left dry.

13. Thereafter make masah of the head (passing wet hands over the head).

14. Make masah of the ears by inserting the forefingers into the ears and making masah of the back of the ear-lobes with the thumb of each hand.

15. Make masah of the neck with the back of the fingers of both hands. However, masah of the fore-neck/throat should not be made as this is prohibited.

16. Fresh water need not be used for making masah of the ears. Whatever water is left over after making masah of the head will be sufficient.

17. Thereafter wash the right foot up to and including the ankles. Do the same for the left foot. Make khilâl of the toes of the feet with the little finger of the left hand. When making khilâl, commence with the little toe of the right foot and end with the little toe of the left foot.
    
    This is the correct method of performing wudhu. However, there are certain acts, which if even a part is left out or not completed, then the wudhu will be regarded as incomplete. In fact, it will be as if wudhu was not performed at all. Such acts are called fardh. There are other acts, which if left out, the wudhu will be regarded as complete. Carrying out these acts will entail reward (thawâb) and these have been emphasised in the Shariah. It is a sin to leave out such acts unnecessarily. Such acts are called Sunnats. There are other acts, which if carried out entail reward, and if left out, entail no sin. Neither have they been emphasised in the Shariah. Such acts are called mustahab.

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1. To wash the entire face once.

2. To wash both hands up to and including the elbows once.

3. To make masah of one-quarter of the head once.

4. To wash both feet up to and including the ankles once.

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Sunnah acts of wudhu

1. To say Bismillahir Rahmânir Raheem.

2. To wash both hands up to the wrists.

3. To rinse the mouth.

4. To wash the nose.

5. To use miswâk.

6. To make masah of the entire head.

7. To wash each part three times.

8. To make masah of the ears.

9. To make khilâl of the fingers and toes.

Apart from this, the balance of the acts are mustahab.

1. Once the four fardh acts of wudhu are carried out, wudhu will be regarded as complete, irrespective of whether one intended to make wudhu or not, eg.: (a) at the time of bathing, one pours water on the entire body, or (b) falls into a well, or river , or (c) stands in the rain. In all these conditions, if the limbs of wudhu get wet, wudhu will be regarded as complete. However, one will not obtain the reward (thawâb) of wudhu.

2. Sunnah is to make wudhu exactly as has been mentioned above. But if anyone alters or reverses the procedure of wudhu, eg. by washing the feet first, then making masah, and then washing the hands, and thereafter washing the face, or alters the procedure in any other way - then wudhu will still be regarded as complete. However, it will not be considered to be in accordance with the sunnah, and there is always the fear of having sinned.

3. Similarly, if the left hand or the left foot is washed first, wudhu will be completed, but it will be contrary to being mustahab.

4. After washing one part, one should not delay in washing the next part to such an extent that the first part gets dry. Instead, he should wash the next part as quickly as possible. If, after washing the second part, the first part gets dry, then wudhu will be regarded as complete, but it will be contrary to the sunnah.

5. It is also sunnah to pass the hand on the part that is being washed so that no place is left dry.

6. It is better and mustahab to prepare for wudhu and salât well before the time.

7. As long as there is no genuine excuse, one should perform wudhu with one's very own hands and should not seek assistance from someone else.

8. While making wudhu, worldly talk should be avoided. Instead, Bismillah and the kalimah should be read on washing each and every part.

9. No matter how freely water may be available, it should not be wasted. Even if one is at the sea-shore, one should not use more than necessary. At the same time, one should not use so little water that one has problems in washing the parts thoroughly.

10. The parts should not be washed more than three times.

11. . When washing the face, water should not be splashed with great force, nor should one splash water by making hissing sounds.

12. One should not close one's eyes and mouth very tightly. All these things are makruh and prohibited. The reason for this is that if the mouth and eyes are shut so tightly to the extent that the lips or eye lashes remain dry, then the wudhu will not be regarded as complete.

13. If rings, bangles, bracelets, etc. are so loose that water will reach under them without having to remove them, it will still be mustahab to remove them. If they are so tight that there is a possibility of water not reaching under them, then it will be necessary and wajib to remove them. A similar rule applies to the nose ring: that is, if it is loose, then it will be mustahab to move it, and if it is tight, then while one is washing the face it will be wajib to move it around so that water reaches everywhere.

14. If some dough or similar substance got stuck under the nails and got dried, and water did not reach there, the wudhu will not be complete. If one sees the flour and realizes that water did not reach there, then water should be poured over it. However, if salât was performed prior to pouring the water, it will be necessary to repeat the salât.

15. If one has applied tinsel or some other decorative paint on the forehead and does not wash it thoroughly, but just pours water over it, then wudhu will not be completed. It should be removed before washing the face.

16. After having performed the wudhu, Surah al-Qadr should be recited.

Thereafter the following dua should be recited:

["O Allah! Make me of the repentants, and make me of the purified, and include me among Your pious servants."]

17. After having performed the wudhu, it is preferable to read two rakâts of nafl salât. This salât is called Tahiyyatul wudhu. Great reward and merit has been mentioned in the Hadith in regard to this salât.

18. If one had made wudhu for a particular salât, and thereafter the next salât time entered without the wudhu having broken, then it will be permissible to read salât with that same wudhu. However, if the person repeats the wudhu, he will be greatly rewarded.

19. Once wudhu has been made and has not broken as yet, then as long as no act of worship (ibâdat) has been performed with that wudhu, it will be makruh to make a new wudhu. Based on this, if a person makes wudhu while bathing, then he should read his salât with that same wudhu. Without that wudhu breaking, he should not make a new wudhu. However, if a person has read even just two rakâts of salât with that first wudhu, then there will be no problem in making a second wudhu. In fact, there is reward in making a second wudhu.

20. If someone's hands or feet are cracked and he filled them with wax, an ointment, or some other medicine (and he fears some harm by removing it) then his wudhu will be regarded as complete if he just poured water over it without having removed the medicine.

21. If water did not reach the heels or some other place while making wudhu, and only after completing the wudhu one realized that a particular place is dry, it will not be sufficient to merely pass the hand over that place. Instead, water will have to be poured over it.

22. If there is a sore or some other wound on the hands, feet, etc. and one fears that it would be harmful to pour water over it, then water should not be poured. Instead, the wet hand should be passed over the wound. This is called masah. If this is harmful, masah should not be made and that place should be left out.

23. If a wound has been bandaged and it will be harmful to open the bandage and make masah over the wound, or it will be difficult and painful to open the bandage, then in both cases it will be permissible to make masah on the bandage. But if this is not the case, the bandage will have to be removed and masah will have to be made on the wound.

24. If the wound is not under the entire bandage, then after opening the bandage, that portion which is not wounded should be washed if possible. However, if it is not possible to open the bandage, masah should be made on both the portions- the wounded and the unwounded portions.

25. In case of a fracture where splints and pads are applied, the above directions will apply. That is, as long as the splints cannot be opened, it will be sufficient to make masah over it. The same rule will apply to plasters - that is, if masah cannot be made on the wound, the plaster should be removed and masah should be made on the gauze. But if there is no one to help in opening and closing the plaster, then it will be sufficient to make masah on the plaster itself.

26. In the case of bandages, splints, plasters, etc. it is preferable to make masah on the entire covering. If this is not possible, then it will be permissible to make masah on more than half of the covering. However, it is not permissible to suffice with masah on half or less of the covering.

27. If after performing masah, the bandage, plaster, etc., opens up and one sees that the wound has not healed as yet, then it should be re-tied and the previous masah will suffice. However, if the wound has healed and there is no need to bandage it again, then the masah will be broken. That portion should be washed and salât performed. There is no need to repeat the entire wudhu.

28. Khilâl [passing of wet fingers] of the beard should be made three times after having washed the face. Khilâl should not be made more than three times.

29. It is fardh to wash the chin as long as there is no hair of the beard on it, or if there is, it is so little that the skin can be seen.

30. It is fardh to wash that part of the lips which can be seen after the lips are closed.

31. If the hair of the beard, moustache and eyebrows is so thick that the skin cannot be seen, then it is not fardh to wash that skin which is hidden. That hair is actually in place of the skin. To pour water over it is sufficient.

32. If the hair of the eyebrows, beard, or moustache is so thick that the skin cannot be seen, then in such a case it is wajib to wash that hair which falls within the boundaries of the face. It is not wajib to wash the hair that is beyond the boundaries of the face.

33. If a person's piles come out, his wudhu will break irrespective of whether it went back inside on its own, or by pushing it back with a stick, a cloth, or his hand.

34. If semen comes out without any desire, wudhu will break. For example, a person carried a very heavy weight, or jumped from an elevated place and due to this shock semen came out without any desire.

35. If there is some defect in one's senses, but this defect does not reach the stage of insanity or unconsciousness, his wudhu will not break.

36. If a person sleeps away and laughs (in his sleep) while in salât, his wudhu will not break.

37. By laughing in a janaza salât or in a sajdah tilâwat wudhu will not break irrespective of whether the person is mature or immature.

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Factors that break and do not break wudhu

1. The passing of stool, urine and wind breaks wudhu. However, if one passes wind from the forepart, as it occassionally happens because of sickness, wudhu will not break. If some worms or stones come out from the front or back, then too wudhu will break.

2. If a worm comes out from a wound, or from the ear, or if a piece of flesh falls off from a wound and no blood comes out; then in all these cases wudhu will not break.

3. If one was bleeding, or his nose was bleeding, or is injured and begins to bleed, or blood comes out from small boils (and pimples,etc.), or bleeds from any other part of the body, or some matter or pus comes out - then in all these cases wudhu will break. However, if the blood or pus remains on the mouth of the wound and does not flow over it, wudhu will not break. Based on this, if a person is pricked by a pin and blood comes out, but does not flow, then wudhu will not break.

4. If a person sneezes and some clotted, dry blood comes out, wudhu will not break. wudhu will only break if it is thin and flows. If a person inserts his finger in his nose, and after removing it sees a spot of blood which is more like a stain on his finger but does not flow, wudhu will not break.

5. If a pimple or boil in the eye bursts, or the person bursts it himself - and its liquid flows within the eye, wudhu will not break. But if it flows out of the eye, wudhu will break. In the same way, if a pimple or boil bursts in the ear, then as long as the pus remains in the canal and does not flow to a place whose washing is necessary when making ghusl, wudhu will not break. But if it flows to such a place which is necessary to wash when making ghusl, wudhu will break.

6. If someone scratches the skin of his boil or pimple and he sees some blood or pus underneath it, and it remains in the same place without flowing out, wudhu will not break. But if it flows out, wudhu will break.

7. If a wound is very deep, then as long as the blood or pus from it remains there and does not come out and flow onto the body, wudhu will not break.

8. If the blood of a sore does not come out on its own, but is forced out, then wudhu will also break if it flows.

9. If blood oozes out of a wound and it is covered with some dust, or dabbed with a cloth, and again it oozes out, and again he dabs it - and this is done repeatedly - then he should think for himself and deduce that had he not dabbed at it, the blood would have flowed, and therefore wudhu would break. And even if he did dab at it, it would not have flowed, then wudhu will not break.

10. Someone notices blood in his saliva: if the blood is very little and the colour of the saliva is whitish or yellowish, wudhu will not break. But if the blood is equal to or more than the saliva, and the saliva is reddish in colour, wudhu will break.

11. If something is bitten with the teeth and a blood stain is found on that thing, or if the teeth were brushed and some redness is seen on the brush - and despite all this no blood or redness is seen in the saliva then wudhu will not break.

12. If one is bitten by a leech and so much of blood flows into it that if the leech is dissected, blood will begin to flow, wudhu will break. But if the leech has sucked out very little blood, wudhu will not break. If a mosquito, fly, bee, or bug sucks out blood, then wudhu will not break.

13. If someone has an ear-ache and, on account of that, water comes out of it continuously - then this water will be regarded as impure even if there is no sore or pimple. The mere flowing of that water will break wudhu if it flows to a place which is fardh to wash during ghusl. Similarly, if water flows from the nose and this is accompanied by pain, then too wudhu will break. Similarly, if there is pain in the eyes and they are sore, and in addition to this they water or tears come out, then too wudhu will break (as in the case of pink eyes). But if there is no pain in the eyes nor are they sore, then wudhu will not break by the mere flowing of tears.

14. If water comes out from the nipple (of a male or female) and this is accompanied by pain, then this water is also regarded as impure and wudhu will therefore break. But if this is not accompanied by pain, the water will not be impure and wudhu will not break.

15. If someone vomits out food, water or bile, and it is a mouthful, wudhu will break. But if it is not a mouthful, wudhu will not break. "Mouthful" here means that the vomit cannot stay in the mouth except with difficulty. If a person vomits phlegm only, wudhu will not break irrespective of the amount and irrespective of whether it was a mouthful or not. If blood comes out in the vomit and it is thin and flowing, then wudhu will break irrespective of whether it is less or extra, and irrespective of whether it is a mouthful or not. But if the blood comes out in clots or bits and pieces, then wudhu will only break if it is a mouthful.

16. If one vomits small quantities several times and all these quantities would have equalled a mouthful, and in addition to this the person still feels nauseous after each time that he vomits, wudhu will break. But if a person does not feel nauseous after vomitting the first time, but feels better, and later feels nauseous and vomits a little, and again feels better, and then feels nauseous a third time and vomits a little again - then wudhu will not break.

17. If one falls asleep while lying down, or falls asleep while leaning on something for support and gets into such a deep sleep that if that support is removed, he will fall - wudhu will break. If one falls asleep while sitting or standing in salât, wudhu will not break. But if one falls asleep while in sajdah, wudhu will break.

18. If one is not in salât and falls asleep while sitting down with his buttocks pressed on his heels and without leaning against a wall or anything else - then wudhu will not break.

19. While sitting, if one is suddenly overcome by sleep and falls down, then wudhu will not break if the person's eyes open immediately after falling down. But if even a few moments lapse for the eyes to open, wudhu will break. But if, in the sitting position, the person sways from side to side without falling down, wudhu will not break.

20. If one falls unconscious, or loses his senses because of insanity, then wudhu will break even if the unconsciousness or insanity was for a few moments. Similarly, if some drug or intoxicant is consumed and one is intoxicated to the extent that he cannot walk properly and his steps are unsteady - then too wudhu will break.

21. If one laughs so loudly in salât that he hears the laughter himself and those near him hear it as well, then both wudhu and salât will break. If only the one who laughed hears the laughter and those near him do not hear it, then only salât will break and not the wudhu. But if one only smiles without any sound coming out, neither the wudhu nor the salât will break. However, if an immature person (na-bâligh) laughs aloud in the salât, or if a mature person (bâligh) laughs while making sajdah-e-tilawat - then wudhu will not break. However, the sajdah-e-tilawat (of the mature person) and the salât (of the immature person) will break.

22. If liquid comes out from the front organ by touching a person of the opposite sex or merely having such thoughts, wudhu will break. This liquid which comes out at the time of excitement or passion is called mazi (pre-coital fluid).

23. If, due to illness, some sticky fluid similar to mucus, comes out from the front organ, then as a precaution it should be regarded as impure. By it coming out, wudhu will break.

24. If a drop of urine or pre-coital fluid comes out from the urinary passage, but remains within the foreskin, even then wudhu will break. In order for wudhu to break, it is not necessary for any liquid to come out from the foreskin.

25. If a man's organ touches the private part of a woman and there is no cloth or any such barrier between them, wudhu will break. Similarly, if the private parts of two women touch each other, wudhu will break. But to indulge in such acts is a very serious sin. In both instances, whether any fluid comes out or not, wudhu will break.

26. If after performing wudhu, one clipped one's nails, or scratched the dead skin of a wound - then no harm comes to the wudhu. It is not necessary to repeat the wudhu, nor does one have to wet that place.

27. If after performing wudhu, one sees the private area (aurah) of someone, or one's own private area gets exposed, or one had a bath or made wudhu while being naked - then in all these cases wudhu will remain and there will be no need to repeat it. However, it is a great sin to intentionally look at someone's private area, or to intentionally expose one's own private area.

28. That substance whose discharge causes wudhu to break is regarded as najis (impure) and that which does not break wudhu will not be najis. Based on this if a little blood oozes out but does not flow out of the mouth of the wound, or if vomitting takes place and it is not a mouthful, and food, water, pus or clotted blood came out - then this blood and this vomit will not be najis. If it falls on the clothing or the body, it will not be obligatory to wash it off. If vomitting was a mouthful, or if blood flowed out of the wound, both will be regarded as impure and necessary to wash. If (immediately) after vomitting a mouthful, one touched a utensil of water with one's mouth, then that utensil will also become impure. It is therefore advisable to take water in one's palms.

29. The same rule will apply to a small child who has been fed with milk and thereafter vomits it out. That is, if it is not a mouthful, it will not be impure, and if it is a mouthful, it will be impure. If the mother performs her salât without washing out that vomit from her clothing, her salât will not be in order.

30. If one remembers making wudhu but is unsure as to whether the wudhu is still intact or broken, the wudhu will be regarded as not broken. Salât with that wudhu will be proper but it is preferable to repeat the wudhu.

31. If someone is in doubt as to whether a particular limb has been washed in wudhu or not, then that part should be washed. But if the doubt crops up after completing the wudhu, he should not worry, wudhu is complete. But if he is certain that a particular thing has been left out, he should complete it.

32. It is not permissible to touch the Qur'ân without wudhu. But if it is touched with a cloth which the person is not wearing, then it will be permissible. To touch it with a scarf or sleeve of a shirt while it is being worn will not be permissible. But if he touches it while it (i.e. the scarf or shirt) is not being worn, it will be permissible. It is permissible to read the Qur'ân from memory without wudhu. If the Qur'ân is open and one looks into it and reads from it without touching it, then this is also permissible. In the same way, it is not permissible to touch an amulet (ta'wiz) or a plate on which the verses of the Qur'ân are written without wudhu.

33. To touch any page of the Qur'ân is makruh tahrimi (not permitted) irrespective of whether he touches that part where something is written or that part which is blank. But if it is not the whole Qur'ân, but one complete verse written on a page, or cloth, or thin skin, and the balance of it is blank; then it is permissible to touch the blank portion if the hand does not touch the verse.

34. It is not makruh to write the Qur'ân (without wudhu) as long as the written portion is not touched and only the blank places are touched. But according to Imam Muhammad (rahmatullahi alayhi) even the blank place cannot be touched. As a precaution, this is best. The first ruling was according to Imam Abu Yusuf (rahmatullahi alayhi). The same difference of opinion exists in the previous mas'ala as well. This rule only applies to anything other than the Qur'ân, such as a piece of paper, cloth, etc. on which some verse is written and the balance of it is blank.

35. It is not makruh to give the Qur'ân to immature children if they are in a state which requires wudhu.

36. As regards heavenly books other than the Qur'ân, such as Torah, Zabur and Injil; it is makruh to touch only those places where something is written without wudhu. To touch the blank places is not makruh. The same rule applies to those verses of the Qur'ân whose recitation has been abrogated or cancelled.

37. After having made wudhu one has a doubt that a part has not been washed but he does not know exactly which part it was. In order to get rid of this doubt, he should wash his left foot. Similarly, if in the midst of making wudhu he has a doubt, then in such a case, he should wash the last part. For example, if after washing the hands up to the elbows he has a doubt, then he should wash his face. Or, while washing the feet he has a doubt, then he should wash his hands up to his elbows. All this will apply when a person has such doubts occasionally. As for the person who experiences these doubts most of the time, he should not worry about them but regard his wudhu as complete.

38. It is not proper to make wudhu on the floor of the musjid. But if it is made in such a way that it does not fall on the floor of the musjid, then there is no harm in it. The carelessness of dropping water on the musjid floor is prevalent in many places.