The steps of wudu:
1. Intention (niyyah) in the heart — you don't need to say it aloud, just intend to purify yourself for worship.
2. Wash your hands three times, starting with the right, then the left.
3. Rinse your mouth three times (madmada).
4. Sniff water into your nose and blow it out three times (istinshaq/istinthar).
5. Wash your face three times — from the hairline to the chin, and from ear to ear.
6. Wash your arms up to and including the elbows three times, right arm first, then left.
7. Wipe your head once with wet hands, moving from front to back and back to front.
8. Wash your feet up to and including the ankles three times, right foot first, then left.
The Quran lays out the core obligation clearly:
> "O you who believe! When you rise to pray, wash your faces and your hands up to the elbows, wipe your heads, and wash your feet up to the ankles..." [Coran, Sourate Al-Maaida:6]
The Prophet ﷺ demonstrated this practically for his companions. Abdullah ibn Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him) described it: the Prophet ﷺ washed his hands three times, rinsed his mouth and nose three times, washed his face three times, his arms to the elbows twice, wiped his head once, and washed his feet to the ankles [Sahih Bukhari 1:48 (186), Sahih Muslim 1:210 (235)].
Uthman ibn Affan (may Allah be pleased with him) also performed wudu exactly as the Prophet ﷺ did and then said:
> "Whoever performs ablution like this ablution of mine and then prays two rak'ahs without letting his thoughts wander, Allah will forgive his past sins." [Sahih Bukhari 1:44 (164), Sahih Muslim 1:204 (226)]
A few important points:
- The Prophet ﷺ used only a small amount of water — about one *mudd* (roughly the amount that fills two cupped hands) for wudu [Sahih Muslim 1:258 (326)]. So don't waste water.
- If you wake up from sleep, wash your hands three times before dipping them into the water container, because you don't know where your hand rested during sleep [Sahih Bukhari 1:43 (162), Sahih Muslim 1:233 (278)].
- Wudu is invalidated by things like using the toilet, passing wind, or deep sleep.
Practical tip: A great way to learn and stay consistent is to keep a wudu routine tied to your prayer times. You can check the exact prayer times in the Prayer Times section of your Al Muslim Plus app, and use the Qibla compass to make sure you're facing the right direction once your wudu is complete. May Allah accept your worship and purify your heart along with your limbs.