--- title: "What Is Wudu (Ablution)? | Islam Is Mercy" description: "Wudu is the washing Muslims perform before prayer: the face, arms, head and feet. It cleans the body and prepares the heart to stand before God." lang: en url: https://islamismercy.com/en/glossary/wudu/ --- 1. [Home](https://islamismercy.com/en/) 2. [Glossary](https://islamismercy.com/en/glossary/) 3. What Is Wudu (Ablution)? # What Is Wudu (Ablution)? Written by **Islam Is Mercy Editorial Team**· 1 min readAwaiting scholar review ## The short answer Wudu is the ritual washing Muslims perform before prayer. It includes washing the face, the arms up to the elbows, wiping the head and washing the feet. It is a physical cleansing and a spiritual preparation for standing before God. ## On this page 1. Meaning 2. How Muslims use it 3. Example **Wudu** (Arabic: وضوء) is pronounced *wu-DOO’*. It is often translated as *ablution*. ## Meaning The word comes from a root meaning *brightness* and *cleanliness*. Before each of the five daily prayers, a Muslim needs to be in a state of purity. Wudu is the washing that achieves this. Its essential parts are described in the Qur’an itself: > يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِذَا قُمْتُمْ إِلَى ٱلصَّلَوٰةِ فَٱغْسِلُوا۟ وُجُوهَكُمْ وَأَيْدِيَكُمْ إِلَى ٱلْمَرَافِقِ وَٱمْسَحُوا۟ بِرُءُوسِكُمْ وَأَرْجُلَكُمْ إِلَى ٱلْكَعْبَيْنِ ۚ وَإِن كُنتُمْ جُنُبًۭا فَٱطَّهَّرُوا۟ ۚ وَإِن كُنتُم مَّرْضَىٰٓ أَوْ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍ أَوْ جَآءَ أَحَدٌۭ مِّنكُم مِّنَ ٱلْغَآئِطِ أَوْ لَٰمَسْتُمُ ٱلنِّسَآءَ فَلَمْ تَجِدُوا۟ مَآءًۭ فَتَيَمَّمُوا۟ صَعِيدًۭا طَيِّبًۭا فَٱمْسَحُوا۟ بِوُجُوهِكُمْ وَأَيْدِيكُم مِّنْهُ ۚ مَا يُرِيدُ ٱللَّهُ لِيَجْعَلَ عَلَيْكُم مِّنْ حَرَجٍۢ وَلَٰكِن يُرِيدُ لِيُطَهِّرَكُمْ وَلِيُتِمَّ نِعْمَتَهُۥ عَلَيْكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ ﴿٦﴾ > O you who have believed, when you rise to \[perform\] prayer, wash your faces and your forearms to the elbows and wipe over your heads and wash your feet to the ankles. And if you are in a state of janabah, then purify yourselves. But if you are ill or on a journey or one of you comes from the place of relieving himself or you have contacted women and do not find water, then seek clean earth and wipe over your faces and hands with it. Allah does not intend to make difficulty for you, but He intends to purify you and complete His favor upon you that you may be grateful. [Qur'an, Al-Maaida 5:6](https://quran.com/5?startingVerse=6&translations=20)Saheeh International Following the example of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, Muslims usually begin with the intention and the words *Bismillah* (in the name of God), wash their hands, rinse the mouth and nose, wash the face, then the arms to the elbows, wipe the head and ears, and wash the feet — often three times each. Scholars differ on which of the extra steps are required and which are recommended, but the core is the same everywhere. ## How Muslims use it Wudu stays valid until something breaks it, such as using the toilet or falling deeply asleep, so a person does not always need a new wudu for every prayer. If water is unavailable or would cause harm, the Qur’an allows *tayammum*, a symbolic wiping with clean earth — a sign that God does not intend hardship. Many Muslims describe wudu as a moment to calm down and leave the day’s stress behind before prayer. ## Example *“He stepped out of the meeting to make wudu before the afternoon prayer.”* For step-by-step guidance, see [How to Make Wudu](https://islamismercy.com/en/become-muslim/how-to-make-wudu/) and [How Do Muslims Pray?](https://islamismercy.com/en/become-muslim/how-to-pray/) ## Key takeaways - Wudu is the washing a Muslim performs before prayer. - Its core steps come from the Qur'an: the face, arms, head and feet. - If water is not available or harmful to use, Islam allows a simple alternative called tayammum. ## Share this article [WhatsApp](https://wa.me/?text=What%20Is%20Wudu%20(Ablution)%3F%20https%3A%2F%2Fislamismercy.com%2Fen%2Fglossary%2Fwudu%2F)[Telegram](https://t.me/share/url?url=https%3A%2F%2Fislamismercy.com%2Fen%2Fglossary%2Fwudu%2F&text=What%20Is%20Wudu%20(Ablution)%3F)[X](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=What%20Is%20Wudu%20(Ablution)%3F&url=https%3A%2F%2Fislamismercy.com%2Fen%2Fglossary%2Fwudu%2F)[Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fislamismercy.com%2Fen%2Fglossary%2Fwudu%2F) ## Sources - [Qur'an, Al-Maaida 5:6](https://quran.com/5?startingVerse=6&translations=20) ## Talk to a Muslim Have a question that isn't answered here? Ask a real person — no pressure, no judgement. [Ask your question](https://islamismercy.com/en/talk/) ## Keep reading [Becoming Muslim ### How to Pray: A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners A simple, step-by-step guide to the Muslim prayer (salah) for beginners — from ablution to the final greeting — sticking to what Muslims agree on. Read article](https://islamismercy.com/en/become-muslim/how-to-pray/)[Becoming Muslim ### How to Make Wudu: A Simple Step-by-Step Guide A gentle, step-by-step guide to wudu, the short washing Muslims make before prayer, following the form all the schools of Islamic law share. Read article](https://islamismercy.com/en/become-muslim/how-to-make-wudu/)[Glossary ### Salah — The Muslim Prayer Salah is the ritual prayer Muslims perform five times a day, facing Makkah. It is the second of the Five Pillars of Islam. Read article](https://islamismercy.com/en/glossary/salah/)