How do you perform wudu step by step?

Intend, say Bismillah, then wash hands, mouth, nose, face, arms to the elbows, wipe the head and ears, and wash the feet to the ankles.

Wudu is the washing that purifies a Muslim for prayer. Make the intention, say Bismillah, then wash your hands, rinse your mouth and nose, wash your face, wash your arms to the elbows, wipe your head and ears, and wash your feet to the ankles. Most parts are washed three times.

Step by step

1. Intend in your heart to perform wudu for prayer, and say Bismillah.
2. Wash your hands up to the wrists, three times.
3. Rinse your mouth three times.
4. Rinse your nose: draw water in and blow it out, three times.
5. Wash your face from the hairline to the chin and from ear to ear, three times.
6. Wash your arms up to and including the elbows, right then left, three times each.
7. Wipe your head once with wet hands, front to back and back again.
8. Wipe your ears, inside and behind, with the same moisture.
9. Wash your feet up to and including the ankles, right then left, three times each, making sure water reaches between the toes.

This is how the Companion 'Uthman ibn 'Affan demonstrated the Prophet's wudu (Sahih al-Bukhari 159). The essential parts are named in the Quran: "when you rise for prayer, wash your faces and your arms to the elbows, wipe your heads, and wash your feet to the ankles" (Quran 5:6). Washing three times is the Sunnah; once, done completely, fulfils the obligation. The schools differ on some details, such as whether the order of the steps is obligatory.

What breaks wudu

Using the toilet, passing wind, deep sleep and losing consciousness, among others. The Prophet said: "The prayer of a person who does hadath (passes urine, stool or wind) is not accepted till he performs the ablution" (Sahih al-Bukhari 135). If no water is available, the Quran permits dry purification with clean earth (tayammum).