The washing before prayer
Wudu for women: a step-by-step guide for Muslim women
The steps, then the questions women actually ask: the hijab, nail polish, henna and make-up.
The steps of wudu
Four washings the Quran names, and the way they were shown. The Quran names the face, the arms to the elbows, wiping the head and the feet to the ankles (Quran 5:6). Uthman showed the full wudu (Sahih al-Bukhari 159):
- Intend it, and say Bismillah (Jami‘ at-Tirmidhi 25).
- Wash your hands three times.
- Rinse your mouth and nose three times.
- Wash your face three times.
- Wash each arm to the elbow three times, right first.
- Wipe your head once, front to back and back again (Sahih al-Bukhari 185), then your ears (Sunan Abi Dawud 121).
- Wash each foot to the ankle three times, right first.
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يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓاْ إِذَا قُمۡتُمۡ إِلَى ٱلصَّلَوٰةِ فَٱغۡسِلُواْ وُجُوهَكُمۡ وَأَيۡدِيَكُمۡ إِلَى ٱلۡمَرَافِقِ وَٱمۡسَحُواْ بِرُءُوسِكُمۡ وَأَرۡجُلَكُمۡ إِلَى ٱلۡكَعۡبَيۡنِۚ وَإِن كُنتُمۡ جُنُبٗا فَٱطَّهَّرُواْۚ وَإِن كُنتُم مَّرۡضَىٰٓ أَوۡ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍ أَوۡ جَآءَ أَحَدٞ مِّنكُم مِّنَ ٱلۡغَآئِطِ أَوۡ لَٰمَسۡتُمُ ٱلنِّسَآءَ فَلَمۡ تَجِدُواْ مَآءٗ فَتَيَمَّمُواْ صَعِيدٗا طَيِّبٗا فَٱمۡسَحُواْ بِوُجُوهِكُمۡ وَأَيۡدِيكُم مِّنۡهُۚ مَا يُرِيدُ ٱللَّهُ لِيَجۡعَلَ عَلَيۡكُم مِّنۡ حَرَجٖ وَلَٰكِن يُرِيدُ لِيُطَهِّرَكُمۡ وَلِيُتِمَّ نِعۡمَتَهُۥ عَلَيۡكُمۡ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تَشۡكُرُونَ ٦
yāayyuhā alladhīna āmanū idhā qum'tum ilā l-ṣalati fa-igh'silū wujūhakum wa-aydiyakum ilā l-marāfiqi wa-im'saḥū biruūsikum wa-arjulakum ilā l-kaʿbayni wa-in kuntum junuban fa-iṭṭahharū wa-in kuntum marḍā aw ʿalā safarin aw jāa aḥadun minkum mina l-ghāiṭi aw lāmastumu l-nisāa falam tajidū māan fatayammamū ṣaʿīdan ṭayyiban fa-im'saḥū biwujūhikum wa-aydīkum min'hu mā yurīdu l-lahu liyajʿala ʿalaykum min ḥarajin walākin yurīdu liyuṭahhirakum waliyutimma niʿ'matahu ʿalaykum laʿallakum tashkurūna
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 janābah, 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. Allāh 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.
Wudu with a hijab, for Muslim women
Wet hands under the front of the scarf. The head is wiped (Quran 5:6), and the schools differ on how much: the Hanafi school asks for a quarter of the head, the Shafi‘i school any part of it, and the Maliki and Hanbali schools the whole head, though some Hanbali scholars allow wiping over a scarf wound under the chin. At work or college, many women loosen the front of the hijab, wipe the hair underneath, and do the ears without taking it off.
Nail polish, henna and make-up
Water has to reach the skin and nails. The washing in Quran 5:6 is of the limbs themselves, so most scholars hold that nail polish, which forms a layer, must come off before wudu; “breathable” polishes are disputed. Henna only stains, so wudu with it is fine. Waterproof make-up and mascara that leave a film are taken off; ordinary make-up that water passes through is not a problem for most schools.
What breaks wudu
And what doesn’t.
- Anything leaving the front or back passage: urine, stool or wind (Sahih al-Bukhari 135).
- Deep sleep in which you lose awareness (Sunan Abi Dawud 203).
- Anything that needs a ghusl, such as the end of a period.
- A doubt does not break it: you carry on unless you are sure (Sahih al-Bukhari 137).
The schools differ on touching, reading “or you have touched women” in Quran 4:43 in different ways; the Shafi‘i school counts skin-to-skin touch between a man and a woman who could marry, husband and wife included.
Teaching girls wudu
Practise long before it is due. Girls who learn wudu at seven or eight, step by step, find prayer easy when they come of age. Make it a routine together before Maghrib, let her count the threes out loud, and praise the effort rather than the perfection.
Ashhadu an la ilaha illallah
(أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لاَ شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّداً عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ..).
Ashhadu an la ilaha illallahu wahdahu la sharika lah, wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan ‘abduhu wa rasuluh.
I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, alone, with no partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and His Messenger.
Said after wudu. The Prophet ﷺ said that the eight gates of Paradise are opened for whoever makes wudu well and then says this, to enter by whichever he wishes.
Wudu questions Muslim women ask
Does my period break my wudu?
The start of bleeding ends your wudu, and you do not pray during your period; you take a ghusl when it ends, as one who needs purification (Quran 5:6).
Do I have to take my hijab off for wudu?
No. Wipe your head under the front of the scarf with wet hands, and your ears; the schools differ only on how much of the head to wipe (Quran 5:6).
Can I make wudu with nail polish on?
Most scholars hold it must come off first, because the nails must be washed (Quran 5:6) and polish stops the water. Henna is fine.