How to Wash Hands, Rinse Mouth & Nose in Wudu?

3 minutes

What Is the Sunnah Method of Washing the Hands in Wudu?

After saying Bismillah, the first practical step of Wudu is washing both hands.

Both palms are to be washed thoroughly from the fingertips to the wrists,
ensuring that water reaches fully between the fingers as well.

Miqdam ibn Ma’dikarib (RA) narrates:

Utiya Rasulullahi ﷺ biwadu’in fatawadda’a faghasala kaffayhi thalathan
(Sunan Abi Dawud: 121)

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was brought water for Wudu. He performed Wudu and washed both his palms three times.

What Is the Sunnah Method of Rinsing the Mouth and Nose in Wudu?

After washing the hands, the mouth is to be rinsed, and water is to be sniffed into the nose. The Sunnah method for this is as follows:

Take one full handful of water in the right hand.
Put half of it into the mouth and close the mouth.
Apply the remaining half to the nose and sniff the water upward.
Blow the water out of the nose using the left hand, clear it thoroughly, then expel the water from the mouth.

This means that the mouth and nose are both cleaned using a single handful of water, not separately, and this entire process is repeated three times.

Is Using One Handful of Water for Both Mouth and Nose Proven by Hadith?

The majority of Hadiths establish this very same method from the Prophet (ﷺ).

Abdullah ibn Zayd (RA) narrates:

He rinsed his mouth and sniffed water into his nose from a single handful,
and did this three times, then said: this was the Wudu of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)
(Sahih al-Bukhari: 191)

Abdullah ibn Abbas (RA) narrates:

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) rinsed his mouth and sniffed water
into his nose from a single handful.
(Sunan Ibn Majah: 403)

Ali (RA) narrates:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) performed Wudu and rinsed his mouth three times
and sniffed water into his nose three times, using a single handful each time.
(Sunan Ibn Majah: 404)

Although many jurists describe rinsing the mouth and sniffing water separately as two distinct acts, the majority of Hadiths transmit this combined method from the Prophet (ﷺ).

How Should the Water Be Sniffed Into the Nose?

The water should not merely touch the nose. Rather, one should make an effort to draw the water upward into the nose.

Laqit ibn Sabirah (RA) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:

Baligh fil istinshaq illa an takuna sa’iman
(Sunan Ibn Majah: 407)

This means: sniff the water deeply and thoroughly into the nose, except when you are fasting.

When a person is fasting, there is a risk of water reaching the throat, which is why
thorough sniffing is an exception during the fast.
In all other circumstances, water should be drawn well into the nose.