How to Wipe the Head and Ears in Wudu: Sunnah Methods and Key Rulings

What Is the Quranic Command for Wiping the Head in Wudu?

After washing both arms, the next step is wiping over the head (Masah).
Allah the Almighty commands in Surah al-Maidah (5:6):
And wipe over your heads.

What Is the First Sunnah Method of Wiping the Head?

Two methods of wiping the head have been narrated from the Prophet (PBUH).

The first method is as follows:

Place both wet hands at the front of the head where the hairline begins.
Press them firmly over the head and move them backwards all the way to the nape
of the neck where the hair ends.
Then bring both hands back across the head in the same manner to the original starting point.

Abdullah ibn Zayd (RA) narrates:

Hadith:

• Then the Prophet (PBUH) wiped his head with both hands, moving them forward and backwards.
  He began from the front of his head and brought them all the way to the nape of his neck, then returned them to the place from which he had started.
• (Sahih al-Bukhari: 185)
  

What Is the Second Sunnah Method of Wiping the Head?

The second method is as follows:

Place both hands at the centre of the head where the hair is parted.
Press them along the natural fall of the hair on both sides toward the back, taking care not
to disturb the hair from its position, and release the hands at the end.

Rubayyi’ bint Mu’awwidh (RA) narrates:

Hadith:

• The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) performed Wudu at her home and wiped
  his entire head, starting from the parting of the hair, following the natural fall
  of the hair on each side, without disturbing the hair from its position.
• (Sunan Abi Dawud: 128)

How Should the Ears Be Wiped in Wudu?

After wiping the head, the ears are wiped immediately using the same wet hands without taking fresh water, because the ears are considered part of the head.

The method is as follows:

1. Insert the index finger into the ear opening and wipe the inner part of the ear.
   
2. Use the thumb to wipe the outer part of the ear.
3. Bring the thumbs upward from behind to wipe the temples on the sides of the head.

Several Hadiths describe the wiping of the ears:

Abdullah ibn Abbas (RA) narrates:

Hadith:

• The Prophet (PBUH) wiped his head and ears, wiping their inner surfaces with his index fingers and their outer surfaces with his thumbs.
• (Sunan al-Nasa’i: 101)

Rubayyi’ bint Mu’awwidh (RA) narrates:

Hadith:

• The Prophet (PBUH) performed Wudu at her home and inserted his two index fingers into his ear openings.
• (Sunan Ibn Majah: 441)
  

How Many Times Should the Head and Ears Be Wiped?

Authentic narrations establish that the head and ears were wiped once (marrah wahidah).

Some narrations mention wiping the head more than once, but the narration establishing one wipe is authentic.

Is a Specific Finger Configuration Required When Wiping the Head?

The practice of joining specific fingers together on the way back and using the inner palms on the return stroke has no authentic basis from the Prophet (PBUH). The Sunnah method is only what has been clearly transmitted in the authentic Hadiths.

Is Wiping the Neck a Sunnah in Wudu?

Wiping the neck during Wudu is not established from any authentic narration from the Prophet (PBUH).
Only the head and ears are to be wiped during Wudu. Wiping the neck has no proven basis.

Is It Permissible to Wipe Over a Turban or a Headscarf?

Wiping over a turban (Imamah): When the Prophet (PBUH) was wearing a turban, he would wipe over it, provided the turban had been put on while in a state of Wudu.

Wiping over a headscarf: Similarly, if a woman has securely tied her headscarf or dupatta while in a state of Wudu, it is permissible, when needed, to wipe over it without untying it.
This is established by analogy with wiping over the turban.