Wuḍūʾ (الوضوء)

‎Quran 5:6

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يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ إِذَا قُمْتُمْ إِلَى الصَّلاةِ فاغْسِلُواْ وُجُوهَكُمْ وَأَيْدِيَكُمْ إِلَى الْمَرَافِقِ وَامْسَحُواْ بِرُؤُوسِكُمْ وَأَرْجُلَكُمْ إِلَى الْكَعْبَينِ وَإِن كُنتُمْ جُنُباً فَاطَّهَّرُواْ وَإِن كُنتُم مَّرْضَى أَوْ عَلَى سَفَرٍ أَوْ جَاء أَحَدٌ مَّنكُم مِّنَ الْغَائِطِ أَوْ لاَمَسْتُمُ النِّسَاء فَلَمْ تَجِدُواْ مَاء فَتَيَمَّمُواْ صَعِيداً طَيِّباً فَامْسَحُواْ بِوُجُوهِكُمْ وَأَيْدِيكُم مِّنْهُ مَا يُرِيدُ اللّهُ لِيَجْعَلَ عَلَيْكُم مِّنْ حَرَجٍ وَلَـكِن يُرِيدُ لِيُطَهَّرَكُمْ وَلِيُتِمَّ نِعْمَتَهُ عَلَيْكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ

"O you who believe! when you rise up to prayer, wash your faces and your hands as far as the elbows, and wipe your heads and your feet to the ankles; and if you are under an obligation to perform a total ablution, then wash (yourselves) and if you are sick or on a journey, or one of you come from the privy, or you have touched the women, and you cannot find water, betake yourselves to pure earth and wipe your faces and your hands therewith, Allah does not desire to put on you any difficulty, but He wishes to purify you and that He may complete His favor on you, so that you may be grateful."

In this project, I photographed Brother Khary, of the Houston Muslim Community, performing Wudu. These photographs walk us through the step-by-step process.

Wudu, also known as ablution, is one of the most important aspects of Islam. Though often overlooked, it is actually the first and essential step of Salah (prayer) and is an act of worship itself.

Wudu is the Islamic process for cleansing parts of the body, usually in preparation for prayer. In order for their prayers to be considered valid, Muslims must be in a constant state of Wudu.

Wudu consists of washing eight parts of the body: the hands, mouth, nose, arms, face, head, ears, and finally the feet. All are to be washed three times except for the head and ears, which are wiped once with wet hands and fingers.

Islam is the only religion that performs ablution on a daily basis. For other religions, it’s only used for a special, specific occasion.

Wudu is the physical cleanse before the spiritual cleanse.

Physical purity for spiritual purity.

Performing Wudu is even said to be able to wash away the believer's sins.