CACrown ArchivesThe cinema collection
Menu
Research dossier · General Reference

Wudu

Islamic procedure for washing parts of the body using water before formal prayers

Cross-disciplinary reference desk with index cards, atlas, dictionary and catalogue
General referenceInterpretive dossier study · Crown Archives visual atlas
Record originEnglish Wikipedia
Text licenseCC BY-SA 4.0
Source revisionSep 8, 2026
Entity authorityQ219466 ↗
Source-derived summary

Wuduʾ (Arabic: وضوء, romanized: wuḍūʾ, lit. 'ablution' [wʊˈdˤuːʔ] ) is the procedure for cleansing parts of the body, a type of ritual purification by ablution, in Islam. The steps of wudu are: washing the hands, rinsing the mouth and nose, washing the face, then the forearms, then wiping the head and ears, then washing or wiping the feet, done in order without any long breaks between them.

Wudu is an important part of ritual purity in Islam and is governed by fiqh, which specifies hygienical jurisprudence and defines the rituals that constitute it. Ritual purity is called tahara.

Wudu is typically performed before Salah or reading the Quran. Activities that invalidate wudu include urination, defecation, flatulence, deep sleep, light bleeding (depending on madhhab), menstruation, postpartum status, and sexual intercourse.

Wudu is often translated as 'partial ablution', as opposed to ghusl, which refers to 'full ablution', where the whole body is washed. An alternative to wudu is tayammum 'dry ablution', which uses clean sand or dust in place of water due to complete water scarcity or when one is suffering from moisture-induced skin inflammation, illness, or other harmful effects.

Description of Wudu

Quran

Qur'an 2:222 says: "For God loves those who turn to Him constantly and He loves those who keep themselves pure and clean."[2:222]

Qur'an 5:6 says: "O believers! When you rise up for prayer, wash your faces and your hands up to the elbows, wipe your heads, and wash your feet up to the ankles.

Editorial summary

This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Wudu” as islamic procedure for washing parts of the body using water before formal prayers. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.

Editorial reviewA dependable orientation record for establishing vocabulary, names and a first evidence trail. The current 246-word lead offers orientation but no explicit four-digit date, so chronology should not be assumed. The selected authority fields contribute no independent date. The account is most persuasive where Wudu, Islamic and procedure can be independently traced.
Editorial analysis

Why this record matters

The subject matters to the general reference register because the source frames it as islamic procedure for washing parts of the body using water before formal prayers. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.

Evidence profile

Vocabulary and entity names are the principal evidence signals here, because they determine the precision of every later search. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 8, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q219466. The Library of Congress control number is sh2009007624. None of the 1 selected statements returned an explicit reference.

Critical limits

Overview language is designed for orientation and should not be treated as a substitute for the evidence cited beneath it. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.

How to read it

Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.

Best used for
  • Subject orientation
  • Search vocabulary
  • Locating named sources
Verify next

The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.

Three-step research path

  1. Establish the record: confirm the title “Wudu”, its source revision and the description used here.
  2. Expand the search: follow Wudu primary sources, Wudu archive and Wudu research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
  3. Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.

Questions for further research

  1. Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Wudu”?
  2. Which cited source is closest to the event, object or claim?
  3. What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
Subject index

Search terms from this dossier

Source & attribution

This entry incorporates text from “Wudu” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.