Wudu

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.