Wudu, also known as half ablution, is an important part of Islam. It is the ritual that allows Muslims to pray and prostrate before their Lord. And just like any ritual in Islam, wudu also has its duas. Here, you will learn about dua for Wudu, along with other useful information.
Is Reciting Duas After Wudu Mandatory?
Reciting the dua after wudu is not mandatory. Although it is highly recommended, if one recites it, Allah will grant him blessings. But if one decides to skip it, their wudu is still valid, and they won’t be sinful.
Dua Before Wudu
The only thing that is mentioned in the hadiths to be said before wudu is Bismillah. The evidence for this is the following hadith:
Abu Hurairah reported that the Messenger of Allah stated: “A person cannot perform prayer without having done ablution, and a person cannot do ablution unless they mention the Name of Allah beforehand.” [Sunan Ibn Majah 399]
Is Bismillah Before Wudu Mandatory?
Saying Bismillah (in the name of Allah) is something that scholars differ upon.
View of Hanbali Fiqh
Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal views saying Bismillah before wudu as mandatory. His decision arises from the hadith mentioned above, in which the Prophet PBUH said that there is no ablution for the person who doesn’t mention the name of Allah beforehand.
View of Hanafi, Shafi and Maliki Fiqh
The other three fiqh, including one view narrated by Imam Ahmed, say Bismillah before Wudu is among the sunnahs of Wudu. Their decision arises from several sources. One of them is the hadith in which the Prophet PBUH states that “the prayer is not complete unless one performs ablution properly, as ordained by Allah, the Exalted. This includes washing the face and hands up to the elbows, wiping the head, and washing the feet up to the ankles.” [Sunan Abi Dawud 858]
The words ordained by Allah refer to the way Allah has commanded the Muslims to do Wudu. It is mentioned in the Quran.
“O ye who believe! When ye rise up for prayer, wash your faces, and your hands up to the elbows, and lightly rub your heads and (wash) your feet up to the ankles.”
In both the hadith and the Quran, Bismillah is not mentioned before starting the wudu, and if it had been obligatory, it would have been mentioned. The other reason is that many people described the wudu of the Prophet SAW, but none of these people mentioned the Prophet SAW saying Bismillah before doing wudu. And if Bismillah had been obligatory before Wudu, it would have been mentioned. In the end, it really depends on one’s fiqh.
Dua After Wudu
Dua 1
Narrated ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him): The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “Whoever performs ablution completely and then recites the following supplication: all eight gates of Paradise will be opened for him, and he may enter through any gate he chooses.” [Bulugh al-Maram 57]
Transliteration:
Ashhadu an la ilaha ill-Allah wahdahu la sharika lah, wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan ‘abduhu was rasuluhu.
Translation:
‘I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, who is alone and has no partners, and Muhammad (peace be upon him) is His servant and Messenger,’
Dua 2
Transliteration:
allahumm aj’alni min al-tawwabeena waj’alni min al-mutatahhireena
Translation:
O Allah, make me one of those who repent and make me one of those who purify themselves.
Al-Hafiz ibn Hajar classified this addition as ‘da’if’ (weak), stating that the version narrated by al-Tirmidhi is not authentically part of the hadith (as mentioned in al-Futuhat al-Rabbaniyyah, 2/19).
However, al-Albani graded it as ‘sahih’ in Sahih al-Tirmidhi, and Ibn al-Qayyim confirmed its authenticity in Zad al-Ma’ad, attributing it to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).
Dua 3
Transliteration:
Ashhadu an la ilaha ill-allah wahdahu la sharika lah, wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan ‘abduhu wa rasuluhu. allahumm aj’alni min al-tawwabina waj’alni min al-mutatahhirina, subhanaka allahumma wa bi hamdika, ashhadu an la ilaha illa anta, astaghfiruka wa atubu ilayka.
Translation:
I bear witness that there is no god except Allah Alone, with no partner or associate, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. O Allah, make me one of those who repent and make me one of those who purify themselves. Glory and praise be to You, O Allah, I bear witness that there is no god but You, I seek Your forgiveness and I repent to You.
Dua 4
Transliteration:
Subhanaka Allahumma wa bi hamdika, ashhadu an la ilaha illa anta, astaghfiruka wa atubu ilayka.
Translation:
Glory and praise be to You, O Allah, I bear witness that there is no god but You, I seek Your forgiveness and I repent to You.