Wudu for kids: the six steps, with sound
Wudu is the washing before the prayer. Below are the six steps in the order the free Hudhudo prayer course teaches them: each with a picture, an Arabic sentence that describes the step, in Hana's voice, and what it means.
Press the speaker to hear a sentence. Your child listens, repeats it and then does the step at the tap.
The Hudhudo team · Updated
Why we make wudu
قَبْلَ الصَّلَاةِ نَتَوَضَّأ.
Before the prayer we make wudu.
بِالْوُضُوءِ نَكُونُ طَاهِرِينَ لِلصَّلَاة.
With wudu we are pure for the prayer.
Before we start
أَنْوِي فِي قَلْبِي، وَأَقُولُ: بِسْمِ الله.
I intend it in my heart and say: bismillah.
The six steps of wudu
Step 1:الْيَدَانthe hands
أَغْسِلُ يَدَيَّ ثَلَاثَ مَرَّات.
I wash my hands three times.
Step 2:الْفَمُ وَالْأَنْفthe mouth and the nose
أَتَمَضْمَضُ وَأَسْتَنْشِقُ ثَلَاثَ مَرَّات.
I rinse my mouth and my nose three times.
Step 3:الْوَجْهthe face
أَغْسِلُ وَجْهِي ثَلَاثَ مَرَّات.
I wash my face three times.
Step 4:الذِّرَاعَانthe arms, up to and including the elbows
أَغْسِلُ يَدِي الْيُمْنَى مِنَ الْأَصَابِعِ إِلَى الْمِرْفَق، وَالْمِرْفَقَ أَيْضًا.
I wash my right arm from the fingers to the elbow, and the elbow too.
ثُمَّ الْيُسْرَى، وَكُلُّ يَدٍ ثَلَاثَ مَرَّات.
Then the left; each arm three times.
Step 5:الرَّأْسُ وَالْأُذُنَانthe head and the ears
أَمْسَحُ رَأْسِي بِيَدَيْنِ مَبْلُولَتَيْن، ثُمَّ أُذُنَيّ.
I wipe my head with wet hands, then my ears.
Step 6:الرِّجْلَانthe feet, up to and including the ankles
أَغْسِلُ رِجْلِي الْيُمْنَى إِلَى الْكَعْبَيْن، وَالْكَعْبَيْنِ أَيْضًا.
I wash my right foot up to the ankles, and the ankles too.
ثُمَّ الْيُسْرَى، وَكُلُّ رِجْلٍ ثَلَاثَ مَرَّات.
Then the left; each foot three times.
فِي الذِّرَاعَيْنِ وَالرِّجْلَيْنِ نَبْدَأُ بِالْيَمِين.
With the arms and the feet we start with the right.
After wudu
وَبَعْدَ الْوُضُوءِ نَقُول:
And after wudu we say:
أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا الله
ashhadu an la ilaha illallah: I bear witness that there is no god but Allah
وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُه
wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan abduhu wa rasuluh: and that Muhammad is His servant and messenger
A tip for parents
Make wudu together at the tap: you say the sentence, your child copies the movement. A short go every day works better than one long one.
Your child's teacher at the mosque or weekend school stays the one who corrects the details; this page helps you repeat at home.
Questions parents ask
My child skips a step. What now?
Do the six steps again slowly, in the order on this page, and say each sentence aloud. In the free prayer course your child puts the steps in order in a short game, which helps the order stick.
What are the Arabic sentences with each step?
The sentence with each step describes the step in Arabic, so your child learns the words with the movement. What we say before and after wudu is at the start and the end of this page. Many children start by copying the movements and learn the words along the way.
Where can my child practise wudu?
In the free Hudhudo prayer course: the wudu lesson has the same pictures and sentences, and a short game to put the steps in order. The prayer course stays free, also after the trial.
Practise wudu and the prayer in the free course
The Hudhudo prayer course is free forever: wudu, the movements, the words and the five prayers, with Hana's voice.