Du’aa’s to be said in wudoo’

What are the du’aa’s that are to be said in wudoo’?.

Praise be to Allaah.

Du’aa’s to be said at the beginning of wudoo’ and after finishing it have been narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). 

With regard to what is to be said at the beginning, the only thing that has been narrated is to mention the name of Allaah by saying Bismillaah (in the name of Allaah). 

The evidence for that is the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “There is no wudoo’ for one who does not mention the name of Allaah in it.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 25. He said: Concerning this topic it was narrated from ‘Aa’ishah, Abu Sa’eed, Abu Hurayrah, Sahl ibn Sa’d and Anas. Ahmad ibn Hanbal said: I do not know of any hadeeth with a jayyid isnaad on the topic. End quote from al-Tirmidhi. 

The hadeeth was classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi. 

In the answer to question no. 21241 we have stated that this hadeeth is one concerning whose soundness the scholars differed. 

Al-Nawawi narrated in al-Majmoo’ (1/385) that al-Bayhaqi said: 

The soundest report concerning saying Bismillaah (for wudoo’) is the hadeeth of Anas, according to which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) put his hand in the vessel of water then he said: “Do wudoo’ in the name of Allaah.” [Anas] said: I saw the water springing up from between his fingers, and the people did wudoo’ until the last of them had done wudoo’, and there were nearly seventy men. Its isnaad is jayyid, and it was quoted as evidence by al-Bayhaqi in his book Ma’rifat al-Sunan wa’l-Athaar; he classed the other ahaadeeth as da’eef (weak). End quote. 

With regard to what is said after wudoo’, a number of ahaadeeth have been narrated concerning that. 

From the reports it may be concluded that he said: 

Ashhadu an laa ilaaha ill-Allaah wahdahu laa shareeka lah, wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan ‘abduhu was rasooluhu. Allaahumm aj’alni min al-tawwaabeena waj’alni min al-mutatahhireena, subhaanaka Allaahumma wa bi hamdika, ashhadu an laa ilaaha ill anta, astaghfiruka wa atoobu ilayka

(I bear witness that there is no god except Allaah alone, with no partner or associate, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. O Allaah, make me one of those who repent and make me one of those who purify themselves. Glory and praise be to You, O Allaah,  I bear witness that there is no god but You, I seek Your forgiveness and I repent to You). 

Muslim (234) narrated from ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There is no one among you who does wudoo; and does it well, then says, Ashhadu an laa ilaaha ill-Allaah wahdahu laa shareeka lah, wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan ‘abduhu was rasooluhu (I bear witness that there is no god except Allaah alone, with no partner or associate, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger) but the eight gates of Paradise will be opened for him and he will enter through whichever one he wants.” Narrated by Muslim, 234. 

Al-Tirmidhi (55) added: “Allaahumm aj’alni min al-tawwaabeena waj’alni min al-mutatahhireena (O Allaah, make me one of those who repent and make me one of those who purify themselves).” 

This addition was classed as da’eef (weak) by al-Haafiz ibn Hajar (may Allaah have mercy on him), who said: This addition which is narrated by al-Tirmidhi is not proven to be part of this hadeeth. End quote from al-Futoohaat al-Rabbaaniyyah, 2/19. 

Al-Albaani classed it as saheeh in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi. Ibn al-Qayyim stated in Zaad al-Ma’aad that it is proven to be from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). 

With regard to the phrase “subhaanaka Allaahumma wa bi hamdika, ashhadu an laa ilaaha ill anta, astaghfiruka wa atoobu ilayka (Glory and praise be to You, O Allaah, I bear witness that there is no god but You, I seek Your forgiveness and I repent to You), this was narrated by al-Nasaa’i in ‘Aml al-Yawm wa’l-Laylah, and by al-Haakim in al-Mustadrak, from Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri (may Allaah be pleased with him). The narrators differed as to whether the hadeeth could be attributed to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) or whether these were the words of Abu Sa’eed (may Allaah be pleased with him). 

Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: 

The isnaad is undoubtedly sound, rather they differed as to whether the text could be attributed to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) or not (i.e., whether it was marfoo’ or mawqoof). Al-Nasaa’i always rules on the basis of erring on the side of caution, hence he was mistaken. But according to the method of al-Nawawi, following Ibn al-Salaah and others, it is more likely to be marfoo’. End quote from al-Futoohaat al-Rabbaaniyyah, 2/21 

It was classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Targheeb (225) and al-Silsilah al-Saheehah (2333). 

See Tamaam al-Minnah, p. 94-98 

These are the du’aa’s that have been narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) to be said in wudoo’. As for saying du’aa’ when washing the different parts of the body, no such thing has been proven from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). 

Al-Nawawi said in al-Adhkaar (p. 30): 

As for the du’aa’s that are said when washing various parts of the body in wudoo’, no such thing has been narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). 

Ibn al-Qayyim said in Zaad al-Ma’aad (1/195):  

It is not narrated from him that he used to say anything in his wudoo’ apart from saying Bismillaah. Every hadeeth which speaks of du’aa’s to be said in wudoo’ is false and fabricated. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not say any of these things and he did not teach them to his ummah. There is nothing narrated from him except saying Bismillaah at the beginning and saying Ashhadu an laa ilaaha ill-Allaah wahdahu laa shareeka lah, wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan ‘abduhu was rasooluhu. Allaahumm aj’alni min al-tawwaabeena waj’alni min al-mutatahhireena (I bear witness that there is no god except Allaah alone, with no partner or associate, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. O Allaah, make me one of those who repent and make me one of those who purify themselves) afterwards. 

According to another hadeeth narrated in Sunan al-Nasaa’i, one of the things that may also be said after wudoo’ is: “Subhaanaka Allaahumma wa bi hamdika, ashhadu an laa ilaaha ill anta, astaghfiruka wa atoobu ilayka (Glory and praise be to You, O Allaah,  I bear witness that there is no god but You, I seek Your forgiveness and I repent to You).” End quote. 

It says in Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah (5/221): 

It is not proven that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said any du’aa’ during wudoo’. What the common folk say in du’aa’ when washing each part of the body is an innovation (bid’ah), such as saying when washing the face, “O Allaah, make my face white on the day when faces will be turned black”; or when washing the hands: “O Allaah, give me my book (record of my deeds) in my right hand, and do not give me my book in my left hand,” and other du’aa’s which are said when washing the other parts of the body in wudoo’. End quote.