The dua after wudu is the shahada: ash-hadu an la ilaha illallahu wahdahu la sharika lah, wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan abduhu wa rasuluh, “I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, alone, with no partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and His Messenger.” The Prophet ﷺ said that whoever does wudu well and then says it will find all eight gates of Paradise open to him, to enter by whichever he likes (Sahih Muslim 234).
You can hear it below, copy the Arabic, and print it as a card for the place your family does wudu. Two more lines are said after it: one that at-Tirmidhi adds to the same hadith, and one reported from Abu Sa’id al-Khudri. Each has its source and the grading scholars give it, since they do not all agree on the second line.
The dua after wudu in Arabic
Ash-hadu an la ilaha illallahu wahdahu la sharika lah, wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan abduhu wa rasuluh
I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, alone, with no partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and His Messenger.
Umar ibn al-Khattab reported it from the Prophet ﷺ: none of you does wudu, and does it fully, then says this, without the eight gates of Paradise being opened for him. Sahih Muslim 234.
Tap the box to select the Arabic, then copy it.
أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لاَ شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ
What each part means
| Say | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Ash-hadu an la ilaha illallah | I bear witness that there is no god but Allah |
| wahdahu la sharika lah | alone, with no partner |
| wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan | and I bear witness that Muhammad |
| abduhu wa rasuluh | is His servant and His Messenger |
If your child already knows the shahada, they know most of this dua. It is the same testimony with two phrases added: wahdahu la sharika lah after Allah’s name, and abduhu, “His servant,” before “His Messenger.” Our shahada page has the short form, word by word, with audio.
Two more lines said after wudu
Make me one of those who repent
Allahumma-j’alni minat-tawwabina waj’alni minal-mutatahhirin
O Allah, make me one of those who turn back to You, and make me one of those who keep themselves pure.
At-Tirmidhi reports Umar’s hadith with this line added after the shahada. Jami` at-Tirmidhi 55. The grading differs: sunnah.com prints Darussalam’s grade, weak, and Ibn Hajar held that the addition is not proven; al-Albani graded it sahih in Sahih at-Tirmidhi.
The two words fit wudu closely. At-tawwabin are people who keep turning back to Allah, and al-mutatahhirin are people who keep themselves clean. Allah names both together in the Quran as people He loves (2:222). You have just washed the outside; the line asks for the inside too.
Glory be to You, O Allah
Subhanakallahumma wa bihamdik, ash-hadu an la ilaha illa ant, astaghfiruka wa atubu ilayk
Glory be to You, O Allah, and praise. I bear witness that there is no god but You. I ask Your forgiveness and I turn back to You.
Abu Sa’id al-Khudri reported it, in an-Nasa’i’s ‘Amal al-Yawm wal-Laylah and al-Hakim’s al-Mustadrak. Ibn Hajar called the chain sound but noted that the narrators differ on whether these are the Prophet’s words or Abu Sa’id’s; al-Albani graded it sahih (Sahih al-Targhib 225). Summarised from IslamQA 45730.
These are the same words that close a gathering (the kaffaratul majlis), so a child who learns them here gets a second dua for free.
When and where to say it
Right after the last wash. Once the left foot is done, wudu is finished and the dua follows. Many families say it while still drying off.
Outside the toilet, if you can. Many homes have the only sink in the bathroom. Scholars advise saying Allah’s name outside a room with a toilet in it where you can, so finish wudu, step out, then say the dua. If your child does wudu at the kitchen sink or a separate basin, there is nothing to wait for.
Before wudu, only bismillah. The Prophet ﷺ said there is no wudu for one who does not mention Allah’s name over it (Sunan Abi Dawud 101). That is the only word at the start.
There is no special dua for each body part. Posters sometimes give a line for the face, another for the arms, and so on. An-Nawawi wrote that none of these is narrated from the Prophet ﷺ (al-Adhkar), and Ibn al-Qayyim said the same (Zad al-Ma’ad 1/195): bismillah at the start, the shahada at the end, and nothing in between. Children do not have to memorise a list. Two moments are enough.
After the dua: two rak’ahs
When Uthman showed people how the Prophet ﷺ did wudu, he ended with this: whoever does wudu like this and then prays two rak’ahs with his mind on them has his past sins forgiven (Sahih al-Bukhari 159). It is not required. Still, if your child already does wudu for Dhuhr, two short rak’ahs before the prayer is an easy habit to start. The full wudu, step by step for children, is on our wudu steps for kids page.
A card for the wudu area
Download the dua after wudu as a one-page PDF to print and stick by the sink: what to say before wudu, the three lines after it, the meaning of each and its source.
Teaching it to a child who cannot read Arabic yet
Children learn this dua the way they learn everything else at that age: by hearing it every day. Say it out loud each time you finish wudu together, and stop before the last word so your child says rasuluh. A few days later, stop before abduhu wa rasuluh. Most children have the whole shahada form within two or three weeks of prayers. Add Allahumma-j’alni once that feels easy, and leave subhanakallahumma for later.
Play the recording above if you are not sure of a word yourself. Plenty of parents are learning it at the same time as their children. For the other duas of the day, see our daily duas for kids.
Questions about the dua after wudu
What do you say after wudu?
Ash-hadu an la ilaha illallahu wahdahu la sharika lah, wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan abduhu wa rasuluh. It is in Sahih Muslim (234). Many people follow it with Allahumma-j’alni minat-tawwabina waj’alni minal-mutatahhirin.
What is the reward for the dua after wudu?
The Prophet ﷺ said the eight gates of Paradise are opened for the person who does wudu well and then says the shahada, and he may enter by whichever he wishes (Sahih Muslim 234).
Is there a dua during wudu?
Only bismillah at the start. No dua for washing each part of the body has been narrated from the Prophet ﷺ.
Can I say the dua after wudu in the bathroom?
If your wudu was in a bathroom with a toilet, many scholars advise stepping out first and then saying it. Doing wudu at a sink outside the toilet avoids the question.
Do I have to raise my finger or look up when saying it?
No. The authentic narration in Sahih Muslim mentions only the words. Saying them is the sunnah.
Nobody at home reads Arabic? Your child can still learn every word of this.
Our tutors teach children one to one and online, by ear first, then from the letters up to reading the Quran, and wudu and prayer duas are part of the lessons. See Quran classes for kids, or message us and the first lesson is free.
