Short answer
Yes. Wudu made in the shower is valid as long as you wash every fard part. It does not matter that you are undressed. If the toilet is in the same room, say bismillah before you go in or silently in your heart, and skip the spoken duas until you leave.
Wudu in the shower is valid. The fard parts are washing the face, the arms with the elbows, wiping a quarter of the head, and washing the feet with the ankles. Speaking dhikr aloud in a room with a toilet is makruh, so say bismillah before entering or in the heart.
The four schools agree on this.
Explanation
Nothing in the Quran or sunnah ties wudu to a sink or a special place. The four schools agree that wudu made under running water in the shower is valid if every fard part is washed in the way your school requires. Being undressed does not affect it: uncovering the awrah does not break wudu.
How to do it well:
- Make your intention and say bismillah before stepping in, or in your heart if you are already inside.
- Follow the normal order: hands, mouth, nose, face, arms to the elbows, wipe the head, ears, then feet. Order is sunnah in the Hanafi school but it is best to keep it.
- Make sure water reaches the heels, between the toes and the elbows. The running water helps, but do not assume it reached everywhere.
- Wipe your head with wet hands rather than putting it under the stream, unless you want to wash it.
- Keep the duas, including the dua after wudu, for when you step out of a bathroom with a toilet.
The scholars of the other schools add their own conditions, such as intention (Shafi'i, Maliki, Hanbali), order (Shafi'i, Hanbali) and not pausing too long (Maliki, Hanbali). Following the order above meets all of them.
See how to make wudu and the dua after wudu.
The evidence
Quran, Surah Al-Maaida 5:6
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِذَا قُمْتُمْ إِلَى ٱلصَّلَوٰةِ فَٱغْسِلُوا۟ وُجُوهَكُمْ وَأَيْدِيَكُمْ إِلَى ٱلْمَرَافِقِ وَٱمْسَحُوا۟ بِرُءُوسِكُمْ وَأَرْجُلَكُمْ إِلَى ٱلْكَعْبَيْنِ ۚ وَإِن كُنتُمْ جُنُبًۭا فَٱطَّهَّرُوا۟ ۚ وَإِن كُنتُم مَّرْضَىٰٓ أَوْ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍ أَوْ جَآءَ أَحَدٌۭ مِّنكُم مِّنَ ٱلْغَآئِطِ أَوْ لَٰمَسْتُمُ ٱلنِّسَآءَ فَلَمْ تَجِدُوا۟ مَآءًۭ فَتَيَمَّمُوا۟ صَعِيدًۭا طَيِّبًۭا فَٱمْسَحُوا۟ بِوُجُوهِكُمْ وَأَيْدِيكُم مِّنْهُ ۚ مَا يُرِيدُ ٱللَّهُ لِيَجْعَلَ عَلَيْكُم مِّنْ حَرَجٍۢ وَلَٰكِن يُرِيدُ لِيُطَهِّرَكُمْ وَلِيُتِمَّ نِعْمَتَهُۥ عَلَيْكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ ﴿٦﴾
O you who have believed, when you rise to [perform] prayer, wash your faces and your forearms to the elbows and wipe over your heads and wash your feet to the ankles. And if you are in a state of janabah, then purify yourselves. But if you are ill or on a journey or one of you comes from the place of relieving himself or you have contacted women and do not find water, then seek clean earth and wipe over your faces and hands with it. Allah does not intend to make difficulty for you, but He intends to purify you and complete His favor upon you that you may be grateful.
Lists the fard parts of wudu without tying them to any place.
Sunan Abi Dawud 17
Graded sahih... اني كرهت ان اذكر الله عز وجل الا على طهر ...
"I disliked mentioning Allah except in a state of purity."
Supports keeping dhikr out of places of impurity, such as a room with a toilet.
Where the ruling is recorded
- Nur al-Idah with Maraqi al-Falah, Chapter on the fard and sunnah acts of wudu. The four fard acts and the sunnahs of wudu.
- Radd al-Muhtar (Ibn Abidin), Kitab al-Taharah, etiquette of relieving oneself. Dhikr in a toilet area is disliked.
This answer is pending review by the scholars on our team. Quran translation by Sahih International. Hadith Arabic from the standard editions of the six books and the Muwatta, with gradings as recorded there; the English is our own rendering. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.