Short answer
In the Hanafi school the fard is to wipe at least a quarter of the head with a wet hand, and the sunnah is to wipe the whole head once, then the ears with the same water. The Maliki and Hanbali schools require the whole head, and the Shafi'i school accepts any part, even a few hairs.
Wiping a quarter of the head, about the area of the forelock, is fard. Wiping the whole head once is sunnah mu'akkadah, and wiping the ears with the water left on the hands is sunnah. Wiping three times with new water each time is makruh.
Other madhhabs
- Shafi'i
- Wiping any part of the head, even part of one hair within the head's limits, is enough. Wiping three times, and the ears with new water, is sunnah.
- Maliki
- Wiping the whole head is fard.
- Hanbali
- Wiping the whole head, with the ears, is fard.
Explanation
The ayah says "wipe over your heads" without saying how much. The schools take the amount from the Prophet's ﷺ practice. Al-Mughirah reported that he wiped over his forelock and then over his turban, which the Hanafi school reads as proof that wiping the front part, about a quarter, fulfils the command. Abdullah ibn Zayd described him wiping his whole head, passing his hands from the front to the back and back again, which all agree is the complete way.
The Hanafi way, step by step:
- Wet both hands with fresh water after washing your arms.
- Put them on the front of your head and draw them back to the nape, then bring them forward again if you like. This is once.
- With the same wetness, wipe inside the ears with your index fingers and the back of the ears with your thumbs.
Points that come up often:
- Once is the sunnah. Repeating the wipe three times with new water is disliked in the Hanafi school, while the Shafi'i school recommends it.
- Long hair: wipe the hair on the head itself. Wiping only hair that hangs below the head, such as a ponytail or braid, does not count.
- Gel, oil or hair dye: these do not stop the wipe from counting, as long as they do not form a hard coating.
- Turban, cap or hijab: wiping over them alone is not enough for a Hanafi. See wiping over a turban or hijab.
- A wound on the head: see wudu with a bandage.
Wiping the whole head satisfies every school, so it is the best habit. See how to make 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.
Commands wiping the head without stating the amount, which the sunnah explains.
Sahih Muslim 274
Sahih... فمسح بناصيته وعلى العمامة ...
"He wiped over his forelock and over the turban."
The Hanafi evidence that wiping the forelock area, about a quarter of the head, fulfils the fard.
Sahih al-Bukhari 185
Sahih... فاقبل بهما وادبر ...
"He passed his hands forward and back."
Describes the complete sunnah wipe of the whole head.
Where the ruling is recorded
- al-Hidaya, Kitab al-Taharat, fard of wudu. The fard of wiping is the amount of the forelock, a quarter of the head.
- Nur al-Idah with Maraqi al-Falah, Kitab al-Taharah, sunnahs of wudu. Wiping the whole head once and the ears with the same water are sunnah.
- al-Mughni (Ibn Qudama), Kitab al-Taharah, wiping the head. The Hanbali view that the whole head must be wiped.
Checked by our team. For a more accurate answer to your own situation, consult a scholar. 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.