The Prophetic wudu'' as described by ''Uthman ibn ''Affan and others ([al-Bukhari 159](/hadith/bukhari/159), Muslim 226): say Bismillah at the start; wash both hands up to the wrists three times; rinse the mouth and sniff water into the nose (and blow it out) three times, with one cupped handful for both — "He rinsed his mouth and sniffed from one handful, doing that three times." ([al-Bukhari 191](/hadith/bukhari/191)); wash the face three times — from the hairline to the bottom of the chin and from earlobe to earlobe; wash the right arm to the elbow three times, then the left likewise; wipe the entire head with both hands once — beginning from the front, going to the nape, then back to the front — and wipe the inside and outside of the ears with the same wetness; wash the right foot to the ankle three times, then the left likewise, ensuring water reaches between the toes. The pillars are six (face, arms, head, feet, order, succession). Three is the perfection of the Sunnah; once is sufficient if water reaches every part of what must be washed. Conclude with the du''a: "Ash-hadu an la ilaha illa Allah wahdahu la sharika lah, wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan ''abduhu wa rasuluh" — for the eight gates of Paradise are opened to whoever says it (Muslim 234).