How do I make wudu in a school bathroom?

The basics at a sink

Wudu is short and simple. The Quran lists the essential parts:

• Intend in your heart that you're making wudu for prayer.
• Wash your hands, rinse your mouth and nose, then wash your face.
• Wash your arms up to and including the elbows, right first.
• Wipe your head with wet hands (and your ears, which is sunnah).
• Wash or wipe your feet (see below).

Washing each part once is valid; the Prophet ﷺ sometimes washed each part only once (Sahih al-Bukhari 157). He also used very little water for wudu (Sahih al-Bukhari 201), so you don't need to flood the sink.

The feet problem

Lifting your foot into a school sink is awkward and can be slippery. You have a few options:

• Wipe over your socks: if you put your socks on after a full wudu at home, you can wipe over them with wet hands instead of washing your feet. The Prophet ﷺ passed wet hands over his khuffs (leather socks) rather than removing them (Sahih al-Bukhari 206). Scholars differ on ordinary thin socks: many allow it, while others require thick socks or leather ones. See Do I have to take off my socks every time I make wudu?
• Use a water bottle: sit on a bench or in an accessible single bathroom and pour a little water over each foot.
• Ask for a better spot: a staff, PE or accessible bathroom may be more private. A teacher or the school office can often help.

Saying Bismillah in a bathroom

It's sunnah to begin wudu with "Bismillah." Scholars generally dislike saying Allah's name aloud in a place used as a toilet, so if the sinks are in the same room as the toilets, many say you can say it quietly in your heart. If the sinks are in a separate area, saying it normally is fine.

Keep it clean and calm

• Dry up: wipe the sink, counter and floor with paper towels when you finish.
• Pick quiet times: just before lunch or between classes, not during the rush.
• If someone asks: "It's how Muslims wash before prayer." Most people are just curious.