Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Yahya related from Malik from Amr ibn Yahya al-Mazini that his father once asked Abdullah ibn Zayd ibn Asim, who was the grandfather of Amr ibn Yahya al-Mazini and one of the companions of the Messenger of Allah (saws), if he could show him how the Messenger of Allah (saws) performed wudu. Abdullah ibn Zayd ibn Asim agreed to do so and asked for water to do wudu. He poured some out on to his hand and washed each hand twice, and then rinsed his mouth and snuffed water up his nose and blew it out three times. Then he washed his face three times, and both of his arms up to the elbows twice. He then wiped his head with both hands, taking his hands from his forehead to the nape of his neck and then bringing them back to where he had begun. Then he washed his feet.

AOA Brother Burhan..can u pls. clarify the washing of the arms as stated in your above reply as two time or trice up to teh elbows.  Pls. check . Thanks

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Answer:

Wudu should be done once/twice or thrice?

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His  forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter5 Surah Maidah verse 6:O you who have believed! When you rise to offer the Salat, you must wash your faces and hands and your arms up to the elbows, and wipe your head with wet hands and wash your feet up to the ankles. And if you become unclean, cleanse yourself with a full bath. If, however, you have ‘touched’ women and you can find no water, then cleanse yourselves with pure dust. Strike your palms on it and wipe your hands and faces with it. Allah does not will to make life hard for you, but He wills to purify you, and complete His blessings upon you so that you may show gratitude.

The command of wudu is from the above Aayah of Surah Maidah, and a condition for performing the prayers. The Messenger of Allah (saws) performed the act of wudu several thousand times in his lifetime, and quite a number of hadiths are related for the act of wudu. The narration that you have quoted from Muwatta Hadith 2.1 is indeed accurate and considered authentic. But there are several other authentic hadiths which state that the Messenger of Allah (saws) washed his hands upto the elbow three times.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 3.155 Narrated by Humran

I saw Uthman (r.a.) performing ablution; he washed his hands thrice, rinsed his mouth and then washed his nose, by putting water in it and then blowing it out, and washed his face thrice, and then washed his right forearm up to the elbow thrice, and then the left-forearm up to the elbow thrice, then smeared his head with water, washed his right foot thrice, and then his left foot thrice and said, "I saw Allah's Apostle performing ablution similar to my present ablution.”

Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 111 Narrated by Ali ibn AbuTalib

Abdu Khayr said: ‘Ali came upon us and he had already offered prayer. He called for water. We asked: “What will you do with water when you have already offered prayer? - Perhaps to teach us.” A utensil containing water and a wash-basin were brought (to him). He poured water from the utensil on his right hand and washed both his hands three times, rinsed the mouth, snuffed up water and cleansed the nose three times. He then rinsed the mouth and snuffed up water with the same hand by which he took water. He then washed his face three times, and washed his right hand three times and washed his left hand three times. He then put his hand in water and wiped his head once. He then washed his right foot thrice and left foot thrice, then said: If one is pleased to know the method of performing ablution of the Apostle of Allah, this is how he did it.

The scholars of Islam are unanimous in their opinion from the Ayaah of the Quran and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws) that if one washes the required parts to be washed in wudu even once or twice, his wudu will be valid; but if he washes it thrice it will be preferable and closer to the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws).

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan