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:

Dear sir,

I have one question.

While doing wadhu (ablution) we have to wash each & every parts 3 times, as I know that 2^nd and 3^rd time is sunna, but I am totally confused. Please tell me how it should be completed by washing?

The water or our hand must touch on all the place of the parts three times is necessary ?

OR

If water touches all the place of the parts first time and I am well satisfied with first time. While second time or third time washing if water or hand didn’t touch all the place of the parts, or just imagine I washed my full hand completely with well satisfied first time and 2^nd & 3^rd time my hands have not been washed successfully, in that case can I make sure that 2^nd or 3^rd  time (sunna) washing is over? Or I have to imagine only one time is being done.

Awaiting your reply immediately by clearly.

Thanks for your help.

Allah Hafiz,

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Wash in wudu

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 none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Your Question: While doing wadhu (ablution) we have to wash each & every parts 3 times, as I know that 2^nd and 3^rd time is sunna, but I am totally confused. Please tell me how it should be completed by washing?

The water or our hand must touch on all the place of the parts three times is necessary ?

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 an obligatory pre-condition for performing the prayers.

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 Messenger (saws) 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 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 Messenger of Allah (saws), this is how he (saws) 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 and wipes the required body parts in wudu even once his wudu will be valid; but if one washes it thrice it would be closest to the preferred Sunnah and practice of the Messenger of Allah (saws).

Your Question: The water or our hand must touch on all the place of the parts three times is necessary ?

For the body parts that require to be washed (the face, the hands upto the elbows, and the feet upto the ankles), the mere touching of one’s wet hands would not suffice to fulfill the conditions of wudu, and it is absolutely obligatory that water reaches every single part of these body specific parts.

But for the parts where one is only required to wipe in wudu (the head, the ears), the wiping with wet hands over them would suffice to fulfill the conditions of doing wudi.

Your Question: If water touches all the place of the parts first time and I am well satisfied with first time. While second time or third time washing if water or hand didn’t touch all the place of the parts, or just imagine I washed my full hand completely with well satisfied first time and 2^nd & 3^rd time my hands have not been washed successfully, in that case can I make sure that 2^nd or 3^rd  time (sunna) washing is over? Or I have to imagine only one time is being done.

If one thoroughly washes the required body parts that need to be washed in wudu once in such a way that one is absolutely confident that water has reached every single part, their wudu would be considered valid; but if one thoroughly washes the body parts that required to be washed in wudu thrice, it is expected that no part of that body would remain dry or unwashed, and that would be closest to the Sunnah or practice 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 alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan