#248: Ruling on washing in Ablution

QUESTION

_”It is said that according to the sunnah, it is also permissible for one to perform ablution washing each part of the body less than three times i.es ones or twice. Now the question is if one decide to do the sunnah of washing twice twice instead of three times and eventually along the ablution washed a part say left hand trice. Will such person have to repeat the ablution or just continue with it? Jazaakallahu khoiran”_

Answer

Alhamdulillāh

There is nothing wrong with washing once, twice or thrice

What the Ulamā have a general consensus upon is that to wash once is what is obligatory and that the second and the third washing is of the Sunnah

Imām An-Nawawī – rahimahullāh – said:

_”And the Muslims have formed a consensus that what is obligatory is washing the body parts once each in the Wudhū, and that the third washing is a Sunnah. And Authentic Ahādith have been reported where washing was once each, and thrice each, and some parts washed thrice, others twice, others once. The Ulamā said: the differences in its numbers show that all of that is permissible, but that three times is its perfection while once suffices. This is the way different Narrations are reconciled.”_

Ref: _’Sharhu Sahihi Muslim’_

Therefore there is nothing wrong in doing some parts thrice and some once or twice in the same Wudhū …as long as it was all properly done and there were left no areas unwashed

But it should be known that as Imām An-Nawawī – rahimahullāh – said, perfection is to complete it thrice each

And Allāh knows best
Bārakallāhu fīkum