ABLUTION SECTION · 51 – Washing the limbs of ablution three times
Amr ibn Shu'ayb, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated from his father, who narrated from his grandfather:
A man came to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and said, "O Messenger of Allah, how is purification (ablution) performed?" He commanded that a basin of water be brought. [The basin of water was brought.] He washed his face three times, then his hands three times, then his arms three times. He then passed his wet hand over his head. He inserted his index fingers into his ears and with his thumbs wiped the outside of his ears, and with his index fingers he wiped the insides. Then he washed his feet three times. He said, "Thus is ablution. Whoever does more or less than this has committed an excess or injustice – or injustice or excess.” [121]
COMMENTARY:
This honorable hadith indicates the importance of adhering to the Sunnah. The most correct way in acts of worship is to follow the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him; washing each limb three times is a practice of the Sunnah. Washing more than three times is exceeding the bounds of the Sunnah. And washing less than three times without necessity is deficient from the amount of the Sunnah, which is not good. As will be seen in subsequent hadiths, (the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him), washed [limbs] two or three times. Washing once is obligatory. Washing twice is a practice of the Sunnah. Washing three times demonstrates the perfection of the Sunnah. It is, of course, most appropriate to apply the perfection of the Sunnah except in cases of necessity.
According to the Hanafi school of thought, washing three times is a practice of the Sunnah. Even if one washes four times, there is no objection. (Bezlül-Mechûd vol. 1, p. 336)