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Sahih al-BukhariAblutions (Wudu')

The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) performed ablution by washing the body parts twice

Chapter: The washing of the body parts twice while performing ablution

Authentic hadith of Sahih al-Bukhari Sahih al-Bukhari 158

Narrator:Abdullāh ibn Zayd

حَدَّثَنَا حُسَيْنُ بْنُ عِيسَى، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا يُونُسُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا فُلَيْحُ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَبِي بَكْرِ بْنِ عَمْرِو بْنِ حَزْمٍ، عَنْ عَبَّادِ بْنِ تَمِيمٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ زَيْدٍ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم

تَوَضَّأَ مَرَّتَيْنِ مَرَّتَيْنِ‏.‏

‘Abdullāh ibn Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him) reported:

The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) performed ablution by washing the body parts twice.

Reported by Al-Bukhari (No. 158) and Ahmad (No. 15869).

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Explanation

When the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) performed ablution, he would sometimes wash each body part of the parts of ablution once - washing the face - including rinsing the mouth and sniffing water into the nostrils - and the hands and feet twice.

Lessons

  • It is obligatory to wash the body parts of ablution at least once. However, more than once is recommended.
  • It is permissible to sometimes wash the body parts of ablution twice.
  • It is prescribed to wipe over the head once.

Explanation in Arabic

كان النبيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم في بعض أحيانِه إذا توضأ غَسَلَ كلَّ عضو من أعضاء الوضوء مرتين، فيَغْسِل الوجهَ -ومنه المضمضة والاستنشاق- واليدين والرجلين مرتين.

  • الواجب في غسل الأعضاء مرة واحدة وما زاد فهو مستحب.
  • مشروعية الوضوء مرتين مرتين في بعض الأحيان.
  • المشروع في مسح الرأس مرة واحدة.

Classical commentary

Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani — Fath al-Bari

قَوْله : ( حَدَّثَنَا الْحُسَيْن بْن عِيسَى ) هُوَ الْبَسْطَامِيّ بِفَتْحِ الْمُوَحَّدَة , وَيُونُس هُوَ الْمُؤَدِّب , وَفُلَيْح وَمَنْ فَوْقه مَدَنِيُّونَ , وَعَبْد اللَّه بْن زَيْد هُوَ اِبْن عَاصِم الْمَازِنِيّ , وَحَدِيثه هَذَا مُخْتَصَر مِنْ حَدِيث مَشْهُور فِي صِفَة وُضُوء النَّبِيّ صَلَّى اللَّه عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ كَمَا سَيَأْتِي بَعْد مِنْ حَدِيث مَالِك وَغَيْره , لَكِنْ لَيْسَ فِيهِ الْغَسْل مَرَّتَيْنِ إِلَّا فِي الْيَدَيْنِ إِلَى الْمِرْفَقَيْنِ. نَعَمْ رَوَى النَّسَائِيُّ مِنْ طَرِيق سُفْيَان بْن عُيَيْنَةَ فِي حَدِيث عَبْد اللَّه بْن زَيْد التَّثْنِيَة فِي الْيَدَيْنِ وَالرِّجْلَيْنِ وَمَسْح الرَّأْس وَتَثْلِيث غَسْل الْوَجْه , لَكِنْ فِي الرِّوَايَة الْمَذْكُورَة نَظَر سَنُشِير…

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Scholars’ grades

Grade taken from the status of the collection (Sahih al-Bukhari).

Other versions

Fabricated (mawdu‘) Mishkat al-Masabih 423

‘Abdallah b. Zaid said that God’s messenger performed the details of ablution twice each, and said, “It was a light upon a light.”

وَعَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ زَيْدٍ قَالَ: إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ تَوَضَّأ مَرَّتَيْنِ مَرَّتَيْنِ وَقَالَ: هُوَ «نُورٌ عَلَى نُورٍ»

Narrated by Abdullāh ibn Zayd

Also reported by… (11)
  • الأوسط في السنن والإجماع والاختلاف لابن المنذر (392)تَوَضَّأَ مَرَّتَيْنِ مَرَّتَيْنِ
  • السنن الكبرى للبيهقي (341)تَوَضَّأَ مَرَّتَيْنِ مَرَّتَيْنِ
  • السنن الكبرى للبيهقي (342)تَوَضَّأَ مَرَّتَيْنِ مَرَّتَيْنِ
  • المستدرك على الصحيحين (486)تَوَضَّأَ مَرَّتَيْنِ مَرَّتَيْنِ
  • سنن الدارقطني (270)تَوَضَّأَ مَرَّتَيْنِ مَرَّتَيْنِ
  • سنن الدارقطني (271)تَوَضَّأَ مَرَّتَيْنِ مَرَّتَيْنِ
  • شرح السنة (226)تَوَضَّأَ مَرَّتَيْنِ مَرَّتَيْنِ
  • صحيح ابن حبان (1108)تَوَضَّأَ مَرَّتَيْنِ مَرَّتَيْنِ
  • صحيح ابن خزيمة (175)تَوَضَّأَ مَرَّتَيْنِ مَرَّتَيْنِ
  • فوائد تمام الرازي (82)تَوَضَّأَ مَرَّتَيْنِ مَرَّتَيْنِ
  • مصنف ابن أبي شيبة (79)تَوَضَّأَ مَرَّتَيْنِ مَرَّتَيْنِ

On the same subject

Not graded Bulugh al-Maram 35b

"He started with the front of his head, moved them (his hands) to the nape of his neck, and then returned them to the place where he started."

وَفِي لَفْظٍ: { بَدَأَ بِمُقَدَّمِ رَأْسِهِ, حَتَّى ذَهَبَ بِهِمَا إِلَى قَفَاهُ, ثُمَّ رَدَّهُمَا إِلَى اَلْمَكَانِ اَلَّذِي بَدَأَ مِنْهُ } 1‏ .‏ ‏1 ‏- البخاري (185)‏، ومسلم (235)‏.‏

+ 10 other versions

Not graded Riyad as-Salihin 1243

I requested the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) to talk to me about ablution. He said, "Perform the Wudu' well (by washing those parts of the body, such as the face, hands and feet beyond what is required, like washing the hands up to the upper-arm instead of the elbow). Cleanse the base of your fingers and…

وعن لقيط بن صبرة رضي الله عنه قال قلت يا رسول الله أخبرني عن الوضوء‏؟‏ قال‏"‏ ‏"‏أسبغ الوضوء، وخلل بين الأصابع، وبالغ في الاستنشاق، إلا أن تكون صائمًا‏"‏ ‏(‏‏(‏رواه أبوداود، والترمذي وقال‏:‏ حديث حسن صحيح‏)‏‏)‏‏.‏

Narrated by Laqīt ibn Sabira + 10 other versions

Not graded Bulugh al-Maram 33

Uthman (rad) called for water to perform ablution. He washed palms of his hands three times, then rinsed his mouth and sniffed water in his nose and then blew it out. He then washed his face three times. Thereafter he washed his right hand up to his elbow three times, then the left one likewise…

وَعَنْ حُمْرَانَ; { أَنَّ عُثْمَانَ ‏- رضى الله عنه ‏- دَعَا بِوَضُوءٍ, فَغَسَلَ كَفَّيْهِ ثَلَاثَ مَرَّاتٍ, ثُمَّ مَضْمَضَ, وَاسْتَنْشَقَ, وَاسْتَنْثَرَ, ثُمَّ غَسَلَ وَجْهَهُ ثَلَاثَ مَرَّاتٍ, ثُمَّ غَسَلَ يَدَهُ…

+ 1 other version

Authentic Sahih Muslim 236

The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was performing ablution; he rinsed his mouth thrice and blew water out of his nose thrice. He then washed his face thrice and his right and left forearms thrice, then he took more water and wiped over his head, and then he washed his feet until he cleaned them

‘Abdullāh ibn Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that he saw the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) perform ablution; he rinsed his mouth thrice and blew water out of his nose thrice. He then washed his face thrice and his right and left forearms thrice…

تَوَضَّأَ فَمَضْمَضَ ثُمَّ اسْتَنْثَرَ ثُمَّ غَسَلَ وَجْهَهُ ثَلاَثًا وَيَدَهُ الْيُمْنَى ثَلاَثًا وَالأُخْرَى ثَلاَثًا وَمَسَحَ بِرَأْسِهِ بِمَاءٍ غَيْرِ فَضْلِ يَدِهِ وَغَسَلَ رِجْلَيْهِ حَتَّى أَنْقَاهُمَا ‏.‏

Narrated by Abdullāh ibn Zayd + 8 other versions Explained

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sahih al-Bukhari 1934

I saw `Uthman 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…

ـ تَوَضَّأَ، فَأَفْرَغَ عَلَى يَدَيْهِ ثَلاَثًا، ثُمَّ تَمَضْمَضَ وَاسْتَنْثَرَ، ثُمَّ غَسَلَ وَجْهَهُ ثَلاَثًا، ثُمَّ غَسَلَ يَدَهُ الْيُمْنَى إِلَى الْمَرْفِقِ ثَلاَثًا، ثُمَّ غَسَلَ يَدَهُ الْيُسْرَى إِلَى…

Narrated by Uthmān ibn ‘Affān + 20 other versions

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