Answered by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
During wudu’ must each part that is to be washed 3 times be washed in complete spotless entirety 3 separate times, or is it only necessary that the entirety of that limb, or the face, be completely washed and spotlessly wet within those 3 washings?
Assalamu alaikum,
Sayyiduna Uthman (Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace be upon him) said, “Whoever performs ablutions (wudu) and does so well, their sins will leave their body, even from under the nails.” [Muslim, and Nasa’i]
Sayyidi Abd al-Ghani al-Nabulsi (Allah have mercy on him) explained performing wudu well’ as performing all the obligatory, sunna and recommended actions, while avoiding that which is blameworthy such as wasting water. [Nihayat al-Murad]
Imam Wali-Allah al-Dahlawi (Allah have mercy on him), the great Indian jurist, hadith expert, and sufi, explained this hadith in his Hujjat Allah al-Baligha, one of the very best works on the secrets of the Shariah in all its dimensions,
“Cleanliness effects the very roots of the soul, and purifies it until it becomes akin to angels. Cleanliness also makes one forget a lot of lowly states ”[Dahlawi, Hujjat Allah al-Baligha, 1.397, Qadimi Kutub Khana ed.]
So, must I wash everything in order 3 times?
It is only obligatory to wash the entire face, arms up to and including elbows, and feet up to and including ankles, while wiping a quarter of the head above the ears. [Tanwir al-Absar, Nur al-Idah]
Washing each limb three complete times is a confirmed sunna, as is the order, and performing wudu without undue interruption. It is not proper to leave such sunnas without excuse, but it does not affect the validity of one’s wudu.
Wassalam,
Faraz Rabbani