‘Abd al-Rahman al-TamiI reported: Ibn Abi Mulaikah was asked about ablution. He said : I saw ‘Uthman b. ‘Affan who was asked about ablution. He called for water. A vessel was then brought to him. He inclined it towords his right hand (poured water upon it). He then put it in the water three times, and washed his face three times. He then put his hand in the water and took it out; then he wiped his head and ears, in and out only once. He then washed his feet, and said : Where are those who asked me to perform ablution? I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) performing ablution like that. Abu Dawud said : All the sound traditions narrated by ‘ Uthman indicated that the head is to be wiped once, because they mentioned (the washing of each part in) ablution three times. In their versions of tradition they mentioned the wordings: “he wiped his head.” In this case they did not mention any number as they did in other cases.

Abu ‘Alqamah said that ‘Uthman called for water and performed ablution. He then poured water with the right hand or the left hand ; he then washed them up to the wrist ; he then rinsed the mouth and snuffed up water three times. The narrator mentioned that ‘ Uthman washed each part three times. He then wiped head and washed his feet. He said : I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) performing ablution as you saw me perform ablution. He then reported the tradition like that of al-Zuhrl and completed it.

Shaqiq b. Salamah said : I saw ‘ Uthman b. ‘ Affan (perform ablution). He washed his forearms three times and washed his head thrice. He then said : I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) doing like that. Abu Dawud said: Another version says: "He performed ablution three times only."

Narrated 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 rinsed the mouth and snuffed up water with the same hand by which he took water. 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, this is how he did it.

‘Abd Khair said : ‘All offered the dawn prayer and went to Rahbah (a locality in Kufah). He called for water. A boy brought him a vessel containing water and a wash-basin. He held the vessel with his right hand and poured water over his left hand. He washed both of his hands (to the wrist) three times. He then put his right hand in the vessel ( to take water) and rinsed his mouth three times and snuffed up water three times. He then narrated almost the same tradition as narrated by Abu ‘Awanah. He then wiped his head, both its front and back sides, once. He then narrated the tradition in like manner.

Zirr b. Hubaish said that the heard that ‘ Ali was asked how the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to perform ablution. He then narrated the tradition and said: he wiped his head so much so that drops (of water) were about to trickle down. He then washed his feet three times and said: This is how the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) performed ablutions.

‘Abd al-Rahman b. Abi Laila says: I saw ‘ Ali performing ablution. He washed his face three times and his hands three times and wiped his head once. Then he (‘Ali) said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to perform ablution in this way.

Abu Hayyah said: I saw ‘Ali perform ablution. He (Abu Hayyah) then described that ‘Ali went through every part of the ablution three times, i.e. he performed each detail of his ablution three times. He then wiped his head, then washed his feet up to the ankles. He then said: I wanted to show you how the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) performed ablution.

Ibn’Abbas said: ‘Ali b. Abi Talib entered upon me after he has passed water. He then called for water for ablution. We brought to him a vessel containing water, and placed it before him. He said: O Ibn’Abbas, may I not show you how the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) used to perform ablution? I replied : Why not? He then inclined the vessel to his hand and washed it. He then put his right hand in the vessel and poured water over the other hand and washed his hands up to the wrist. He then rinsed his mouth and snuffed up water. He then put both of his hands together in the water and took out a handful of water and threw it upon the face. He then inserted both of his thumbs in the front part of the ears. He did like that twice and thrice. He then took a handful of water and poured it over his forehead and left it running down his face. He then washed his forearms up to the elbow three times. He then wiped his head and the back of his ears. He then put both of his hands together in the water and took a handful of it and threw it on his foot. He had a shoe foot like that. Do you wash your foot while it is in the shoe? He replied : Yes, while it is in the shoe. This question and answer were repeated thrice. Abu Dawud said: The version transmitted by Ibn Juraij from Shaibah is similar to the one narrated by ‘ Ali. In this version Hajjaj reported on the authority of Ibn Juraij the wording: He wiped his head once. Ibn Wahb narrated from Ibn Juraij the wording: he wiped his head three times.

‘Amr b. Yahya al-Mazini reports on the authority of his father who asked ‘Abd Allah b. Zaid, the grandfather of ‘Amr b. Yahya al-Mazini: Can you show me how the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) performed ablution? ‘Abd Allah b. Zaid replied: Yes. He called for ablution water, poured it over his hands, and washed them; then he rinsed his mouth and snuffed up water in the nose three times; then he washed his face three times and washed his forearms up to elbow twice; then he wiped his head with both hands, moving them front and back of the head, beginning from his forehead, and moved them to the nape; then he pulled them back to the place from where he had started (wiping); then he washed his feet.

Habban b. Wasi’ reported on the authority of his father who heard ‘Abd Allah b. Zaid al-Asim al-Mazini say that he saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) performing ablution. He then described his ablution saying: He wiped his head with water which was not what was left over after washing his hands (i.e. he wiped his head with clean water); then he washed his feet until he cleansed them.

Narrated Al-Miqdam ibn Ma'dikarib al-Kindi: The ablution water was brought to the Messenger (ﷺ) and he performed ablution; he washed his hands up to wrists three times, then washed his forearms three times. He then rinsed his mouth and snuffed up water three times; then he wiped his head and ears inside and outside.

Al-Miqdam b. Ma’dikarib reported : I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) perform ablution. When he reached the stage of wiping his head, he placed his palms on the front of the head. Then he moved them until he reached the nape. He then returned them to the place from where he had started.

AbulAzhar al-Mughirah ibn Farwah and Yazid ibn AbuMalik reported: Mu'awiyah performed ablution before the people, as he saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) performed ablution. When he reached the stage of wiping his head, he took a handful of water and poured it with his left hand over the middle of his head so much so that drops of water came down or almost came down. Then he wiped (his head) from its front to its back and from its back to its front.

Narrated Ar-Rubayyi' daughter of Mu'awwidh ibn Afra': The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to come to us. He once said: Pour ablution water on me. She then described how the Prophet (ﷺ) performed ablution saying: He washed his hands up to wrist three times and washed his face three times, and rinsed his mouth and snuffed up water once. Then he washed his forearms three times and wiped his head twice beginning from the back of his head, then wiped its front. He wiped his ears outside and inside. Then he washed his feet three times. Abu Dawud said: The tradition narrated by Musaddad carries the same meaning.

Al-Rubayyi’ daughter of Mu’awwidh b. ‘Afra’ reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) performed ablution in her presence. He wiped the whole of his head from its upper to the lower part moving every side. He did not move the hair from their original position.

Al-Rubayyi’ daughter of Mu’awwidh b. ‘Afra’ said: I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) performing ablution. He wiped his head front and back, his temples and his ears once.

Al-Rubayyi’ reported: The Prophet (ﷺ) wiped his head with water which was left over in his hand.

Narrated Ar-Rubayyi' daughter of Mu'awwidh ibn Afra': The Prophet (ﷺ) performed ablution. He inserted his two fingers in the ear-holes.

Narrated Talhah ibn Musarrif: I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) wiping his head once up to his nape. Musaddad reported: He wiped his head from front to back until he moved his hands from beneath the ears. Abu Dawud said: I heard Ahmad say: People thought that Ibn 'Uyainah had considered it to be munkar (rejected) and said: What is this chain: Talhah - his father - his grandfather ?