1/51. Chapter:
Sunan Abi Dawud 118 — Wudu Method
The Manner of The Prophet's Wudu'
Abdullah bin Zaid Wudu Hadith: How the Prophet Performed Ablution
Sunan Abi Dawud : 118
Sunan Abi DawudHadith Number 118
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ، عَنْ مَالِكٍ، عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ يَحْيَى الْمَازِنِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، أَنَّهُ قَالَ لِعَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ زَيْدِ بْنِ عَاصِمٍ - وَهُوَ جَدُّ عَمْرِو بْنِ يَحْيَى الْمَازِنِيِّ هَلْ تَسْتَطِيعُ أَنْ تُرِيَنِي، كَيْفَ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَتَوَضَّأُ فَقَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ زَيْدٍ نَعَمْ . فَدَعَا بِوَضُوءٍ فَأَفْرَغَ عَلَى يَدَيْهِ فَغَسَلَ يَدَيْهِ ثُمَّ تَمَضْمَضَ وَاسْتَنْثَرَ ثَلاَثًا ثُمَّ غَسَلَ وَجْهَهُ ثَلاَثًا ثُمَّ غَسَلَ يَدَيْهِ مَرَّتَيْنِ مَرَّتَيْنِ إِلَى الْمِرْفَقَيْنِ ثُمَّ مَسَحَ رَأْسَهُ بِيَدَيْهِ فَأَقْبَلَ بِهِمَا وَأَدْبَرَ بَدَأَ بِمُقَدَّمِ رَأْسِهِ ثُمَّ ذَهَبَ بِهِمَا إِلَى قَفَاهُ ثُمَّ رَدَّهُمَا حَتَّى رَجَعَ إِلَى الْمَكَانِ الَّذِي بَدَأَ مِنْهُ ثُمَّ غَسَلَ رِجْلَيْهِ .
‘Amr b. Yahya al-Mazini Narrated from:
‘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.
Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 118In-book reference : Book 1, Hadith 118English translation : Book 1, Hadith 118
Summary of Sunan Abi Dawud Hadith 118
This Hadith is a key match for “Abdullah bin Zaid wudu hadith.” A person asked whether ‘Abd Allah b. Zaid could show how the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم performed ablution. He agreed and called for water. He washed the hands, rinsed the mouth and snuffed water three times, washed the face three times, washed the forearms up to the elbows twice, wiped the head with both hands from front to back and back to the starting place, then washed the feet. The Hadith is valuable because it is a direct demonstration. It gives searchers of “how to perform wudu step by step” a clear sequence from the narration itself.
What we learn from this hadith
- Abdullah bin Zaid taught wudu by showing it.
- The report mentions mouth and nose cleansing three times.
- The forearms are mentioned as washed twice in this narration.
- The head wipe is described from front to back and back again.
