Sunan Ibn Majah 396 — Starting Wudu with Clean Hands

Summary of Sunan Ibn Majah Hadith 396

This Ali hadith about washing hands before the vessel gives an example through action. Harith narrated that Ali called for water and washed his hands before putting them into the vessel. Then Ali said that this is what he saw the Messenger of Allah doing. The report is short, but it clearly connects the practice to the Prophet’s example. It also fits the wider theme of clean hands before using ablution water. The text does not mention sleep directly, unlike the previous narrations, so the explanation should not force that detail here. The simple point is that Ali began by washing his hands before placing them in the vessel, following what he had seen from the Prophet.