Fath al-Rabbani

Abd Khair (may Allah have mercy on him) says: Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) was sitting in Rahbah after performing the Fajr prayer. He said to his servant, "Bring me water for ablution." So he brought a vessel containing water and a basin. Abd Khair says: We were sitting and watching. He took the vessel with his right hand and poured it over his left hand, washing his palms, and did this three times. Abd Khair says: Whenever he put his hand into the vessel, he would first wash them three times. Then he put his right hand into the vessel, rinsed his mouth, and drew water into his nose, and expelled it with his left hand, and did this three times. In one narration, it is clarified that: He rinsed his mouth and drew water into his nose with a single handful, and did this act three times. Then he put his right hand into the vessel and washed his face three times. Then he washed his right arm including the elbow three times, and then washed his left arm three times. Then he put his right hand into the vessel until water spread all over it, then took it out with water and wiped his head once with both hands. In one narration, it is mentioned: He wiped from the front part of the head to the back. The narrator says: I do not know whether he returned his hands back or not. Then he poured water three times on his right foot with his right hand and washed it with his left hand, and poured water on his left foot with his right hand and washed it three times with his left hand. Then he put his right hand into the vessel, took a handful of water, and drank it. In one narration, it is mentioned: He drank the leftover water of his ablution. Then he said: "This is the ablution of the Prophet of Allah. Whoever wants to see the ablution of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), then this is his ablution."

Abdul Malik bin Sal’ah (may Allah have mercy on him) says: Abdul Khair (may Allah have mercy on him) used to lead us in the Fajr prayer. He said: One day I performed the Fajr prayer behind Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him). When he finished the prayer with salam, he stood up and we also stood up. He walked until he reached Rahbah and sat down, resting his back against the wall. Then he raised his head and said: “Qanbar! Bring the bucket and the basin.” Then he said to him: “Pour the water,” so he poured water over him and he washed his hands three times, … then he mentioned briefly as in the previous hadith, and at the end of it he said: “This is the ablution of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him).”

(Second Chain) Abdu Khair (may Allah have mercy on him) says: Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) taught us the ablution (wudu) of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and it was as follows: a servant poured water over his hands until he cleaned them, then he described the ablution in the previous manner, until he said: then he put his hand into the bucket and touched its inner lower part, then took it out and wiped it over the other hand, and with both palms wiped the head once, then washed both feet up to the ankles three times each, then took a handful of water and drank it and said: "The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used to perform ablution in this way."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both), he says: Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) entered my house and asked for water for ablution, and we brought a small vessel in which there was about one mudd of water, until the vessel was placed before him, while he had also relieved himself. He said: "O Ibn Abbas! Shall I not perform for you the ablution of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)?" I said: "Yes, why not, may my parents be sacrificed for you." So the vessel was placed for him, he washed his hands and rinsed his mouth, drew water into his nose and blew it out, then took water with both hands and wiped it over his face and put his thumbs in the front part of his ears, then repeated this action three times, then took a handful of water with his right hand and poured it over the front part of his head and it flowed over his face, then washed his right hand up to and including the elbow three times, then washed the other hand in the same way, then wiped over his head and the outer part of his ears, then took water with both palms and wiped it over his feet while he was wearing shoes, then turned his foot over, then did the same with the other foot. I said: "Ablution with shoes on?" He said: "Yes, with shoes on." I said: "With shoes on?" He said: "Yes, with shoes on." I said: "With shoes on?" He said: "Yes, with shoes on."

Abu Matar (may Allah have mercy on him) says: We were sitting with the Commander of the Faithful, Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), at the gate of Rahbah in the mosque when a man came and said, "Show me how the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) performed ablution." It was the time of decline (zawal). So he called Qanbar and said, "Bring a vessel of water." Then he washed his palms and face three times each, and rinsed his mouth three times, then put some fingers into his mouth, and put water into his nose three times, and washed his arms three times, and wiped his head once, and said, "The inner part of the head is from the face, and the outer part is from the head." Then he washed his feet up to the ankles three times each. At that time, drops were dripping from his beard onto his chest. Then he drank a sip of the water from the ablution and said, "Where is the one who asked about the ablution of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)? The ablution of the Prophet of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was like this."

Nazzal bin Sabrah (may Allah have mercy on him) says: A vessel was brought to Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) while he was at Rahbah. He took a handful of water from it, rinsed his mouth, put water into his nose, and wiped his face, arms, and head with it. While standing, he drank some of the water, and then he said: "This is the ablution of a person who has not lost his state of ablution. I saw the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) doing it in this manner."

Rabi’ bin Hirash (may Allah have mercy on him) says: Sayyiduna Ali bin Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) delivered a sermon at Rahbah, and after praising Allah Almighty, he spoke a few words, then asked for a vessel of water. He rinsed his mouth with it and wiped his hands over (his face, arms, head, and feet), and drank the leftover water from the vessel (according to one narration, the leftover water from ablution) while standing, and then said: “It has reached me that one of you dislikes drinking water while standing. This is his ablution, which has not become invalid, and I saw the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) do the same.”

Abdu Khair (may Allah have mercy on him) says: Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) called for a vessel of water and said: "Where are those people who dislike drinking while standing?" Then he took the water and drank it while standing, then performed a light ablution and wiped over his shoes, and then said: "This is the ablution of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) for a pure person, as long as he does not lose his ablution."