Ruling on increasing the number of sniffs in ablution beyond three
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Is it permissible for a Muslim to increase the number of times he sniffs water in his nose beyond three if he is suffering from a cold, or is this considered a deviation from the Sunnah?
Answer: This is, in fact, not prescribed; because the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) performed ablution three times, three times: he rinsed his mouth and sniffed water in his nose three times, washed his face three times, washed his hands three times, wiped his head once and his ears once, and washed his feet three times, three times. This is the Sunnah: to suffice with three. If he performs ablution once, or twice, there is no harm; the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did so. Or if he performs ablution once for some limbs and twice for others, or twice for some limbs and three times for others, there is no harm in any of that. As for increasing beyond that, no. It is established from him (peace and blessings be upon him) that when he performed ablution, when a questioner asked him about ablution, he taught him it, then he said:Sunan an-Nasa'i 140Hasan (Darussalam) It was narrated by Abu Dawud, al-Tirmidhi, and others, and its chain of narration is authentic. It indicates that increasing is not permissible. He said: Sunan an-Nasa'i 140Hasan (Darussalam), and doing wrong, transgressing, and being unjust is a matter that is not permissible.
So the conclusion is that the hadith mentioned indicates that it is not permissible to increase beyond the perfection that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did, which is three times, meaning: performing the ablution thoroughly three times. The intended meaning is not the scoop of water, but the washing; the intended meaning is the washing, not the scoop. So if he scooped water twice for each washing, it would become six scoops, and he would not be doing wrong. The one who is doing wrong is the one who has completed the washing of the limb and then repeated it more than three times. But if he washed his foot, for example, with one scoop, but the washing was not completed, he needed a second scoop to complete his foot, then he washed it a second time, then a third time, and the scoops increased, it does not harm. The important thing is that it be a complete washing, then a second, then a third, and not to increase beyond three. And so with the face, and so with the hands. As for the head, the Sunnah is that it be only once; this is what is preserved in the authentic hadiths. He wipes it only once, along with the ears. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you.
Answer: This is, in fact, not prescribed; because the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) performed ablution three times, three times: he rinsed his mouth and sniffed water in his nose three times, washed his face three times, washed his hands three times, wiped his head once and his ears once, and washed his feet three times, three times. This is the Sunnah: to suffice with three. If he performs ablution once, or twice, there is no harm; the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did so. Or if he performs ablution once for some limbs and twice for others, or twice for some limbs and three times for others, there is no harm in any of that. As for increasing beyond that, no. It is established from him (peace and blessings be upon him) that when he performed ablution, when a questioner asked him about ablution, he taught him it, then he said:
Whoever does more than that has done badly, done to extremes and done wrong.
فمن زاد فقد أساء وتعدى وظلمhas done badly, done to extremes and done wrong
فقد أساء وتعدى وظلمSo the conclusion is that the hadith mentioned indicates that it is not permissible to increase beyond the perfection that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did, which is three times, meaning: performing the ablution thoroughly three times. The intended meaning is not the scoop of water, but the washing; the intended meaning is the washing, not the scoop. So if he scooped water twice for each washing, it would become six scoops, and he would not be doing wrong. The one who is doing wrong is the one who has completed the washing of the limb and then repeated it more than three times. But if he washed his foot, for example, with one scoop, but the washing was not completed, he needed a second scoop to complete his foot, then he washed it a second time, then a third time, and the scoops increased, it does not harm. The important thing is that it be a complete washing, then a second, then a third, and not to increase beyond three. And so with the face, and so with the hands. As for the head, the Sunnah is that it be only once; this is what is preserved in the authentic hadiths. He wipes it only once, along with the ears. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.