Waswaas about washing hands in ablution

30-12-2017 | IslamWeb

Question:

Assalaamu alaykum. I am asking about ablution. When you wash your hands in ablution, can you wash the side of the fingers on the same side as the palm first, then the back of the fingers, then the back of your hand, and then the palm of your hand? This would be considered one washing, is this correct? Maybe some parts will be washed twice, like in between the fingers. I have some Waswaas (devilish whisperings/obsessive doubts) regarding this issue. May Allah reward you.

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad, sallallahu ʻalayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.

First of all, we would like to point out the danger of Waswaas, and we advise you to ignore it completely. Also, you should know that washing the hands at the beginning of ablution is an act of the Sunnah, so if you did not wash your hands then, your ablution is still valid. Ibn Qudaamah said, “Washing the hands at the beginning of ablution is a recommended act in general.” [Al-Mughni]

Hence, going into details in this way is considered immoderation and overburdening yourself unnecessarily, which are dispraised in the Shariah. What matters is to wash the hands three times in any manner.

Allah knows best.