The Perfect Wudu

حَدَّثَنَا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ، حَدَّثَنَا هِشَامُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ، وَالْحَجَّاجُ بْنُ مِنْهَالٍ، قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا هَمَّامٌ، حَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَبِي طَلْحَةَ، عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ يَحْيَى بْنِ خَلاَّدٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ عَمِّهِ، رِفَاعَةَ بْنِ رَافِعٍ بِمَعْنَاهُ قَالَ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ إِنَّهَا لاَ تَتِمُّ صَلاَةُ أَحَدِكُمْ حَتَّى يُسْبِغَ الْوُضُوءَ كَمَا أَمَرَهُ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ فَيَغْسِلَ وَجْهَهُ وَيَدَيْهِ إِلَى الْمِرْفَقَيْنِ وَيَمْسَحَ بِرَأْسِهِ وَرِجْلَيْهِ إِلَى الْكَعْبَيْنِ ثُمَّ يُكَبِّرُ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَيَحْمَدُهُ ثُمَّ يَقْرَأُ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ مَا أُذِنَ لَهُ فِيهِ وَتَيَسَّرَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ فَذَكَرَ نَحْوَ حَدِيثِ حَمَّادٍ قَالَ ‏"‏ ثُمَّ يُكَبِّرُ فَيَسْجُدُ فَيُمَكِّنُ وَجْهَهُ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ هَمَّامٌ وَرُبَّمَا قَالَ ‏"‏ جَبْهَتَهُ مِنَ الأَرْضِ حَتَّى تَطْمَئِنَّ مَفَاصِلُهُ وَتَسْتَرْخِيَ ثُمَّ يُكَبِّرُ فَيَسْتَوِي قَاعِدًا عَلَى مَقْعَدِهِ وَيُقِيمُ صُلْبَهُ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ فَوَصَفَ الصَّلاَةَ هَكَذَا أَرْبَعَ رَكَعَاتٍ حَتَّى فَرَغَ ‏"‏ لاَ تَتِمُّ صَلاَةُ أَحَدِكُمْ حَتَّى يَفْعَلَ ذَلِكَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

Narrated Rifa'ah ibn Rafi': This version (of Hadith No 856) adds: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: The prayer of any of you is not complete until he performs ablution perfectly, as Allah, the Exalted, has ordered you. He should wash his face and hands up to the elbows, and wipe his head and (wash) his feet up to the ankles. Then he should exalt Allah and praise Him. Then he should recite the Qur'an as much as it is convenient for him. (Narrator then narrated the tradition like Hammad's, No. 856). He said: He then utter the takbir and prostration himself so that his face is at rest. Hammam (sub-narrator) said: Sometimes he reported: So that his forehead is at rest on the ground, and his joints return to their places and are loosened. Then he should say the takbir and then sit right on his hips and erect his back. He described the nature of prayer in this way by offering four rak'ahs until he finished it. The prayer of any of you is not complete unless he does so.

Sunan Abi Dawud 858 https://sunnah.com/abudawud:858

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حَدَّثَنَا عَبَّادُ بْنُ مُوسَى الْخُتَّلِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ، - يَعْنِي ابْنَ جَعْفَرٍ - أَخْبَرَنِي يَحْيَى بْنُ عَلِيِّ بْنِ يَحْيَى بْنِ خَلاَّدِ بْنِ رَافِعٍ الزُّرَقِيُّ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ جَدِّهِ، عَنْ رِفَاعَةَ بْنِ رَافِعٍ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَصَّ هَذَا الْحَدِيثَ قَالَ فِيهِ ‏"‏ فَتَوَضَّأْ كَمَا أَمَرَكَ اللَّهُ جَلَّ وَعَزَّ ثُمَّ تَشَهَّدْ فَأَقِمْ ثُمَّ كَبِّرْ فَإِنْ كَانَ مَعَكَ قُرْآنٌ فَاقْرَأْ بِهِ وَإِلاَّ فَاحْمَدِ اللَّهَ وَكَبِّرْهُ وَهَلِّلْهُ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ وَقَالَ فِيهِ ‏"‏ وَإِنِ انْتَقَصْتَ مِنْهُ شَيْئًا انْتَقَصْتَ مِنْ صَلاَتِكَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

Rifa’ah b. Rafi has also narrated this tradition through a different chain from the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ). This version goes: Then perform ablution in a way Allah, the exalted, has commanded you, then say the Tashah-hud (Adhan) and get up and say the takbir. Then if you know any of the Qur’an, recite it; otherwise say: “Praise be to Allah”; “Allah is most great”; “ There is no god but Allah” He ( the narrator) also said in this version: If some defect remains in this, that detect will remain in your prayer.

Sunan Abi Dawud 861 https://sunnah.com/abudawud:861

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