Hadith Text & Context

"When any one of you wakes from sleep, let him not dip his hand in (the water he uses for) his Wudu' until he has washed it three times, for none of you knows where his hand spent the night." (Sunan an-Nasa'i 1)

This hadith from The Book of Purification addresses the proper procedure upon awakening from sleep before performing ablution.

Scholarly Commentary

The prohibition against immediately dipping one's hand into the water vessel stems from the possibility of ritual impurity (najasah) having contacted the hand during sleep. As Imam an-Nawawi explains, the sleeping person lacks awareness of where their hand may have touched during the night.

The three-fold washing serves to remove any potential impurity before the hand contacts the pure water intended for wudu'. This demonstrates Islam's emphasis on both physical and spiritual cleanliness.

Scholars note this applies specifically to the water container used for ablution. The wisdom lies in preserving the purity of the main water supply from potential contamination.

Juridical Rulings

The majority of scholars consider this practice recommended (mustahabb) rather than obligatory, though some early scholars regarded it as compulsory.

This ruling applies equally to daytime naps and nighttime sleep, as the reasoning - uncertainty about where the hand has been - remains valid.

If one is certain their hands remained clean during sleep, the washing remains recommended as a precautionary measure following the prophetic example.