Description of Wudu’

“Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), once said to us, ‘Should I demonstrate for you how the Messenger of Allah would take Wudu’?’ We replied, ‘Yes, please do so.’ He (the Imam) then asked for a bowl with a quantity of water in it. He (the Imam) placed it in front of him and uncovered both his forearms. He (the Imam) then immersed the palm of his right hand in the water, saying, ‘This is when the palm is clean and free of Najis (unclean) substances. He (the Imam) then filled the palm of his hand, placed on his forehead, saying ‘In the name of Allah’, allowed it to flow over the sides of his beard. He (the Imam) then passed his hand over his face and the apparent parts of his forehead only once. He (the Imam) then immersed his left hand in the water, filled his palm and placed it over his right elbow. He (the Imam) passed his palm over his forearm until water flowed toward the ends of his fingers. He (the Imam) then filled the palm of his right hand, placed it over his left elbow and passed it over his left forearm until water flowed over the ends of his fingers. He (the Imam) then wiped the front portion of his head and the back of his feet with whatever water was left in his left and right hands. Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), said, ‘Allah is odd. He loves odd numbers. Three handfuls of water is sufficient for Wudu’. One handful is for the face, one for the right forearm and one for the left forearm. With moisture in your right hand, wipe the front portion of your head, and with the remaining moisture on it wipe the back of your right foot and with the moisture in your left hand wipe the back of your left foot.’ Zurarah has said that Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), said, ‘Once a man asked ‘Amir al-Mu’minin about the Wudu’ of the Messenger of Allah and he (’Amir al-Mu’minin) demonstrated like this.’”

“I once asked abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.), about Wudu’. He (the Imam) said, ‘Wudu’ of Ali (a.s.), was once (washing of face and hands) and once (wiping of head and feet).’”
This is evidence that ablution is only "once and once", because he (sw) whenever faced two matters, both of which were in obedience of Allah, he would take the more cautious and more intense of the two for his body. Indeed, what has come from them (i.e. the Imams (AS)) is that he said, 'Ablution is twice. It is for the one who is not satisfied with it once, and he adds to it, then he says twice.' Then he said, 'And whoever adds more than twice will not be rewarded, and this is the utmost limit in ablution. Whoever exceeds it is sinful and does not have ablution. It is like someone who prays five units in Dhuhr, and had he (AS) not made it clear that it should only be made twice, it would have led the way to (washing) three (times)’. It is narrated about a man who had with him an amount of water equal to a handful, and the prayer was imminent. He said, 'So he divided it into three parts: one-third for the face, one-third for the right hand, and one-third for the left hand. He wiped his head and his feet with the remainder.'