this being the sunnah, so that he does not use an excessive amount of water. If he washes thoroughly with less, that is permissible.

If it is said: We now perform wudu from taps, so the amount of water cannot be precisely measured?

The answer is: Do not exceed what is prescribed in washing the limbs during wudu: do not wash them more than three times. Likewise, in ghusl, do not wash more than once, according to the view that three washings are not prescribed. In this way, moderation is achieved.

“If he washes thoroughly with less, or intends by his ghusl to remove both states of ritual impurity, it suffices,” ............

His statement, “If he washes thoroughly with less,” means: if he washes thoroughly using less than one mudd for wudu, or less than one sa‘ for ghusl, it suffices, because the specification of one mudd and one sa‘ is a matter of what is preferable.

However, it is conditional that this not merely be wiping. If it is merely wiping, it does not suffice.

The difference between washing and wiping is that, in washing, water drips and runs off, whereas in wiping, water does not drip. The evidence for this is: ....

1 - Allah’s saying: “Wash your faces” [al-Ma’idah: 6]; then He says: “Wipe over your heads” [al-Ma’idah: 6]. Thus, He distinguished between wiping and washing.

2 - Allah’s saying: “Purify yourselves” [al-Ma’idah: 6], which the Prophet ﷺ explained as washing, not wiping.

His statement, “Or intends by his ghusl to remove both states of ritual impurity, it suffices”: intention has four cases:

The first is that he intends to remove both states of ritual impurity, in which case both are removed, due to the Prophet’s ﷺ statement: “Actions are only by intentions.” (1)