During ablution, how many times should one wipe the head and how many times should one wipe the ears?

Scholars differed regarding the permissibility of repeating the wiping of the head and ears. The majority of scholars —including Imam Ahmad (according to his well-known view), Malik, and Abu Hanifa— held that the prescribed way is to wipe the head only once. They based their argument on the authentic hadiths in the Sahihayn, which mention wiping the head generally without requiring repetition. They also reasoned that lightness is appropriate for wiping, likening it to wiping in tayammum (definition) and wiping over a splint.

On the other hand, Al-Shafi'i and most of his companions held that repeating the wiping of the head is permissible. They cited hadiths that mention wiping three times and drew an analogy with the rest of the ablutionary organs. The majority of scholars countered their arguments by deeming these hadiths weak or by asserting that they are not explicit about repetition.

Ibn al-Qayyim said: "The correct view is that he [the Prophet] did not repeat wiping his head. Rather, when he repeated washing other limbs, he wiped his head only once. This is explicitly narrated from him, and nothing contrary to it has been authentically reported from him, peace be upon him, at all." He pointed out that hadiths about repetition are either authentic but not explicit, or explicit but not authentic.

Al-Shawkani mentioned that the hadiths about wiping three times did not reach the level of reliability, and that it is preferable to adhere to what is authentically reported in the Sahihayn and other collections, which restrict wiping to a single instance.