I say, and with God's success: The obligatory acts of ablution are four: First: Washing the face once: as His Exaltedness said: {So wash your faces} Al-Ma'idah: 6, and the absolute command does not imply repetition. The limit of the face is from the hairline to the bottom of the chin – the junction of the two jaws – in length, and between the earlobes in width; because the face is what confronts a person, or what is usually faced, and the confrontation occurs within this limit. Second: Washing the hands up to the elbows once: as His Exaltedness said: {And your hands up to the elbows} Al-Ma'idah: 6, and the absolute command does not imply repetition. The elbows are included in the washing, as it has been authentically reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) poured water over his elbows. And because the elbow is a joint composed of the forearm and the upper arm, washing the forearm is obligatory, while washing the upper arm is not obligatory, and it is not possible to distinguish between them, so it is necessary to wash all of it as a precaution. Third: Wiping a quarter of the head once: as His Exaltedness said: {And wipe over your heads} Al-Ma'idah: 6, and the absolute command in action does not necessitate repetition. Wiping the head is achieved by the wet hand touching the member, either with moisture taken from the vessel, or moisture remaining on the hand after washing a member from the washed ones, and the remaining moisture on the hand after wiping a member from the wiped ones is not sufficient, nor is moisture taken from any of his members whether that member is washed or wiped, and likewise in wiping over the sock and the splint. Fourth: Washing the feet up to the ankles once: as His Exaltedness said: {And your feet up to the ankles} with the lam in the accusative case from the feet, which is connected to His Exaltedness's statement: {So wash your faces, and your hands up to the elbows} Al-Ma'idah: 6, as if He said: So wash your faces, and your hands up to the elbows, and your feet up to the ankles, and wipe over your heads. The ankle is the protruding bone where the bone of the leg ends, according to the correct opinion. See: Al-Badai 1: 4, Sharh Al-Wiqayah 1: 74, Al-Binayah 1: 109, Umdat Al-Ra'ayah 1: 55, and Tuhfat Al-Fuqaha, 1/9, Al-Ikhtiyar, 1/11, and Mukhtalif Al-Riwayah, pp. 280-282, and God knows best.