The Form of the Dry Ablution and How Many Strikes It Takes
How many strikes on the earth does the dry ablution take, and how far are the arms wiped — to the wrists or to the elbows?
The dry ablution is two strikes: one with which he wipes his whole face, and one with which he wipes his arms including the elbows; both are obligatory.
What is obligatory is one strike with which he wipes his face and his hands to the wrists; a second strike, wiping from the wrists to the elbows, is a sunnah.
The dry ablution is two strikes and no fewer: one for the face and one for the arms including the elbows; and the earth must be transferred by the strike or by what stands in its place.
What is obligatory is a single strike with which he wipes his face and his hands — on the strength of the hadith of ʿAmmār ibn Yāsir: “It would have sufficed you to strike the earth with your hands, then blow, then wipe your face and your hands with them.”