Worried I've Done Wudu Incorrectly All My Life - Need Advice, Assalamu Alaikum
Assalamu Alaikum, I'm worried I've been doing my wudu wrong for years. When I washed my feet I would get my hands soaked and rub all over my feet up to the ankle because the sink is too high to put my foot in. Lately I've seen people show a method where they sort of cup water and pour it over the foot, then rub. I, however, had very wet hands and then rubbed the foot, so I'm not sure if that's valid. I also heard that for washing a limb there needs to be flowing water or that at least two drops must fall from the limb to count as washing (this is what one article I read suggested). I tested myself: I wiped my hand off, put my foot out, and when I removed my hand a few drops fell - 3 drops the first time, 5 the second - but it felt borderline. Now I'm anxious about two things: A) Am I obsessing over a particular fatwa or detail that contradicts mainstream Sunni practice and therefore worrying unnecessarily about my past prayers? B) What if sometimes I didn't get enough water and only a very small number of drops fell - maybe 5–10% of the time. That would mean potentially having missed some prayers over the years, and that stresses me out a lot, especially for fajr or times I purposely went out to pray. Anyone who knows fiqh of wudu, could you please explain simply: is pouring water or having dripping wet hands that then rub the foot acceptable? Do those few drops count as washing the foot? And if someone finds they may have been lax, what practical steps or reassurance can you offer? Jazakum Allah khair.