Is the sunnah repeated in the second and third washing in wudhu by wiping, or must water be passed over? هل يحصل تكرار السنة في الغسلة الثانية والثالثة في الوضوء بالمسح أم لابد من إمرار الماء؟

Praise be to Allah, and may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah, his family and his companions.

As to what follows:

In response to your question, we say, and with Allah Almighty lies all success:

It is necessary to pass water over, as wiping is not the same as washing. Allah Almighty said:

“O you who believe, when you rise to [perform] prayer, wash…” [Al-Ma’idah 5:6]

So even if a person wets his hands and wipes over his face, he has not washed it.  Rather, it is necessary to pass water over the face until it has been run over by water and not just moistened by water. So the second and third washing, which is a sunnah in wudhu, is not fulfilled until water is poured and it runs over the body part (in this case the face). However, this does not mean that one should waste water, rather this can be done with a very little amount. The prophet (peace be upon him) use to make wudhu with a mudd, which is the amount of two handfuls.  Who from amongst us makes wudhu with two handfuls? We make wudhu with bucketfuls and a lot of water. So we need to save water and educate ourselves on the proper use of it. Wasting is not from the sunnah, rather it contradicts the command of Allah about wasting, in which Allah said:

“Indeed, He does not like those who commit excess (are wasteful).” [Al-An`am 6:141]

And Allah knows best.