Caution: Translations of Quran and Ḥadīth may lead to possible misapplications and misinterpretations. This site is intended for students of sacred knowledge that are proficient in comprehending classical Arabic and have a strong foundation in Islamic sciences. Also note that religious injunctions rely on several aspects beyond what one may glean through reading individual aḥādīth.
muslim:939eYaḥyá b. Ayyūb > Ibn ʿUlayyah > Ayyūb > Ḥafṣah > Um ʿAṭiyyah > Āghsilnahā Witr Thalāth or Khams or Sabʿ

We washed her an odd number of times, i. e. three, five or seven times; and Umm 'Atiyya (further) said: We braided her hair in three plaits.  

مسلم:٩٣٩eوَحَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ أَيُّوبَ حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ عُلَيَّةَ وَأَخْبَرَنَا أَيُّوبُ قَالَ وَقَالَتْ حَفْصَةُ عَنْ أُمِّ عَطِيَّةَ

قَالَتِ اغْسِلْنَهَا وِتْرًا ثَلاَثًا أَوْ خَمْسًا أَوْ سَبْعًا قَالَ وَقَالَتْ أُمُّ عَطِيَّةَ مَشَطْنَاهَا ثَلاَثَةَ قُرُونٍ