Mistakes in Tahaarah (Purification) and Wudu’ (Ablution) – Part 3

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In another version: “He started at the front of his head until he moved them (his hands) to the back, then he brought them back to the place where he had started.” And Al-Bukhaari (Rahimahullaah) made the title of this chapter: To pass wet hands over the whole head during ablution.

Ibn Qudamah said in Al-Mughni (1/142): “Some claim that the letter ‘Baa’ in the word ‘Ru’oosikum’ (heads) indicates something partial, i.e. part of the head; as if the statement is ‘wipe part of your heads.’ However, our view is that the ‘Baa’ in Allaah’s statement does not indicate something partial, rather it is for attachment (to make something stick), i.e. it is obligatory to make some of the water which one is wiping the head with to stick to the head. [Also see Majmoo’ al-Fatawa 21/123]. The statement, ‘Rub your heads’ refers to the entire head as Allaah (Ta’ala) says concerning Tayammum:

فَامْسَحُوا بِوُجُوهِكُمْ وَأَيْدِيكُم مِّنْهُ

‘…then perform Tayammum with clean earth and rub therewith your faces and hands.’ [5:6]

The entire face must be wiped in Tayammum, and the same applies to the hand in this case. Accordingly, whoever claims that the letter ‘Baa’ means ‘part’ is mistaken. This contradicts the Arabic language.” [End quote – Also see Majmoo’ al-Fatawa by Ibn Taymiyah]

Shaikh Ibn ‘Uthaimeen (Rahimahullaah) said in Sharh al-Mumtie’: “If he wipes the forelock only and not the rest of the head, that is not sufficient, because Allaah (Ta’ala) says (interpretation of the meaning): “Rub (by passing wet hands over) your heads.” [5:6] And He (Ta’ala) did not say: ‘part of your heads’.” [End quote]

13 – Using new water for the ears

‘Abdullaah ibn Zaid (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu) said that he saw the Messenger of Allaah (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) performing Wudu’. He rinsed his mouth, then his nose, then he washed his face three times, his right hand (up to the forearm) three times, and the other three times, then wiped his head with water other than what was left on his hand, and washed his feet until he had cleansed them.” [Muslim no. 236]

Imaam An-Nawawi (Rahimahullaah) said: “This means that he (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) wiped his head with new water and not the remaining water on his hands.” [End quote]

Imaam Ibn Al-Qayyim (Rahimahullaah) also said: “He (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) used to wipe his ears with his head; wiping their inside and outside. And it is not affirmed that he (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) took new water to wipe them.” [End quote – Zaad al-Ma’ad]

Shaikh Ibn ‘Uthaimeen (Rahimahullaah) said in his Fatawa (4/141): “It is not obligatory to take new water for wiping the ears. Rather, it is not recommendable to do that according to the most correct point of view. This is because all those who described the Wudu’ of the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) did not mention that he had taken new water for wiping his ears. It is better to wipe the ears with the remaining wetness on the hands after wiping the head.” [End quote]

14 – Wiping the neck during Wudu’

There are those who say that one should wipe the neck during Wudu’, their evidence being the narration in which the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “Wiping the neck is a protection from Al-Ghull (a yoke or iron collar placed around the neck).”

An-Nawawi (Rahimahullaah) said in Sharh al-Muhadh-dhab that it is a fabricated Hadeeth. Also, Shaikh Al-Albaani (Rahimahullaah) graded it as Mawdoo’ (fabricated) in As-Silsilah ad-Da’eifa no. 64.

Imaam Ibn Al-Qayyim (Rahimahullaah) said in Zaad al-Ma’ad (1/195): “There is no Saheeh Hadeeth from the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) about wiping the neck at all.” [End quote]

The author of ‘Awn al-Ma’bood said: “Due to the weakness of the Hadeeth, it is not recommendable to wipe the neck during Wudu’ by wiping the neck with one’s fingers after finishing the wiping of the head. This way of wiping the neck is neither affirmed in a Saheeh or Hasan Hadeeth. Rather, all the quoted narrations regarding the wiping of the neck are weak as all the Scholars have declared. Accordingly, it is not permissible to take these Ahadeeth as proofs.” [End quote – summarized]

The Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Iftaa was asked about the permissibility of wiping the neck during Wudu’. They replied: “There is no proof in either the Book of Allaah or the Sunnah of His Messenger (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) that wiping the neck is a Sunnah of Wudu’ (i.e. part of Wudu’), so it is not prescribed to wipe it.” [End quote]

15 – Wiping the head three times

‘Abdur-Rahmaan ibn Abi Laila (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu) narrated: “I saw ‘Ali (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu) performing ablution. He washed his face three times and his hands three times and wiped his head once. Then he (‘Ali) said: ‘The Messenger of Allaah (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) used to perform ablution in this way.’” [Saheeh Abu Dawoud and authenticated by Al-Albaani who graded it Saheeh]

Abu Dawoud (Rahimahullaah) said: “All the authentic narrations quoted by ‘Uthmaan (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu) indicate that wiping the head should be once. They mentioned that Wudu’ is performed thrice and said in them: “And he wiped his head” without mentioning the number of times he wiped his head as they mentioned regarding the other parts of Wudu’.

Al-Haafidh Ibn Hajar (Rahimahullaah) said in Al-Fat’h (1/298): “From the strongest proofs on not wiping the head more than once is the famous Hadeeth which is authenticated by Ibn Khuzaimah and others on the authority of ‘Abdullaah ibn ‘Amr ibn Al-‘Aas (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu) in the description of ‘Wudu in which he said that the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said after he finished the performance of Wudu’: “This is Wudu’, and whoever does more than this has transgressed the limits and wronged himself.” In the narration reported by Sa’eid ibn Mansoor (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu) is a clear statement that he (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) wiped his head once only. This proves that it is not recommendable to wipe the head more than once.” [End quote]

16 – Renewing Wudu’ without offering Salaat by the previous Wudu’

Shaikhul-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (Rahimahullaah) said in al-Fatawa (21/376): “The Fuqahaa’ (jurists) asked as regards the one who has offered Salaat (prayer) by the first Wudu’; is it recommendable for him to renew his Wudu’? As for him who has not offered Salaat (prayer) by his first Wudu’, it is not Mustahabb (recommended) for him to renew the Wudu’; rather, it is considered a Bid’ah; contradicting the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allaah and the consent of the Muslims during his lifetime and after it till this time.” [End quote]

Sources:

Some mistakes in the Tahaarah and Salaat and mistakes in attending the Masaajid, compiled by ‘Abdul-‘Azeez ibn Muhammad as-Sadhaan.

Pointing to 100 mistakes in the Taharah, by Sulyman ibn ‘Abdur-Rahmaan al-‘Eesa