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THE PROPHET’S WUDOO’ (ABLUTION)
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The Components Of Wudoo’: Wiping The Head And Ears And ‘Imaamah
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1️⃣ Wiping over all of the head as Allaah ta’ala says:
وَامْسَحُوا بِرُءُوسِكُمْ…
…wamsahoo bi ru’oosikum…
…rub your heads (with water)
[Soorat-ul-Maa’idah 5:7]
Ibn Qudaamah says in ‘al-Mughnee’: Some of the people who claim that that which is ordered to be wiped is part of the head only – claim that the (Baa) [in the verse] means “part of” as if He had said: “Wipe part of your heads”.’ However, we say that in His saying wamsahoo bi ru’oosikum the (Baa) is as if He said regarding Tayammum wamsahoo bi wujoohikum [Allaah ta’ala orders us to wipe the faces].’
Therefore their saying that the (Baa) means “part of” is incorrect and unknown to the scholars of the language. Ibn Burhaan says: ‘He who claims that the “baa” means “part of” has declared before the scholars of the language that of which they have no knowledge. [al-Mughnee, 1/112].
Ash-Shaukaanee (رحمه الله) says in Nail-ul-Autaar: It is not established that it means “part of” and Seebawaih (one of the foremost scholars of the Arabic language) has denied that in fifteen places in his book. (Nail-ul-Autaar, 1/193).
In the hadeeth of’Abdullaah ibn Zaid (رضي الله عنه) is a further proof of the incorrectness of the saying that it means “a part of” – in that the Prophet (ﷺ) wiped his head with his two hands, moving them forwards and backwards – beginning with the front of the head and (wiping) with them up to his nape then he (ﷺ) returned them to the place from which he began. [Al-Bukhaaree (al-Fath, 1/251), Muslim (no.235), at-Tirmidhee (no.28) and others].
2️⃣ Wiping the ears: The ruling for the ears is the same as that for the head.
And it is authentically reported that Rasoolullah (ﷺ) said The two ears are a part of the head.
[Reported by at-Tirmidhee, no.37; Abu Dawood, no.l34 and Ibn Maajah, no.444]. (Declared by ash-Shaikh al-Albaanee to be saheeh – as-Saheehah, 1/36 – and Imam Ahmad was of the view that wiping the ears has the same ruling as that for wiping the head.)]
As for those who hold the view that it is a sunnah they do not have any evidence except their regarding this hadeeth as being da’eef – it is however authentic due to a chain of narration which they did not come across and so the proof is with our saying – and Allaah Knows best.
And of the scholars who hold that they are part of the head are Ibn al-Musayyib, ‘Ataa, al-Hasan, Ibn Seereen, Sa’eed ibn Jubair and an-Nakha’ee and it is the saying of ath-Thauree and Ahl ur-Ra’y and Imams Malik and Ahmad ibn Hanbal.
