WASHING OR WIPING FEET IN

WUDU FOR SALAH

Coursework by Sadi Siddiquee

Contents:

Introduction
Hadith group one Presents
Hadith group two Presents
Logical proof
Objection 1
Differences
Response
Practice of Sahaba
Objection 2
Response
Conclusion
WASHING OR WIPING FEET IN
WUDU FOR SALAH

1. INTRODUCTION
In wudu should we wash our feet or wipe, on this scholars are divided into two
groups.

i. One group have taken the opinion that ruling for feet is, masah should be
done over feet as we do masah over head.
ii. Another group of scholars opposed them and said feet needs to be washed.

2. HADITH GROUP ONE PRESENTS

Ibrahim bin Marzuk (r) …. Narrated Nazal ibn sabra (r) said, I saw Ali (ra) he
performed Zuhr salah. Then he sat in the courtyard of the mosque. After a while
water was brought to him for wudu, he wiped his face and both hands after that he
wiped head and both legs then he stood and drunk the remaining water. Then he
said, ‘people think, this is makruh but I saw prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬doing this what I did. And
this is that person’s wudu who is not impure (don’t have wudu)’. (Bukhari, Bazar,
Nasai, Ahamad)
Abu Zafar (r) said, according to us this Hadith doesn’t proof wiping feet is fard.
Because this hadith shows he wiped his face. In this hadith, masah was washing.
Similarly, there is possibility that the wiping feet was washing.

Fahad (r) ….. narrated from Ibn Abbas, he said, once Ali (ra) came to me. He asked
for water to do wudu. We brought water pot. He said, ‘O Ibn Abbas, ‘should I not
show you how to do wudu the way I saw prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬performed wudu?’ I said, yes.
My mother and father be sacrificed on you. After narrating a long hadith, he said,’
after that he took some water on his palms and flowed over his right feet then
similarly on left feet.

Ali Ibn Shaiba (r) narrated from …… Ibn Abbas, He (ra) said, Rasulullah (‫)ﷺ‬
performed wudu, after that he took water on his both plums and spread over his
feet, he was wearing sandals.

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 X Abu Umaiyya (r) …… narrated from Ali (ra), once he performed wudu, he did
masah on his feet and said: if I have not seen prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬did this (I would have not
done so). Masah under the feet is more necessary than on masah on the feet.
Ibn Abi Dawud (r) …… narrated from Ibn Umar (ra), when he used to do wudu, he
would have sandals on his feet, he would do masah over his feet. He would say:
prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬used to do the same.

Muhammad Ibn Khuzaimah (r) …… narrated from Rifa’a Ibn Rafi (ra), once he was
sitting near prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬then he narrated the full hadith at the end he said, no one’s
salah will not be complete until he completes the wudu, how Allah commanded. So
wash your face and hand up to elbow, masah over head, feet up to ankle.

Rawha Ibn Faraj (r) …. Narrated from Abbas Ibn Tamim’s father (ra) prophet (‫)ﷺ‬
performed wudu and masah his feet. Urwah (ra) would do the same.

First group of scholars have taken this opinion and they said, ruling for feet is, it
needs to be wiped the way head is wiped. Second group of scholars have opposed
them and said feet needs to wash and they submit following Ahadith for proof.

3. HADITH GROUP TWO PRESENTS

Hussain Ibn Nasr (r) …… narrated from Abd Khyr (ra), he said, Ali (ra) entered in
the yard and asked his slave to bring weather, he brought water and bowl. He
performed wudu and washed his feet thrice and said, prophet’s (‫ )ﷺ‬wudu was
same.

Hussain (r) from … Ali (ra) narrated same.

Ali Ibn Shauna (r) from ….. Abu Ishaq (r) narrated same.
Ibn Marzuk (r) from ……. Malik narrated same.

Ibn Marzuk (r) ….. narrate from Usman Ibn Amman (ra), once he performed wudu
and washed his feet thrice, then he said, I saw Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬did the same.

Youns (r ) and Ibn Abi Akil ….. narrated from the freed salve of Usman (ra) same.

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Yazid Ibn Sinan (r) …. Narrated from Mustawrid Ibn Shaddad Karshi (ra) , he said I
saw Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬, he was rubbing his finger between his toes. And this only
happens because wiping doesn’t reach there. Wiping is only over the feet.

Muhammad Ibn Khujaima (r) and Ibn Abi Dawd (r) ……. narrated, Amr Ibn
Ubaidullah Ibn Abi Rafi (r) from his father-grandfather (ra), he said, I saw Prophet (
‫ )ﷺ‬performing wudu. He has washed his feet three times.

Yunus (r) and Hussain Ibn Nasr (r) …. Narrated from Rubbiya (ra), he said Prophet (
‫ )ﷺ‬used to come to us and would perform wudu and he would wash his feet three
times.

Ahmad Ibn Dawd (r) …. Narrated from Abu Huraira (ra), Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬performed
wudu, he gurgled three times, took water in his nose three times, washed his face
three times, washed his both arms three times each, wiped his head and washed his
feet.

Ahmad Ibn Abu Dawud (r) ….. narrated from Ibn Shuyaib (r) from his father,
grandfather (ra) once a person came to Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬and asked how to perform
wudu? He asked for water and performed wudu by washing each limb three times,
wiped his head and washed his feet. Then he said the way to perform wudu is like
this. So, who does more or less then this he has committed bad and injustice.

Yunus (r) and Ibn Abi Akil (r) … narrated from Amr Ibn Yahya Mazzini (r) ’s father
(ra), he asked Abdullah Ibn Zayed, can you show me how Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬performed
wudu? he asked for water, performed wudu and he washed both feet.

Bahr (r) …. Narrated from Abdur Rahman Ibn Zubair Ibn Nufair (r) from his father,
Abu Zafr Kindi (ra) once attended to Prophet (‫)ﷺ‬. He asked to bring water for his
wudu. Then asked Abu Zubair to perform wudu. He started performing wudu from
face. Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬said, don’t start from face, because disbeliever starts from face,
then prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬asked for water and washed each limb three times. Wiped his
head and washed his face.

Fahad (r) …. Narrated from Muwabiya (ra) same. Narrator Fahad (r) said, I asked
Abdullah Ibn Salih (r) , he said, I heard this from Muwabiya Ibn Salih (r).

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 In reality these Ahadith are narrated with mutawatir riwayat that Prophet (‫)ﷺ‬
washed feet in wudu for salah. There are many ahadith narrated from him on
reward for washing feet and warning for dry heel. From which we understand, in
wudu ruling for feet are to wash.

Some Ahadith narrated below about reward on washing the feet:

Yunus (r) and Ibn Abi Akil (r) …… Abu Hurairah (ra) narrated, Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬said,
when a ‘Muslim’ or he said Mu’min performs wudu and he wash his face all his sins
from his face goes away, which he saw with his eyes, when he washes his hands all
sins from hands goes away which he hold with his hands, when he washes his both
legs all sins goes away towards which he walked to with his legs.

Hussain Ibn Nasr (r) …. Narrated from Abu Huraira (ra) he said, I heard prophet (‫)ﷺ‬
saying, while performing wudu if a person washes his legs completely, the sins go
away with the water which he committed walking towards it.

Ibn Abi Dawud (r) …. Sabala Ibn Abadi (r) ’s father, he said do you know prophet (
‫ )ﷺ‬separately and in group narrated to me: if a slave performs wudu completely,
washes his face water flows on his chin, he washes his hands and water flows on his
elbow, washes his legs water flows over his ankles then he stands and perform two
rakat salah, Allah forgives his past sins.

Abdullah Ibn Muhammad Ibn Hashish Basri (r) narrated from Kayos (r) same.

Muhammad Ibn Hajjaj Hijra (r) … narrated from Shurahbil Ibn Samt (r), he said who
will narrate the hadith from prophet (‫ ?)ﷺ‬Amar Ibn Abasa (ra) said, I heard from
prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬he said, when a person asked for water and washes his face sins wash
away through this face and beard, when he washes his hands sins wash away
through his tip of his fingers, when he wipes his head, sins wash away through his
hear, when he washes his legs then sins go away through under his legs.

Bahr (r) …. Narrated from Amr Ibn Abasa (ra), he said, I said, O prophet of Allah!
What’s the way to perform wudu? He said, when you perform wudu, wash your
hands three times, sins will go out through your fingers and nails, when you gargle
and pass water in your nose, wash both hands including elbows, legs including
ankles then you have washed lot of your sins.

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In reality, these ahadith are proofs that it’s obligatory to wash both legs. If wiping
was obligatory there would have no reward for washing. You can see where it’s
mentioned wiping over head, you don’t get reward by washing it. Similarly, when
you get reward by washing the legs, proofs that washing the legs is obligatory.

Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬has warned punishment of hell for dry heel:

Fahad (R) … narrated from Jabir Ibn Abdullah (ra), he said, once prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬saw
one person’s part of his leg is dry, which he didn’t wash. He said on this, there is
punishment of hell for heels.

Abu Bakra …. Narrated from jabir (ra) he said, prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬said for heels (which is
not wet) there is punishment of hell. Perform wudu completely.

Abu bakra (r).… narrated from salim (r) he said I heard Aysha (ra) commanding
Abdul Rahman (ra) hardly ‘perform wudu completely’ because I heard prophet (‫)ﷺ‬
for heels there is punishment in hell.

Abu Bakra (r) …. Narrated from Abu Salama that he heard Aysha (ra) saying: O’
Abdul Rahman! Then she narrated same.

Abu Bakra … Salim Dausi (r) narrated from Aysha (ra) same.

Rbiul Jizi (r) …. Narrated from Freed slave of Shaddad Ibn Had, Abu Abdullah once
went to Aysha (ra), Abdullah Ibn Abu Bakr (ra) was present there. She narrated the
above hadith.

Fahad (r) …. Narrated from Abu Hurairah (ra) he said, prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬narrated, on the
days of judgement there will be punishment for heel (which is not wet).

Ibn Marduk (r) …. Narrated from Abu Huraira (ra), he said, Abdul Kasim Prophet (
‫ )ﷺ‬said, there is a punishment of hell for heels.

Ibn Khujaima (r) …. Narrated from Shuba same.

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 Yunus (r) …. Narrated from Abdullah Ibn Harris Ibn Jaja’s-jubaidi (ra), he said, I
heard Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬saying, ‘heels and bottom of the feet (which is not wet), there is
punishment in hell for this.’

Rabiul jizi (r) …. narrated form Abdullah Ibn Haris Ibn Jaz’ as for heels there is
punishment in the hell.

Ahmad Ibn Dawd (r) … narrated from Abdullah Ibn Amr (ra), he said, Prophet (‫)ﷺ‬
there is punishment in hell for the heel (which is not wet.)

Ibn Marjuk …. Narrated from Abdullah Ibn Amr (ra), once prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬saw a group
of people performing wudu. They left some part of their leg dry. He said, there is
punishment in the hell.

Muhammad Ibn Khuzaima (r) narrated ….. from Abdullah Ibn Umar, he said: once
we travelled with Prophet (‫)ﷺ‬, Makka to Madina. He came to a pool between Makka
and Madina. It was time for Asr, some people went ahead. When we reached them,
we saw they have performed wudu and their heels were shining, where water didn’t
reach. Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬said, for heels there is punishment of hell. Perform wudu
completely.

Ahmad Ibn Dawd (r) …. Narrated from Abdullah Ibn Amr (ra), he said: once in a
journey Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬was behind us. He reached us at the time of Asr salah. we were
performing wudu and wiping our feet. On this Bilal (ra) announced thrice: ‘heels
(which is not wet there is punishment for this.)

4. LOGICAL PROOF

a.) We mentioned a number of other ahadeeth from sahabah which clearly state that the
prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬clearly did wash. Such a number of ahadith can be deemed mutawatir.

b.) Then a number of ahadith are brought which show the virtue of washing the feet (the
sins fall off with the drops of wudu). Had the fardh been masah then there would have
been no virtue or reward in doing wash as is the case with the masah of the head.

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c.) There are ahadith that mention warning against those leave dry parts in their feet
after wudu. Had it been masah which is fardh then it would not have been necessary to
have every part washed

This proofs that, both legs are included with the limbs which are washed. Legs are not
like head which is wiped. There is no reward for washing it. Imam Abu Hanifa, Yusuf and
Muhammad has taken as proof for their opinion to wash the feet.

There was also one narration clearly negating/prohibiting masah of the feet. And not to
leave a part of the feet dry. This also shows naskh and it is clearly stated by Abdullah ibn
Amr.

Objection 1:
There are opinions even from the sahaba that, the verse which establishes the faraidh of
wudhu says to do masah of the feet.

‫َأ‬
‫َو اْمَس ُح وا ِبُر ُءوِس ُكْم َو ْر ُج َلُكْم ِإَلى اْلَكْعَبْي‬
‫َأ‬
There is difference of opinion among the scholars in explaining ‫ ْر ُج َلُكْم‬in this verse.
‫َأ‬
One group with ‫ اْمَس ُح وا ِبُر ُءوِس ُكْم‬connects with this ‫ ْر ُج َلُكْم‬and reads kasra
in LAM
‫َأ‬
‫َو اْمَس ُح وا ِبُر ُءوِس ُكْم َو ْر ُج ِلُكْم‬ limits to similar meaning to head. Meaning
‘wipe your head and legs’.
On the other side one group of scholars
‫ْل‬ ‫َل‬ ‫َأ‬ ‫ُل‬
‫ َف اْغِس وا ُو ُج وَه ُكْم َو ْيِدَيُكْم ِإ ى ا َم َر اِف ِق‬With this they connect LAM
‫َأ‬
with Fatha. So it becomes ‫َف اْغِس ُلوا ُو ُج وَه ُكْم َو ْيِدَيُكْم ِإَلى اْلَم َر اِف ِق‬
‫َأ‬
‫ َو اْمَس ُح وا ِبُر ُءوِس ُكْم َو ْر ُج َلُكْم‬meaning: wash your face, hands and leg
‫ واْغِس ُلوا‬is hidden.
Some sahaba and scholars after them have difference of opinion on this. Some ahadith
on this subject:
Ibn Marzuk (r) …. Narrated from jibr (r), he said Abdullah Ibn Masood (ra) read
‫َأ‬
‫ َو ْر ُج َلُكْم‬in this ayat.

Ibn Marzuk (ra) ….. narrated from Ibn Abbas (ra), he read same.

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Muhammad Ibn Khuzaima (r) …. Narrated from Ikrima, he said, Ibn abbas (ra) read
same and said, in this qira’at it means washing.
Ibn Marzuk (r) … narrated from Kayes (r) and Muzahid (r) , he said: in the qira’at it
‫َأ‬
means washing, he read ‫ َو ْر ُج َلُكْم‬with fatha.

Ibn Marzuk (r) …. Narrated same from Hisham Ibn Urwa’s father Wrwah (r)
Ibn Marzuk (r) … narrated same from Abu Taiyah (r) and Sharh Ibn Hawshab (ra)

Difference:
‫َأ‬
Ibn Marzuk (r) …. Narrated from Shabi (r), he read in this ayat with kasra, ‫َو ْر ُج ِلُكْم‬
‫َأ‬
Ibn Marzuk (r) ….. narrated from Mujahid (r) he read this with kasra, ‫َو ْر ُج ِلُكْم‬
Ibn Marzuk (r) ….. narrated from Hasan (r) he used to read this with kasra.

Response:

Majority of the sahabah would say that it is atf on ghasl. Those who say otherwise say
that it is mansookh with the ahadeeth like Abdullah ibn amr.

The only reason the feet were mentioned after the head was to keep the sequence of
wudu in place; not to establish the fact that atf is on masah

Practice of Sahaba:
There are narrations from a group of Sahaba, they used to wash feet. Some narrations on
this subject are below:
Hussain Ibn Nasr (r) …. Narrated from Ibrahim (r), he said: once Umar (ra) performed
wudu and he washed legs.
Muhammad Ibnul Khuzaima (r) …. Narrated from Abu hamza (r), he said: I saw Ibn
Abbas (ra), he washed legs three times.
Ibn Marzuk (r) ….. narrated from Muzahid (r) , when it was asked about wiping the feet
he said: Ibn Umar (ra) would perform wash feet completely and would pour water on
his leg.
Ibn Marzuk (r) … narrated same from Ibn Umar.
Ibn Marzuk (r) ….. narrated from Ibn Umar (r) he would wash his his leg while doing
wudu.

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Fahad (r) …. Narrated from Abdul Malik (r), he said: I asked Ata (r) , have any narration
reached to you that any Sahabi wiped leg for wudu? He said no.

Objection 2

Some people may think, it’s logical to wiping feet is wajib. Their proof is : “they see it’s
ruling is same as ruling of head”.

The feet are more closely related to head. An example of this is when a person has no
water, he would do tayammum of the hands and face. The feet and head are dropped off
any fardh. So the head and feet must follow the same ruling in the presence of water like
they do in the absence of water.

Response:

A junub has to wash his whole body. In the absence of water, he only does tayammum of
face and hands. It doesn’t mean in the presence of water you do masah of the rest of the
body too.
So the example of Tayammum will not be proof this.

Conclusion:

Feet need to be washed in wudu for salah.

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