Hadith Q12

فِي قَوْلِهِ: {يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا قُمْتُمْ إِلَى الصَّلَاةِ فَاغْسِلُوا وُجُوهَكُمْ} [المائدة: ٦] الْآيَةَ، إِذِ اللَّهُ جَلَّ وَعَلَا وَلَّى نَبِيَّهُ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بَيَانَ مَا أَنْزَلَ عَلَيْهِ خَاصًّا وَعَامًّا، فَبَيَّنَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِسُنَّتِهِ أَنَّ اللَّهَ إِنَّمَا أَمَرَ بِالْوُضُوءِ بَعْضَ الْقَائِمِينَ إِلَى الصَّلَاةِ، لَا كُلَّهُمْ، كَمَا بَيَّنَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ أَنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ أَرَادَ بِقَوْلِهِ: {خُذْ مِنْ أَمْوَالِهِمْ صَدَقَةً} [التوبة: ١٠٣] بَعْضَ الْأَمْوَالِ لَا كُلَّهَا، وَكَمَا بَيَّنَ بِقِسْمَةِ سَهْمِ ذِي الْقُرْبَى ِ بَيْنَ بَنِي هَاشِمٍ، وَبَنِي عَبْدِ الْمُطَّلِبِ، أَنَّ اللَّهَ أَرَادَ بِقَوْلِهِ: {ذِي الْقُرْبَى} [النساء: ٣٦] بَعْضَ قَرَابَةِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ دُونَ جَمِيعِهِمْ، وَكَمَا بَيَّنَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ أَرَادَ بِقَوْلِهِ: {وَالسَّارِقُ وَالسَّارِقَةُ فَاقْطَعُوا أَيْدِيَهُمَا} [المائدة: ٣٨] بَعْضَ السُّرَّاقِ دُونَ جَمِيعِهِمْ، إِذْ سَارِقُ دِرْهَمٍ فَمَا دُونَهُ يَقَعُ عَلَيْهِ اسْمُ سَارِقٍ، فَبَيَّنَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِقَوْلِهِ: «الْقَطْعُ فِي رُبْعِ دِينَارٍ فَصَاعِدًا» ، أَنَّ اللَّهَ إِنَّمَا أَرَادَ بَعْضَ السُّرَّاقِ دُونَ بَعْضٍ بِقَوْلِهِ: {وَالسَّارِقُ وَالسَّارِقَةُ فَاقْطَعُوا أَيْدِيَهُمَا} [المائدة: ٣٨] الْآيَةَ قَالَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ لِنَبِيِّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: {وَأَنْزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ الذِّكْرَ لِتُبَيِّنَ للِنَّاسِ مَا نُزِّلَ إِلَيْهِمْ} [النحل: ٤٤]
In His noble statement « يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا قُمْتُمْ إِلَى الصَّلَاةِ فَاغْسِلُوا وُجُوهَكُمْ » [ سورة المائدة ] “O you who believe, when you stand for prayer, wash your faces and your hands up to the elbows, wipe your heads, and wash your feet up to the ankles...” Since Allah Almighty made His Prophet (peace be upon him) the explainer of every specific and general command revealed to him, the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him) clarified through his Sunnah that Allah Almighty did not command every person who prays to perform ablution, but only some people (those whose ablution has been nullified). Just as the Prophet (peace be upon him), while explaining this verse « خُذْ مِنْ أَمْوَالِهِمْ صَدَقَةً » [ سورة التوبة ] (Take charity from their wealth), stated that Allah Almighty commanded to take some wealth as charity (zakat), not all of it (i.e., the prescribed amount of zakat). Similarly, the Prophet (peace be upon him) distributed the share of the relatives from the spoils of war among Banu Hashim and Banu Abdul Muttalib, thereby clarifying Allah Almighty’s statement « وَذِي الْقُرْبَىٰ » [ سورة البقرة ] “And give to the near of kin,” that the relatives referred to are some of your relatives, not all. Likewise, the Prophet (peace be upon him), while explaining Allah Almighty’s statement « وَالسَّارِقُ وَالسَّارِقَةُ فَاقْطَعُوا أَيْدِيَهُمَا » [ سورة المائدة ] “Cut off the hand of the male thief and the female thief,” said that by this, Allah Almighty means some thieves, not all thieves. Because the term “thief” also applies to one who steals a dirham or less in value. But the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him) stated: “The hand of the thief will be cut off for stealing a quarter dinar or more in value.” Through this statement, the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him) clarified Allah Almighty’s noble statement « وَالسَّارِقُ وَالسَّارِقَةُ فَاقْطَعُوا أَيْدِيَهُمَا » [ سورة المائدة ] that it refers to some thieves (those who steal up to a quarter dinar in value). Allah Almighty said to His Prophet (peace be upon him) « وَأَنزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ الذِّكْرَ لِتُبَيِّنَ لِلنَّاسِ مَا نُزِّلَ إِلَيْهِمْ » [ سورة النحل ] This Reminder (the Qur’an) We have sent down to you (O Prophet), so that you may clearly explain to the people what has been sent down to them.
Hadith Reference صحيح ابن خزيمه / كتاب: الوضوء / Q12