Written by: Fazilat al-Sheikh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Amanpuri Hafizahullah
Wiping over the neck is not established in wudu; some scholars have called it an innovation. All the narrations related to this are weak and unproven.
It is correct to wipe the turban along with the head. However, wiping the sides of the neck separately with the reverse of the hands after wiping the head is an innovation; there is no false narration about this, let alone any authentic or good narration. Similarly, wiping the throat is also an innovation in religion.
Question: What is said about wiping over the neck?
Answer: Wiping over the neck is not established; it is an innovation.
Hafiz Nawawi, may Allah have mercy on him (676 AH), says:
[ولا وردت به سنة ثابتة]
No authentic hadith has been reported regarding this.
Reference: Al-Majmu': 463/1
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him (728 AH), says:
[لم يصح عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم أنه مسح على عنقه في الوضوء بل ولا روي عنه ذلك في حديث صحيح بل الأحاديث الصحيحة التي فيها صفة وضوء النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم لم يكن يمسح على عنقه؛ ولهذا لم يستحب ذلك جمهور العلماء كمالك والشافعي وأحمد في ظاهر مذهبهم۔۔۔۔۔۔ ومن ترك مسح العنق فوضوءہ صحيح باتفاق العلماء]
It is not proven that the Holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ wiped over the neck, nor is there any mention of it in any authentic hadith. Rather, in the authentic hadiths that describe the ablution of the Holy Prophet ﷺ, there is no mention of wiping the neck. Therefore, the majority of scholars have not considered it recommended, as Imam Malik, Imam Shafi'i, and according to the apparent school of thought, Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) have stated... Whoever did not wipe the neck, his ablution is unanimously valid.
Reference: Majmoo' al-Fatawa: 127/21
Allama Ibn Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) (751 AH) says:
[لم يصح عنه في مسح العنق حديث البتة]
There is no authentic hadith proven regarding wiping the neck.
Reference: Zad al-Ma'ad: 187/1
Narrations:
Evidence number ①
Narrated from Sayyiduna Ka'b bin Amr Yamami (may Allah be pleased with him):
[رأيت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يمسح رأسه مرة واحدة حتى بلغ القذال]
I saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ; he wiped his head once and wiped up to the first part of the nape.
Reference: Sunan Abi Dawood: 132
The narration is weak and rejected.
① Laith bin Abi Sulaym considers it "weak and mixed" according to the majority.
❀ Hafiz Nawawi, may Allah have mercy on him (676 AH), says:
[اتفق العلماء على ضعفه، واضطراب حديثه، واختلال ضبطه]
The consensus of the scholars is that Laith bin Abi Sulaym is weak; there is confusion in his hadith and a defect in his memory.
Reference: Tahdhib al-Asma wa al-Lughat: 75/2
❀ He also says:
[ضعفه الجماهير]
The majority of the Muhaddithin have declared him weak.
Reference: Sharh Sahih Muslim: 52/1
❀ Allama Quduri Hanafi, may Allah have mercy on him (328 AH), writes:
[مجمع على تضعيفه، وترك الإحتجاج به]
There is consensus on his weakness and that he is not reliable as evidence.
Reference: Al-Tajreed: 6109/12
❀ Allama Jamal Malti Hanafi, may Allah have mercy on him (803 AH), writes:
[ليست روايته عند أهل العلم بالأسانيد قوية]
According to the noble Muhaddithin, his narration is not strong.
Reference: Al-Mu'tasir min al-Mukhtasar min Mushkil al-Athar: 215/2
❀ In Al-Tayuriyat
Reference: (472)
, the following of Laith bin Abi Sulaym is by a man named Ibn Maghool, but that chain is false; it contains Saeed bin Muhammad "Kadhdhab" (liar).② Masraf bin Ka'b/Amr is "Majhool" (unknown).
❀ Hafiz Ibn Qattan Al-Fasi, may Allah have mercy on him, declared him "Majhool" (unknown).
Reference: Bayan al-Wahm wa al-Ilham: 318/3
❀ Imam Musaddad bin Masrahid, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
[حدثت به بيحيى فأنكره]
I narrated this hadith to Yahya bin Saeed Qattan, may Allah have mercy on him, and he declared this hadith rejected.
Reference: Sunan Abi Dawood under the hadith: 132
❀ Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
[إن ابن عيينة زعموا أنه كان ينكره، ويقول: أيش هذا طلحة، عن أبيه، عن جده]
According to the scholars, Sufyan bin Uyaynah, may Allah have mercy on him, used to reject this hadith and said, "What is Talha from his father from his grandfather?"
Reference: Sunan Abi Dawood under the hadith: 132
❀ The chain in Mu'jam Kabir al-Tabarani
Reference: (412)
is also weak.① The details of 'Amr bin Sari bin Masraf are not found.
② Sari bin Masraf is "unknown."
③ It is not known that Sari bin Masraf heard from Ka'b bin 'Amr, may Allah be pleased with him.
❀ Hafiz Ibn al-Qattan al-Fasi, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
[سماعه منه لا يعرف]
It is not known that Sari bin Masraf heard from Ka'b bin 'Amr, may Allah be pleased with him.
Reference: Bayan al-Wahm wal-Iham: 318/3
❀ Abdul Haq al-Ashbili, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
[هذا الإسناد لا أعرفه]
I could not recognize the narrators of this chain.
Reference: Al-Ahkam al-Wusta: 166/1
❀ Regarding this hadith, Hafiz Nawawi, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
[هو حديث ضعيف بالاتفاق]
This hadith is unanimously weak.
Reference: Al-Majmu': 464/1
❀ Hafiz Ibn Qayyim, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
[حديث مسح الرقبة في الوضوء باطل]
The hadith about wiping over the neck in wudu is false.
Reference: Al-Manar al-Munif: p. 120
❀ Hafiz Ibn Milqan, may Allah have mercy on him, has called this hadith "weak."
Reference: Al-Badr al-Munir: 225/2
❀ Hafiz Ibn Hajar, may Allah have mercy on him, has called its chain of narration "weak."
Reference: At-Talkhees Al-Habeer: 288/1, Ad-Diraayah: 20/1
Evidence Number ②
Attributed to Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both:
[إنه كان إذا توضأ مسح عنقه ويقول: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: من توضأ ومسح عنقه لم يغل بالأغلال يوم القيامة]
When you, may Allah be pleased with him, performed ablution, you would wipe over the neck and said that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: Whoever wipes over the neck in ablution, Allah will not place a collar around his neck on the Day of Resurrection.
Reference: Tarikh Asbahan by Abi Na'eem: 78/2
The narration is very weak.
Amr bin Muhammad bin Al-Hasan is "weak and a denier of the hadith," and he is also "often mistaken," perhaps for this reason he used to narrate rejected narrations attributed to trustworthy narrators.
Muhammad bin Amr bin Ubaid Al-Ansari is "weak."
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both, that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
[من توضأ ومسح يديه على عنقه وقي الغل يوم القيامة]
Whoever wipes over the neck in ablution will be saved from having a collar placed around his neck on the Day of Resurrection.
Reference: Al-Imam fi Ma'rifat Ahadith Al-Ahkaam by Ibn Daqeeq Al-Eid: 585/1, At-Talkhees Al-Habeer by Ibn Hajar: 163/1
It is a false narration. The biography of Muslim bin Ziyad Hanafi is not found.
❀ Hafiz Zahbi, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
[أتى بخبر كذب في مسح الرقبة]
Muslim Khafi has narrated a false hadith about wiping over the neck.
Reference: Mizan al-I'tidal: 103/4
❀ Therefore, it was not correct for Abu al-Muhasin Ruyani
Reference: (Bahr al-Madhhab:101/1)
to call it "Sahih."Argument number ③
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Wa'il bin Hujr, may Allah be pleased with him:
[۔۔۔۔۔۔ثم مسح رقبته]
[......The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, wiped over the neck.
Reference: Al-Mu'jam al-Kabir by al-Tabarani: 118
The chain is severely "Da'if" (weak):
① Muhammad bin Hujr bin Abd al-Jabbar is "Da'if and Munqar al-Hadith" (weak and rejecter of the hadith).
② His narrator Umm Yahya is "Majhoola" (unknown).
❀ Allama Ibn Turkmani Hanafi, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
[أم يحيى لم أعرف حالها ولا اسمها]
I could not find the status of Umm Yahya, nor do I know her name.
Reference: Al-Jawhar al-Naqi: 30/2
③ Saeed bin Abd al-Jabbar is "Da'if" (weak).
❀ Hafiz Ibn al-Qattan al-Fasi, may Allah have mercy on him, has declared this hadith "Da'if."
Reference: Bayan al-Wahm wal-Iham: 155/3
Argument number ④
It is attributed to Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
[أمرت بالوضوء، فوضأني جبريل فرض الوضوء، وسننت أنا فيه الإستنجاء والمضمضة والاستنشاق وغسل الأذنين وتخليل اللحية ومسح القفا، وهو أسبغ الوضوء]
I was commanded to perform ablution, so Jibreel demonstrated the duties of ablution, and I included the Sunnahs in ablution: ① Istinja (cleaning the private parts), ② rinsing the mouth, ③ putting water into the nose, ④ washing the ears, ⑤ combing the beard, ⑥ wiping over the cushion. This is the excellence of ablution.
Reference: Al-Kamil by Ibn Adi: 365/1
The narration is false.
① Ibrahim bin Muhammad bin Abi Yahya is "abandoned and a liar."
② The authenticity of Abu Zaid Jarjarai is unknown.
③ It is a transmission of Zahri.
❀ The second method of Al-Kamil by Ibn Adi
Reference: (364/1)
is also weak.① Muslim bin Khalid Zanji is "weak."
❀ Hafiz Haithami, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
[الجمهور ضعفه]
The majority have declared it weak.
Reference: Majma' al-Zawa'id: 45/5
② It is a transmission of Zahri.
Proof number ⑤
Attributed to Musa bin Talha, may Allah have mercy on him:
[من مسح قفاه مع رأسه وقي الغل يوم القيامة]
Whoever wipes over the cushion along with the head will be saved from wearing a collar on the Day of Resurrection.
The chain is weak. Abdulrahman bin Abdullah bin Utbah Masudi is mixed, and it is not established that Ali bin Thabit and Abdulrahman bin Mahdi took narration from him before the mixing.
Reference: Al-Zuhur by Abi Ubaid: 368
❀ This chain is also weak. Mas'udi is mixed, and it is not proven that Hajjaj bin Muhammad A'war narrated from them before the mixing.
Reference: Al-Tahur by Abu Ubaid: 369
❀ Hafiz Ibn Daqiq al-Eid, may Allah have mercy on him (702 AH), states under a hadith:
[هو يقتضي أن مسح السالفة والقذال من تمام مسح الرأس ومنتهاه، فإن كان المراد بهذا الحديث ذلك المعنى لم يدل على استحباب مسح العنق بمفرده]
The requirement of this hadith is that wiping the back part of the head and the nape is actually considered wiping the entire head. If this is the meaning taken from the hadith, then the separate recommendation of wiping the neck is not established.
Reference: Al-Imam fi Ma'rifat Ahadith al-Ahkam: 585/1
❀ Allama Azeem Abadi, may Allah have mercy on him (1329 AH), says:
[الحديث مع ضعفه لا يدل على استحباب مسح الرقبة لأن فيه مسح الرأس من مقدمه إلى مؤخر الرأس أو إلى مؤخر العنق على اختلاف الروايات وهذا ليس فيه كلام إنما الكلام في مسح الرقبة المعتاد بين الناس أنهم يمسحون الرقبة بظهور الأصابع بعد فراغهم عن مسح الرأس وهذه الكيفية لم تثبت في مسح الرقبة لا من الحديث الصحيح ولا من الحسن بل ما روي في مسح الرقبة كلها ضعاف كما صرح به غير واحد من العلماء فلا يجوز الاحتجاج بها]
This hadith, besides being weak, does not indicate the recommendation of wiping over the neck, because it mentions wiping from the initial part of the head to the extreme part or, according to some narrations, to the extreme part of the neck, and there is no disagreement about this. The disagreement is regarding those who, after finishing wiping the head, wipe the neck with the upper sides of the fingers. Wiping the neck in this manner is not established by any hadith, neither by any authentic hadith nor by a good one. Rather, all the narrations about wiping the neck are weak, as many scholars have explicitly stated. Therefore, it is not permissible to take proof from these narrations.
Reference: Aun al-Ma'bood: 152/1
Warning:
❀ Allama Aini Hanafi, may Allah have mercy on him (855 AH), writes:
[أما مسح الرقبة، فلم يرد فيه رواية عن أصحابنا المتقدمين]
There is no narration from our earlier Hanafi jurists regarding wiping over the neck.
Reference: Al-Binayah: 219/1
Some Hanafi scholars have not even mentioned wiping the neck, such as the author of Hidayah and others.
