Written by: Sheikh Mubashir Ahmad Rabbani (may Allah protect him)
Question:
Is it obligatory to wash the feet during wudu (ablution) or can one wipe over them? Does the verse from Surah Al-Ma'idah (5:6) indicate wiping over the feet? Please provide guidance based on the Qur'an and Hadith.
Answer:
Both the Qur'an and the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) clearly instruct washing the feet during wudu. In Surah Al-Ma'idah, verse 6, the command for wudu is given, and its correct translation is as follows:
"O you who believe! When you rise to perform the prayer, wash your faces and your hands up to the elbows, wipe over your heads, and wash your feet up to the ankles."
[Surah Al-Ma'idah, 5:6]
It is important to note that in this verse, two actions are prescribed: washing and wiping. The body parts that are to be washed have a fathah (zabar) on the last letter, such as وجوهكم (your faces), ايديكم (your hands), and ارجلَكم (your feet). The part to be wiped (the head) has a kasrah (zeer), as seen in بِرُؤُوسِكُم (your heads).
In the mutawatir (well-established) recitation of the Qur'an and in all printed copies, the word ارجلَكم (your feet) has a fathah (zabar) on the letter "لام" (lam), indicating that the feet are to be washed and not wiped. This is further supported by the practice of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his companions.
In a Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim narration, the Prophet (peace be upon him) once saw some companions performing wudu and noticed that their heels were dry. He then raised his voice and said twice or thrice:
"Woe to the heels from the fire, so complete your wudu properly."
[Sahih Muslim, Book of Purification, Chapter on the Obligation of Washing the Heels (Hadith: 241); Sahih Bukhari, Book of Ablution, Chapter on Washing the Feet (Hadith: 163)]
This clearly emphasizes that the feet must be thoroughly washed during wudu, ensuring that no part remains dry.
Thus, the correct understanding based on the Qur'an and the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him) is that washing the feet during wudu is obligatory.
Question:
Is it obligatory to wash the feet during wudu (ablution) or can one wipe over them? Does the verse from Surah Al-Ma'idah (5:6) indicate wiping over the feet? Please provide guidance based on the Qur'an and Hadith.
Answer:
Both the Qur'an and the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) clearly instruct washing the feet during wudu. In Surah Al-Ma'idah, verse 6, the command for wudu is given, and its correct translation is as follows:
"O you who believe! When you rise to perform the prayer, wash your faces and your hands up to the elbows, wipe over your heads, and wash your feet up to the ankles."
[Surah Al-Ma'idah, 5:6]
It is important to note that in this verse, two actions are prescribed: washing and wiping. The body parts that are to be washed have a fathah (zabar) on the last letter, such as وجوهكم (your faces), ايديكم (your hands), and ارجلَكم (your feet). The part to be wiped (the head) has a kasrah (zeer), as seen in بِرُؤُوسِكُم (your heads).
In the mutawatir (well-established) recitation of the Qur'an and in all printed copies, the word ارجلَكم (your feet) has a fathah (zabar) on the letter "لام" (lam), indicating that the feet are to be washed and not wiped. This is further supported by the practice of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his companions.
In a Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim narration, the Prophet (peace be upon him) once saw some companions performing wudu and noticed that their heels were dry. He then raised his voice and said twice or thrice:
"Woe to the heels from the fire, so complete your wudu properly."
[Sahih Muslim, Book of Purification, Chapter on the Obligation of Washing the Heels (Hadith: 241); Sahih Bukhari, Book of Ablution, Chapter on Washing the Feet (Hadith: 163)]
This clearly emphasizes that the feet must be thoroughly washed during wudu, ensuring that no part remains dry.
Thus, the correct understanding based on the Qur'an and the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him) is that washing the feet during wudu is obligatory.