↑[1] . For example, al-Razi (d. 606 AH) has said in his Tafsir (vol. 11, p. 305): “The argument of the group who believe that wiping is obligatory is based on two famous recitations of ﴿وَأَرْجُلَكُمْ﴾; ‘and your feet’ in the words of Allah, in this way that ibn Kathir, Hamza, Abu Amr, and Asim in the narration of Abu Bakr from him have recited as genitive (Arjulikum), and Nafi‘, ibn Amir, and Asim in the narration of Hafs from him have recited as accusative (Arjulakum), so we say: Reciting ﴿وَأَرْجُلَكُمْ﴾ as genitive requires that the feet be in coordinated conjunction with the heads, so just as wiping is obligatory regarding the head, it becomes obligatory regarding the feet as well. But if it is said: ‘Why is it not permissible to say that reciting it as genitive is because of its nearness to the previous word, like the phrase «جُحْرَ ضَبٍّ خَرِبٍ»; “Destroyed nest of lizard” and the phrase «كَبِيرُ أُنَاسٍ فِي بِجَادٍ مُزَمَّلٍ»; “The elder of people, wrapped in garments?”’ We say: This is invalid for several reasons: firstly, making as genitive because of nearness may occur in rare cases in the tune due to poetic necessity, and it is obligatory that the words of Allah be free from it. Secondly, making as genitive is done when we are immune to mistakes; as in the phrase «جُحْرَ ضَبٍّ خَرِبٍ», it is necessarily known that «خرب»; ‘destroyed’ is not the adjective for «ضب»; ‘lizard’, but rather the adjective for «جحر»; ‘nest’, but we are not immune to mistakes regarding this verse. Thirdly, making as genitive takes place without conjunctions, and no Arab has ever spoken with conjunctions in this manner. But for reciting as accusative, they say it necessitates wiping as well, because ﴿رُءُوسِكُمْ﴾; ‘your heads’ in the words of Allah ﴿وَامْسَحُوا بِرُءُوسِكُمْ﴾; ‘and wipe your heads’ is in the position of accusative, but it has been made as genitive because of letter «ب» (before it). So if you consider «أرجل»; ‘feet’ in conjunction with «رءوس»; ‘heads’, it can be recited as accusative due to the position of «رءوس», and it can be recited as genitive due to the appearance of «رءوس». This is the well-known opinion of the grammarians. Accordingly, we say: It was made clear that the reason for accusative in ﴿وَأَرْجُلَكُمْ﴾ could have been ﴿وَامْسَحُوا﴾ and also could have been ﴿فَاغْسِلُوا﴾, but when two reasons meet in the same thing that they can apply to, the application of the closer reason gets priority, and this necessitates that the reason for accusative in ﴿وَأَرْجُلَكُمْ﴾ would be ﴿وَامْسَحُوا﴾. So it is proved that reciting ﴿وَأَرْجُلَكُمْ﴾ as accusative leads to the obligation of wiping as well. In this way, this verse is cited for the obligation of wiping. Then they say: ‘It is not permissible to reject this view with narrations, because they are all solitary reports, and it is not permissible to abrogate the Quran by solitary reports.’”

↑[2] . This statement has been narrated from the Ahl al-Bayt, a group of the Sahabah, and the Tabi‘un; as it has been narrated from Ali and Anas that they said: «نَزَلَ الْكِتَابُ بِالْمَسْحِ، وَالسُّنَّةُ الْغَسْلُ» (Ma‘ani al-Quran by al-Farra’, vol. 1, p. 302; Tafsir of al-Tabari, vol. 10, p. 58); “The Book was sent down with wiping, and the Sunnah is washing,” and it has been narrated from ibn Umar that he said: «نَزَلَ جِبْرِيلُ بِالْمَسْحِ، وَسَنَّ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ غَسْلَ الْقَدَمَيْنِ» (Al-Awsat Fi al-Sunan Wa al-Ijma‘ Wa al-Ikhtilaf by ibn al-Mundhir, vol. 1, p. 414); “Jibreel descended with wiping, and the Prophet made it Sunnah to wash the feet,” and it has been narrated from Ali ibn Musa al-Rida who said: “The obligation in the Book of Allah is wiping, and washing in wudu is for cleaning” (Tahdhib al-Ahkam by al-Tusi; vol. 1, p. 64), and the evidence for the fact that the Prophet did not keep on washing his feet is the saying from Ali that was mentioned earlier: «رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَمْسَحُ ظَاهِرَهُمَا»; “I saw the Messenger of Allah wipe the top of the feet,” and what has been narrated from Uthman «أَنَّهُ دَعَا بِمَاءٍ، فَمَضْمَضَ، وَاسْتَنْشَقَ، ثُمَّ غَسَلَ وَجْهَهُ ثَلَاثًا، وَيَدَيْهِ ثَلَاثًا ثَلَاثًا، ثُمَّ مَسَحَ بِرَأْسِهِ وَظَهْرِ قَدَمَيْهِ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ هَكَذَا يَتَوَضَّأُ، يَا هَؤُلَاءِ! أَكَذَاكَ؟ قَالُوا: نَعَمْ، لِنَفَرٍ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ عِنْدَهُ» (Musannaf of ibn Abi Shaybah, vol. 1, p. 16; Musnad of Ahmad, vol. 1, p. 523); “that he asked for water, then he rinsed his mouth and nose, then he washed his face three times and each of his hands three times, then he wiped his head and the top of his feet, then he said: ‘I saw the Messenger of Allah perform wudu like this. O you who are present! Is that so?’ They said: ‘Yes’; and some of the Sahabah of the Messenger of Allah were beside him,” and what has been narrated from Abu Malik al-Ash‘ari who said to his companions: «اجْتَمِعُوا أُصَلِّي بِكُمْ صَلَاةَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ، فَلَمَّا اجْتَمَعُوا دَعَا بِجَفْنَةٍ فِيهَا مَاءٌ، فَتَوَضَّأَ وَمَضْمَضَ وَاسْتَنْشَقَ، وَغَسَلَ وَجْهَهُ ثَلَاثًا وَذِرَاعَيْهِ ثَلَاثًا ثَلَاثًا، وَمَسَحَ بِرَأْسِهِ وَظَهْرَ قَدَمَيْهِ، ثُمَّ صَلَّى بِهِمْ» (Musnad of Ahmad, vol. 37, p. 533); “Come together so that I will perform prayer for you like the prayer of the Messenger of Allah . So when they came together, he asked for a bowl of water, then he performed wudu and rinsed his mouth and nose, washed his face three times and each of his hands three times, wiped his head and the top of his feet, and then performed prayer with them,” and what Abdullah ibn Zayd has narrated «أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ تَوَضَّأَ، فَغَسَلَ وَجْهَهُ ثَلَاثًا، وَيَدَيْهِ مَرَّتَيْنِ، وَمَسَحَ بِرَأْسِهِ وَرِجْلَيْهِ مَرَّتَيْنِ» (Musannaf of ibn Abi Shaybah, vol. 1, p. 16); “that The Prophet performed wudu, so he washed his face three times and his hands two times and wiped his head and his feet two times” and what Abbad ibn Tamim has narrated from him «أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ تَوَضَّأَ وَمَسَحَ عَلَى الْقَدَمَيْنِ، وَأَنَّ عُرْوَةَ كَانَ يَفْعَلُ ذَلِكَ» (Sharh Ma‘ani al-Athar by al-Tahawi, vol. 1, p. 35); “that the Prophet performed wudu and wiped the top of feet, and that Urwah also would do this,” and the well-known narration from the Prophet with an authentic chain of narrators that he said to a person who was not performing prayer correctly: «إِنَّهَا لَا تَتِمُّ صَلَاةُ أَحَدِكُمْ حَتَّى يُسْبِغَ الْوُضُوءَ كَمَا أَمَرَهُ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ، فَيَغْسِلُ وَجْهَهُ وَيَدَيْهِ إِلَى الْمِرْفَقَيْنِ، وَيَمْسَحُ بِرَأْسِهِ وَرِجْلَيْهِ إِلَى الْكَعْبَيْنِ» (Musnad of al-Darimi, vol. 2, p. 839; Sunan of ibn Majah, vol. 1, p. 156; Sunan of Abi Dawud, vol.1, p. 227); “The prayer of any of you is not complete unless he perfects wudu as commanded by Allah the Exalted, the Majestic, so he shall wash his face and hands up to two elbows and wipe his head and feet up to the ankles.”

↑[3] . Al-Hajj/ 41

↑[4] . An-Nisa/ 102