Verse Six of Surah Five : where Wuzu is mentioned:
VERSE 6
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا قُمْتُمْ إِلَى الصَّلَاةِ فَاغْسِلُوا وُجُوهَكُمْ وَأَيْدِيَكُمْ إِلَى الْمَرَافِقِ وَامْسَحُوا بِرُءُوسِكُمْ وَأَرْجُلَكُمْ إِلَى الْكَعْبَيْنِ ۚ وَإِنْ كُنْتُمْ جُنُبًا فَاطَّهَّرُوا ۚ وَإِنْ كُنْتُمْ مَرْضَىٰ أَوْ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍ أَوْ جَاءَ أَحَدٌ مِنْكُمْ مِنَ الْغَائِطِ أَوْ لَامَسْتُمُ النِّسَاءَ فَلَمْ تَجِدُوا مَاءً فَتَيَمَّمُوا صَعِيدًا طَيِّبًا فَامْسَحُوا بِوُجُوهِكُمْ وَأَيْدِيكُمْ مِنْهُ ۚ مَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيَجْعَلَ عَلَيْكُمْ مِنْ حَرَجٍ وَلَٰكِنْ يُرِيدُ لِيُطَهِّرَكُمْ وَلِيُتِمَّ نِعْمَتَهُ عَلَيْكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ {6}
O you who believe! When you stand to the Salat,
so wash your faces and your hands to the elbows, and wipe your heads and your leg to the ankles; and if you are with sexual impurity then clean yourselves; and if you were sick or upon a journey, or one of you has come from the toilet, or you have touched the women, and you cannot find water, so perform Tayammum with pure soil and wipe your faces and your hands from it. Allah does not Want to Make a difficulty upon you, but He Wants to Clean you and to Complete His Favour upon you, perhaps you would be grateful [5:6]
مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ وَ غَيْرُهُ عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحَكَمِ عَنِ الْهَيْثَمِ بْنِ عُرْوَةَ التَّمِيمِيِّ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ( عليه السلام ) عَنْ قَوْلِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ فَاغْسِلُوا وُجُوهَكُمْ وَ أَيْدِيَكُمْ إِلَى الْمَرافِقِ فَقُلْتُ هَكَذَا وَ مَسَحْتُ مِنْ ظَهْرِ كَفِّي إِلَى الْمِرْفَقِ فَقَالَ لَيْسَ هَكَذَا تَنْزِيلُهَا إِنَّمَا هِيَ فَاغْسِلُوا وُجُوهَكُمْ وَ أَيْدِيَكُمْ مِنَ الْمَرَافِقِ ثُمَّ أَمَرَّ يَدَهُ مِنْ مِرْفَقِهِ إِلَى أَصَابِعِهِ .
Muhammad Bin Al Hassan, and someone else, from Sahl Bin Ziyad, from Ali Bin Al Hakam, from Al Haysam Bin Urwa Al Tameemi who said,
‘I asked Abu Abdullah-asws about the Words of Allah-azwj Mighty and Majestic so wash your faces and your hands to the elbows [5:6]. I said, ‘Like this?’ – and I wiped the back of my palm up to the elbow’. So he-asws said: ‘Not like this. Descend it. But rather, it (the Verse is)
فَاغْسِلُوا وُجُوهَكُمْ وَ أَيْدِيَكُمْ مِنَ الْمَرَافِقِ
wash your faces and your hands ‘مِنَ’ from ‘الْمَرَافِقِ’ the elbows [5:6]’.
ثُمَّ أَمَرَّ يَدَهُ مِنْ مِرْفَقِهِ إِلَى أَصَابِعِهِ
Then he-asws passed his-asws hand from his-asws elbow down to his-asws fingers’.[1]
Appendix: Additional Ahadith on Wuzu
الشيخ: عن المفيد محمد بن محمد بن النعمان، عن أحمد بن محمد بن الحسن- يعني ابن الوليد- عن أبيه، عن محمد بن الحسن الصفار، عن أحمد بن محمد بن عيسى، و عن الحسين بن الحسن بن أبان، عن الحسين بن سعيد، عن ابن أبي عمير، عن ابن أذينة، عن ابن بكير، قال: قلت لأبي عبد الله (عليه السلام): قوله: إِذا قُمْتُمْ إِلَى الصَّلاةِ ما يعني بذلك- إذا قمتم إلى الصلاة؟- قال: «إذا قمتم من النوم». قلت: ينقض النوم الوضوء؟ فقال: «نعم، إذا كان يغلب على السمع، و لا يسمع الصوت».
Al Sheukh (Al Sadouq) from Al Mufeed Muhammad Bin Muhammad Bin Al No’man, from Ahmad Bin Muhammad Bin Al Hassan – meaning Ibn Al Waleed, from his father, from Muhammad Bin Al Hassan Al Saffar, from Ahmad Bin Muhammad Bin Isa, and from Al Husayn Bin Al Hassan Bin Abaan, from Al Husayn Bin Saeed, from Ibn Abu Umeyr, from Ibn Azina, from Ibn Bakeyr who said,
‘I said to Abu Abdullah-asws, ‘(What about) His-azwj Words When you stand to the Salat [5:6] – what is Meant by that – when you stand to the Salat?’ He-asws said: ‘When you rise up from the sleep’. I said, ‘The sleep invalidates the ablution?’ So he-asws said: ‘Yes, when the hearing is overcome, and he does not hear the sound’.[2]
و عنه: عن علي بن إبراهيم، عن أبيه، عن ابن أبي عمير، عن أبي أيوب، عن محمد بن مسلم، عن أبي عبد الله (عليه السلام)، قال: «الأذنان ليسا من الوجه، و لا من الرأس».
And from him, from Ali Bin Ibrahim, from his father, from Ibn Abu Umeyr, from Abu Ayoub, from Muhammad Bin Muslim,
(It has been narrated) from Abu Abdullah-asws having said: ‘The two ears are not from (Part of) the face, nor from (part of) the head’.
قال: و ذكر المسح، فقال: «امسح على مقدم رأسك، و امسح على القدمين و ابدأ بالشق الأيمن».
He (the narrator) said, ‘And I mentioned the wiping, so he-asws said: ‘Wipe on the top of your head, and wipe upon the two feet, and begin with the right’.[3]
و عنه: عن علي بن إبراهيم، عن أبيه، عن ابن أبي عمير، عن حماد بن عثمان، عن الحلبي، عن أبي عبد الله (عليه السلام)، قال: سألته عن قول الله عز و جل: أَوْ لامَسْتُمُ النِّساءَ، قال: «هو الجماع، و لكن الله ستير يحب الستر، فلم يسم كما تسمون».
And from him (Yaqoub Al Kulayni), from Ali Bin Ibrahim, from his father, from ibn Abu Umeyr, from Hamaad Bin Usman, from Al Halby,
(It has been narrated) from Abu Abdullah-asws, said, ‘I asked him-asws about the Words of Allah-azwj Mighty and Majestic or you have touched the women [5:6], he-asws said: ‘It is the copulation, but Allah-azwj is the Concealer. He-azwj Loves the secrecy, so He-azwj did not Name it like what you are naming it as’.[4]
العياشي: عن أبي بكر بن حزم، قال: توضأ رجل، فمسح على خفيه، فدخل المسجد فصلى، فجاء علي (عليه السلام) فوطئ على رقبته فقال: «ويلك، تصلي على غير وضوء؟!» فقال: أمرني عمر بن الخطاب.
Al Ayyashi, from Abu Bakr Bin Hazam who said,
‘A man performed Wudu, so he wiped upon his socks, and he entered the Masjid and Prayed Salat. So Ali-asws came up and held him by the neck and said: ‘Woe be unto you! You are Praying without Wudu?’ So he said, ‘Umar Bin Al-Khattab ordered me such’.
قال: فأخذ بيده، فانتهى به إليه، فقال: «انظر ما يروي هذا عليك» و رفع صوته، فقال: نعم أنا أمرته، إن رسول الله (صلى الله عليه و آله) مسح. قال: «قبل المائدة، أو بعدها؟» قال: لا أدري. قال: «فلم تفتي و أنت لا تدري؟ سبق الكتاب الخفين».
He (the narrator said), ‘So he-asws grabbed him by his hand and ended him up to him and said: ‘Look at what he is reporting against you’ – in a raised voice. So he (Umar) said, ‘Yes, I did order him such. Rasool-Allah-saww wiped (the socks)’. He-asws said: ‘Was that before (Revelation of Surah) Al-Ma’ida or after it?’ He said, ‘I do not know’. He-asws said: ‘So why did you issue a verdict (Fatwa) and you don’t know? (Wiping upon) the two socks was before the (Revelation) of the Book (Surah Al Ma’ida)’.[5]
عن زرارة، قال: سألت أبا جعفر (عليه السلام) عن التيمم، فقال: «إن عمار بن ياسر أتى النبي (صلى الله عليه و آله) فقال: أجنبت و ليس معي ماء. فقال: كيف صنعت يا عمار؟ قال: نزعت ثيابي، ثم تمعكت على الصعيد. فقال: هكذا يصنع الحمار، إنما قال الله: فَامْسَحُوا بِوُجُوهِكُمْ وَ أَيْدِيكُمْ مِنْهُ. ثم وضع يديه جميعا على الصعيد، ثم مسحهما، ثم مسح من بين عينيه إلى أسفل حاجبيه، ثم دلك إحدى يديه بالأخرى على ظهر الكف، بدءا باليمين».
From Zarara who said,
‘I asked Abu Ja’far-asws about the ‘Tayammum’, so he-asws said: ‘Amaar Bin Yaasir came to the Prophet-saww and said, ‘I am with sexual impurity and there is no water with me’. So he-saww said: ‘What did you do, O Amaar?’ He said, ‘I removed my clothes and rolled upon the ground’. So he-saww said: ‘This is what the donkeys do. But rather, Allah-azwj Says and wipe your faces and your hands from it [5:6]’.Then place the whole of your hand upon the dust, then wipe it, then wipe what is in between your eyes up to the bottom of your eyebrows, then wipe one of your hands upon the other to the back of the palm, beginning with the right’.[6]
عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ عُمَرَ بْنِ أُذَيْنَةَ عَنْ زُرَارَةَ وَ بُكَيْرٍ أَنَّهُمَا سَأَلَا أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ ( عليه السلام ) عَنْ وُضُوءِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ( صلى الله عليه وآله ) فَدَعَا بِطَسْتٍ أَوْ تَوْرٍ فِيهِ مَاءٌ فَغَمَسَ يَدَهُ الْيُمْنَى فَغَرَفَ بِهَا غُرْفَةً فَصَبَّهَا عَلَى وَجْهِهِ فَغَسَلَ بِهَا وَجْهَهُ ثُمَّ غَمَسَ كَفَّهُ الْيُسْرَى فَغَرَفَ بِهَا غُرْفَةً فَأَفْرَغَ عَلَى ذِرَاعِهِ الْيُمْنَى فَغَسَلَ بِهَا ذِرَاعَهُ مِنَ الْمِرْفَقِ إِلَى الْكَفِّ لَا يَرُدُّهَا إِلَى الْمِرْفَقِ ثُمَّ غَمَسَ كَفَّهُ الْيُمْنَى فَأَفْرَغَ بِهَا عَلَى ذِرَاعِهِ الْيُسْرَى مِنَ الْمِرْفَقِ وَ صَنَعَ بِهَا مِثْلَ مَا صَنَعَ بِالْيُمْنَى ثُمَّ مَسَحَ رَأْسَهُ وَ قَدَمَيْهِ بِبَلَلِ كَفِّهِ لَمْ يُحْدِثْ لَهُمَا مَاءً جَدِيداً
Ali Bin Ibrahim, from his father, from Ibn Abu Umeyr, from Umar Bin Azina, from Zurara and Bukeyr,
(It has been narrated) both having asked Abu Ja’far-asws about the Wudu of Rasool-Allah-saww. So he-asws called for a tray, or bucket wherein was water. So he-asws immersed his-asws right hand in it and scooped with it a scoop (of water) and poured it upon his-asws face, and he-asws washed his-asws face with it. Then he-asws immersed his-asws left palm and scooped with it a scoop (of water) and emptied it upon the right arm, washing his-asws arm from the elbow up to the wrist, nor returning it back to the elbow (one-way motion). Then he-asws immersed his-asws right hand and emptied with it upon his-asws left arm from the elbow, and did with it similar to what he-asws did with the right hand. Then he-asws wiped his-asws heard and his-asws feet with the remnant of (the water in) his-asws palm, nor renewing for these both, the new water’.
ثُمَّ قَالَ وَ لَا يُدْخِلُ أَصَابِعَهُ تَحْتَ الشِّرَاكِ قَالَ ثُمَّ قَالَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ يَقُولُ يا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذا قُمْتُمْ إِلَى الصَّلاةِ فَاغْسِلُوا وُجُوهَكُمْ وَ أَيْدِيَكُمْ فَلَيْسَ لَهُ أَنْ يَدَعَ شَيْئاً مِنْ وَجْهِهِ إِلَّا غَسَلَهُ وَ أَمَرَ بِغَسْلِ الْيَدَيْنِ إِلَى الْمِرْفَقَيْنِ فَلَيْسَ لَهُ أَنْ يَدَعَ شَيْئاً مِنْ يَدَيْهِ إِلَى الْمِرْفَقَيْنِ إِلَّا غَسَلَهُ لِأَنَّ اللَّهَ يَقُولُ فَاغْسِلُوا وُجُوهَكُمْ وَ أَيْدِيَكُمْ إِلَى الْمَرافِقِ
Then he (the narrator) said: ‘And he-asws did not enter his-asws fingers underneath the slipper-straps. Then he-asws said: ‘Allah-azwj Mighty and Majestic is Saying O you who believe! When you stand to the Salat, so wash your faces and your hands [5:6], therefore it is not for him that he should leave anything from his face except that he washes it, and Commanded with the washing of the hands up to the elbow, therefore it is not for him that he leaves anything from his hands up to the two elbows except that he washes it because Allah-azwj is Saying so wash your faces and your hands to the elbows [5:6].
ثُمَّ قَالَ وَ امْسَحُوا بِرُؤُسِكُمْ وَ أَرْجُلَكُمْ إِلَى الْكَعْبَيْنِ فَإِذَا مَسَحَ بِشَيْءٍ مِنْ رَأْسِهِ أَوْ بِشَيْءٍ مِنْ قَدَمَيْهِ مَا بَيْنَ الْكَعْبَيْنِ إِلَى أَطْرَافِ الْأَصَابِعِ فَقَدْ أَجْزَأَهُ
Then He-azwj Said and wipe your heads and your leg to the ankles [5:6]. Thus if he were to wipe with something from his head, or with something from his feet what is between the two ankles up to the sides of the toes, so it would suffice him’.
قَالَ فَقُلْنَا أَيْنَ الْكَعْبَانِ قَالَ هَاهُنَا يَعْنِي الْمَفْصِلَ دُونَ عَظْمِ السَّاقِ فَقُلْنَا هَذَا مَا هُوَ فَقَالَ هَذَا مِنْ عَظْمِ السَّاقِ وَ الْكَعْبُ أَسْفَلُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ فَقُلْنَا أَصْلَحَكَ اللَّهُ فَالْغُرْفَةُ الْوَاحِدَةُ تُجْزِئُ لِلْوَجْهِ وَ غُرْفَةٌ لِلذِّرَاعِ قَالَ نَعَمْ إِذَا بَالَغْتَ فِيهَا وَ الثِّنْتَانِ تَأْتِيَانِ عَلَى ذَلِكَ كُلِّهِ .
He (the narrator) said: ‘We said, ‘Where are the two ankles?’ He-asws said: ‘Over here, meaning the joint bellowed the bones of the leg’. So we said, ‘This, what is it (exactly)?’ So he-asws said: ‘This is from the bone of the leg, and the ankle is below from that’. So we said, ‘May Allah-azwj Keep you-asws well! So the one scoop (of water) would suffice for the face, and a scoop (each) for the arms?’ He-asws said: ‘Yes, when you exceed in it, and the two (is the most which would) would both come to be upon that, all of it’.[7]
مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ وَ غَيْرُهُ عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحَكَمِ عَنِ الْهَيْثَمِ بْنِ عُرْوَةَ التَّمِيمِيِّ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ( عليه السلام ) عَنْ قَوْلِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ فَاغْسِلُوا وُجُوهَكُمْ وَ أَيْدِيَكُمْ إِلَى الْمَرافِقِ فَقُلْتُ هَكَذَا وَ مَسَحْتُ مِنْ ظَهْرِ كَفِّي إِلَى الْمِرْفَقِ فَقَالَ لَيْسَ هَكَذَا تَنْزِيلُهَا إِنَّمَا هِيَ فَاغْسِلُوا وُجُوهَكُمْ وَ أَيْدِيَكُمْ مِنَ الْمَرَافِقِ ثُمَّ أَمَرَّ يَدَهُ مِنْ مِرْفَقِهِ إِلَى أَصَابِعِهِ .
Muhammad Bin Al Hassan, and someone else, from Sahl Bin Ziyad, from Ali Bin Al Hakam, from Al Haysam Bin Urwa Al Tameemi who said,
‘I asked Abu Abdullah-asws about the Words of Allah-azwj Mighty and Majestic so wash your faces and your hands to the elbows [5:6]. I said, ‘Like this?’ – and I wiped the back of my palm up to the elbow’. So he-asws said: ‘Not like this. Descend it. But rather, it (the Verse is) wash your faces and your hands from the elbows [5:6]’. Then he-asws passed his-asws hand from his-asws elbow down to his-asws fingers’.[8]
عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ وَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ عَنِ الْفَضْلِ بْنِ شَاذَانَ جَمِيعاً عَنْ حَمَّادِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ حَرِيزٍ عَنْ زُرَارَةَ قَالَ قُلْتُ لِأَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ( عليه السلام ) أَ لَا تُخْبِرُنِي مِنْ أَيْنَ عَلِمْتَ وَ قُلْتَ إِنَّ الْمَسْحَ بِبَعْضِ الرَّأْسِ وَ بَعْضِ الرِّجْلَيْنِ فَضَحِكَ ثُمَّ قَالَ يَا زُرَارَةُ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ( صلى الله عليه وآله ) وَ نَزَلَ بِهِ الْكِتَابُ مِنَ اللَّهِ لِأَنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ يَقُولُ فَاغْسِلُوا وُجُوهَكُمْ فَعَرَفْنَا أَنَّ الْوَجْهَ كُلَّهُ يَنْبَغِي أَنْ يُغْسَلَ ثُمَّ قَالَ وَ أَيْدِيَكُمْ إِلَى الْمَرافِقِ
Ali Bin Ibrahim, from his father and Muhammad Bin Ismail, from Al Fazl Bin Shazaan, altogether from Hammad Bin Isa, from Hareyz, from Zurara who said,
‘I said to Abu Ja’far-asws, ‘Can you-asws inform me from where do you-asws know and say that the wiping is with part of the head and part of the two legs?’ So he-asws smiled and said: ‘O Zurara! Rasool-Allah-saww said so and the Book was Revealed with it from Allah-azwj, because Allah-azwj Mighty and Majestic is Saying so wash your faces [5:6], thus we recognise that the face, all of it, it is befitting that one washes it. Then He-azwj Said and your hands to the elbows [5:6].
ثُمَّ فَصَّلَ بَيْنَ الْكَلَامِ فَقَالَ وَ امْسَحُوا بِرُؤُسِكُمْ فَعَرَفْنَا حِينَ قَالَ بِرُؤُسِكُمْ أَنَّ الْمَسْحَ بِبَعْضِ الرَّأْسِ لِمَكَانِ الْبَاءِ ثُمَّ وَصَلَ الرِّجْلَيْنِ بِالرَّأْسِ كَمَا وَصَلَ الْيَدَيْنِ بِالْوَجْهِ فَقَالَ وَ أَرْجُلَكُمْ إِلَى الْكَعْبَيْنِ فَعَرَفْنَا حِينَ وَصَلَهَا بِالرَّأْسِ أَنَّ الْمَسْحَ عَلَى بَعْضِهَا
Then He-azwj Detailed between the Speech, so He-azwj Said and wipe your heads. So we recognise where He-azwj Said your heads that the wiping is with part of the head and your legs to the ankles due to the placing of the (letter) ‘Ba’. Then He-azwj Linked the two feet with the head just as He-azwj Linked the two hands with the face, so He-azwj Said and your legs to the ankles. Thus, we recognise where He-azwj Linked it with the heat that the wiping is upon part of it.
ثُمَّ فَسَّرَ ذَلِكَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ( صلى الله عليه وآله ) لِلنَّاسِ فَضَيَّعُوهُ ثُمَّ قَالَ فَلَمْ تَجِدُوا ماءً فَتَيَمَّمُوا صَعِيداً طَيِّباً فَامْسَحُوا بِوُجُوهِكُمْ وَ أَيْدِيكُمْ مِنْهُ فَلَمَّا وَضَعَ الْوُضُوءَ إِنْ لَمْ تَجِدُوا الْمَاءَ أَثْبَتَ بَعْضَ الْغَسْلِ مَسْحاً لِأَنَّهُ قَالَ بِوُجُوهِكُمْ ثُمَّ وَصَلَ بِهَا وَ أَيْدِيَكُمْ ثُمَّ قَالَ مِنْهُ أَيْ مِنْ ذَلِكَ التَّيَمُّمِ لِأَنَّهُ عَلِمَ أَنَّ ذَلِكَ أَجْمَعَ لَمْ يَجْرِ عَلَى الْوَجْهِ لِأَنَّهُ يُعَلَّقُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ الصَّعِيدِ بِبَعْضِ الْكَفِّ وَ لَا يَعْلَقُ بِبَعْضِهَا ثُمَّ قَالَ ما يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيَجْعَلَ عَلَيْكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ مِنْ حَرَجٍ وَ الْحَرَجُ الضِّيقُ .
Then Rasool-Allah-saww interpreted it for the people, by they wasted it. Then He-azwj Said and you cannot find water, so perform Tayammum with pure soil and wipe your faces and your hands from it [5:6]. So when you perform the Wudu and if you do not find the water, part of the washing is affirmed by the wiping, because He-azwj Said wipe your faces, the Linked with it and your hands. Then He-saww Said from it, i.e. from that Tayammum, because He-azwj Knew that that is not the entirety of the face because He-azwj Attached the dust from that with part of the palm, and He-azwj did not Attach with part of it. Then He-azwj Said Allah does not Want to Make a difficulty upon you in the Religion, and the difficulty, it is the adversity’.[9]
[1] Al Kafi – V 3 – The Book of Cleanliness Ch 18 H 5
[2] التهذيب 1: 7/ 9
[3] الكافي 3: 29/ 2
[4] الكافي 5: 555/ 5
[5] تفسير العياشي 1: 297/ 46.
[6] تفسير العيّاشي 1: 302/ 63
[7] Al Kafi – V 3 – The Book of Cleanliness Ch 17 H 5
[8] Al Kafi – V 3 – The Book of Cleanliness Ch 18 H 5
[9] Al Kafi – V 3 – The Book of Cleanliness Ch 19 H 4