Al-Kafi · Hadith 5

The Book of Taharat (Cleansing) · Description of Wudu’ · Volume 3, book 1, chapter 17, Hadith 5

Original Arabic text

5ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ عُمَرَ بْنِ أُذَيْنَةَ عَنْ زُرَارَةَ وَ بُكَيْرٍ أَنَّهُمَا سَأَلاَ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلام) عَنْ وُضُوءِ رَسُولِ الله (صلّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) 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 لاَ يَرُدُّهَا إِلَى الْمِرْفَقِ ثُمَّ غَمَسَ كَفَّهُ الْيُمْنَى فَأَفْرَغَ بِهَا عَلَى ذِرَاعِهِ الْيُسْرَى مِنَ الْمِرْفَقِ وَصَنَعَ بِهَا مِثْلَ مَا صَنَعَ بِالْيُمْنَى ثُمَّ مَسَحَ رَأْسَهُ وَقَدَمَيْهِ بِبَلَلِ كَفِّهِ لَمْ يُحْدِثْ لَهُمَا مَاءً جَدِيداً ثُمَّ قَالَ وَلاَ يُدْخِلُ أَصَابِعَهُ تَحْتَ الشِّرَاكِ قَالَ ثُمَّ قَالَ إِنَّ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ يَقُولُ يا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذا قُمْتُمْ إِلَى الصَّلاةِ فَاغْسِلُوا وُجُوهَكُمْ وَأَيْدِيَكُمْ فَلَيْسَ لَهُ أَنْ يَدَعَ شَيْئاً مِنْ وَجْهِهِ إِلاَّ غَسَلَهُ وَأَمَرَ بِغَسْلِ الْيَدَيْنِ إِلَى الْمِرْفَقَيْنِ فَلَيْسَ لَهُ أَنْ يَدَعَ شَيْئاً مِنْ يَدَيْهِ إِلَى الْمِرْفَقَيْنِ إِلاَّ غَسَلَهُ لأَنَّ الله يَقُولُ فَاغْسِلُوا وُجُوهَكُمْ وَأَيْدِيَكُمْ إِلَى الْمَرافِقِ ثُمَّ قَالَ وَامْسَحُوا بِرُؤُسِكُمْ وَأَرْجُلَكُمْ إِلَى الْكَعْبَيْنِ فَإِذَا مَسَحَ بِشَيْ‏ءٍ مِنْ رَأْسِهِ أَوْ بِشَيْ‏ءٍ مِنْ قَدَمَيْهِ مَا بَيْنَ الْكَعْبَيْنِ إِلَى أَطْرَافِ الأصَابِعِ فَقَدْ أَجْزَأَهُ قَالَ فَقُلْنَا أَيْنَ الْكَعْبَانِ قَالَ هَاهُنَا يَعْنِي الْمَفْصِلَ دُونَ عَظْمِ السَّاقِ فَقُلْنَا هَذَا مَا هُوَ فَقَالَ هَذَا مِنْ عَظْمِ السَّاقِ وَالْكَعْبُ أَسْفَلُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ فَقُلْنَا أَصْلَحَكَ الله فَالْغُرْفَةُ الْوَاحِدَةُ تُجْزِئُ لِلْوَجْهِ وَغُرْفَةٌ لِلذِّرَاعِ قَالَ نَعَمْ إِذَا بَالَغْتَ فِيهَا وَالثِّنْتَانِ تَأْتِيَانِ عَلَى ذَلِكَ كُلِّهِ.

Published English translation

5. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from ‘Umar ibn ’Udhaynah from Zurarah from and Bukayr who have said the following: “Once we asked abu Ja‘far (a.s.), about the manner the Messenger of Allah would take Wudu’ He (the Imam) then asked for a washbasin or a pail with some water in it. He then immersed his right hand in it, took some water in the palm of his hand and poured it on his face. He washed his face with it. He then immersed his left hand in the water and took some water, which he poured on his right forearm, washed therewith his right hand from his elbow to his palm and did not rub it backward to his elbow. He then immersed the palm of his right hand in the water, poured water over his left forearm from the elbow and worked with it as he did with his right hand. He then wiped his head and his feet with moisture in his palm. He did not take new water in his hands. He did not push his hand under his shoelace. He then said, ‘Allah, the most Majestic, most Glorious, says, “Believers, when you rise for Salah (prayer) wash your faces and hands.” He must not have left any part of his face without being washed. He commanded him to wash his hands upto (from) the elbows. He must not have left his hands without being washed upto (from) the elbows. It is because Allah says, “Wash your faces and hands upto (from) the elbows.” He (Allah) then says, “Wipe your heads and feet up to your ankles.” If one wipes a part of his head and a part of the backs of his feet between his ankles, it is sufficient.’ We then asked, ‘What part of the feet is between ankles to the ends of fingers?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘It is here, the joint below the bones of the leg.’ We then asked, ‘What exactly is this?’

Narrator and transmission

See the transmission information preserved in the original source text.

Attributed scholarly assessments

Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi: حسن

Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (13/76)

Assessment transcribed from the source's named scholar and reference. No new grading or consensus is asserted; differing entries remain separate.

Shaykh Baqir al-Behbudi: صحيح

Ṣaḥīḥ al-Kāfī, vol. 1, pp. 183, 184

Assessment transcribed from the source's named scholar and reference. No new grading or consensus is asserted; differing entries remain separate.

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