Al-Kafi · Hadith 4

The Book of Taharat (Cleansing) · Wiping of Head and Feet · Volume 3, book 1, chapter 19, Hadith 4

Original Arabic text

4ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ عَنِ الْفَضْلِ بْنِ شَاذَانَ جَمِيعاً عَنْ حَمَّادِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ حَرِيزٍ عَنْ زُرَارَةَ قَالَ قُلْتُ لأَبِي جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلام) أَ لاَ تُخْبِرُنِي مِنْ أَيْنَ عَلِمْتَ وَقُلْتَ إِنَّ الْمَسْحَ بِبَعْضِ الرَّأْسِ وَبَعْضِ الرِّجْلَيْنِ فَضَحِكَ ثُمَّ قَالَ يَا زُرَارَةُ قَالَ رَسُولُ الله (صلّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) وَنَزَلَ بِهِ الْكِتَابُ مِنَ الله لأَنَّ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ يَقُولُ فَاغْسِلُوا وُجُوهَكُمْ فَعَرَفْنَا أَنَّ الْوَجْهَ كُلَّهُ يَنْبَغِي أَنْ يُغْسَلَ ثُمَّ قَالَ وَأَيْدِيَكُمْ إِلَى الْمَرافِقِ ثُمَّ فَصَّلَ بَيْنَ الْكَلاَمِ فَقَالَ وَامْسَحُوا بِرُؤُسِكُمْ فَعَرَفْنَا حِينَ قَالَ بِرُؤُسِكُمْ أَنَّ الْمَسْحَ بِبَعْضِ الرَّأْسِ لِمَكَانِ الْبَاءِ ثُمَّ وَصَلَ الرِّجْلَيْنِ بِالرَّأْسِ كَمَا وَصَلَ الْيَدَيْنِ بِالْوَجْهِ فَقَالَ وَأَرْجُلَكُمْ إِلَى الْكَعْبَيْنِ فَعَرَفْنَا حِينَ وَصَلَهَا بِالرَّأْسِ أَنَّ الْمَسْحَ عَلَى بَعْضِهَا ثُمَّ فَسَّرَ ذَلِكَ رَسُولُ الله (صلّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) لِلنَّاسِ فَضَيَّعُوهُ ثُمَّ قَالَ فَلَمْ تَجِدُوا ماءً فَتَيَمَّمُوا صَعِيداً طَيِّباً فَامْسَحُوا بِوُجُوهِكُمْ وَأَيْدِيكُمْ مِنْهُ فَلَمَّا وَضَعَ الْوُضُوءَ إِنْ لَمْ تَجِدُوا الْمَاءَ أَثْبَتَ بَعْضَ الْغَسْلِ مَسْحاً لأَنَّهُ قَالَ بِوُجُوهِكُمْ ثُمَّ وَصَلَ بِهَا وَأَيْدِيَكُمْ ثُمَّ قَالَ مِنْهُ أَيْ مِنْ ذَلِكَ التَّيَمُّمِ لأَنَّهُ عَلِمَ أَنَّ ذَلِكَ أَجْمَعَ لَمْ يَجْرِ عَلَى الْوَجْهِ لأَنَّهُ يُعَلَّقُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ الصَّعِيدِ بِبَعْضِ الْكَفِّ وَلاَ يَعْلَقُ بِبَعْضِهَا ثُمَّ قَالَ ما يُرِيدُ الله لِيَجْعَلَ عَلَيْكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ مِنْ حَرَجٍ وَالْحَرَجُ الضِّيقُ.

Published English translation

4. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father and Muhammad ibn ’Isma‘il from al-Fadl ibn Shadhan all from Hammad ibn ‘Isa from Hariz from Zurarah who has said the following: “I once said to abu Ja’far (a.s.), ’Please teach me on what basis you say that wiping is only on certain portions of the head and feet.’ He (the Imam) smiled and then said, ‘O Zurarah, the Messenger of Allah has said so and the book from Allah is revealed about it. It is because Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, says, “Wash your faces.” From this we learn that one must wash the whole face. He (Allah) then has said, “And (wash) your hands upto (from) the elbows.” He (Allah) then has placed a disjointing in the statement saying, “You must wipe with.of your heads.” From His saying, “With/of your heads” we learn that wiping is only for a portion of the head because of His use of (Arabic letter) al-Ba’ (which means, “with” or “of”). He then has joined (the case of) the feet with that of the head. He has joined the rule of hands with the face, saying, “. . . and your feet up to the ankles” from which we learn that since He has joined it (wiping of feet) with the case of the head, wiping (of the feet) is also for certain portions of it. The Messenger of Allah explained it to people but they lost it. He (Allah) then says, “If you cannot find water, take a Tayammum with clean soil. Wipe your faces and hands therewith.” (5:6) Since He (Allah) has set aside Wudu’ in case you cannot find water He has established wiping (of face partially) as substitute for washing. He has said, “Wipe with/of your faces” and then has joined it with the expression, “and (wipe) your hands” and thereafter has said, “therewith” that is the soil. It is because He (Allah) knows that all of it (soil) does not go to the face. Some of the soil remains attached to certain parts of the palm and not to the other parts. He (Allah) then says, “Allah does not want to sanction in religion such matters that cause you hardships.” Hardships are difficulties.’”

Narrator and transmission

See the transmission information preserved in the original source text.

Attributed scholarly assessments

Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi: كالصحيح

Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (13/96)

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. 186, 187

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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translator: Muhammad Sarwar
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