hair is not an end in itself, such that it could be said: when one of the two means is impossible, the other is prescribed instead. For the purpose of passing a razor over the head is to remove the hair, and this person has no hair.

A similar example is the view of those who say that a person who is unable to speak must recite al-Fatihah by moving his tongue and lips, even though he has no voice. (1) This is of no benefit, because moving the tongue and lips serves to produce speech and recitation; if that is impossible, then moving them is futile.

And the fingers, …

His statement, “And the fingers,” means that among the sunnahs of ablution is to pass the fingers between the fingers and toes. This is more emphatically recommended for the toes for two reasons:

First: the toes are close together.

Second: the feet come into contact with filth, so this is more emphatically recommended for them than for the hands.

To pass the fingers between the fingers of the hands is to interlace them. As for the feet, they said that one should pass the little finger of his left hand between the toes, beginning with the little toe of his right foot and proceeding from below up to the big toe. Then he does the left foot, beginning with the big toe, in order to begin with the right side; for the right side of the right foot is the little toe, while the right side of the left foot is the big toe. This is done with the little finger of the left hand in order to minimize contact with filth, since the left hand is the one used for such matters. (2)

Some scholars considered this good, but to claim that it is part of the sunnah, when no report concerning it has come from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, is open to question. Thus, it should be said: this is an opinion deemed good by some scholars, but it should not be adhered to as a sunnah.