Some have maintained that the prefixed bāʾ here indicates partiality. Ibn Jinnī replied: “Lexicographers do not recognize any instance in which the bāʾ conveys partiality; this sense is mentioned only by the jurists.” The grammarians add: “The idea of adhesion never departs from the bāʾ in any of its meanings; accordingly, in this context it imparts that nuance so that the act of wiping is clearly expressed.”
Points derived from the ḥadīth
1 – The author—may Allah have mercy on him—treats this ḥadīth as the principal text for describing the Prophet’s wudūʾ, regarding the narrations that follow as complementary.
2 – Whoever intends to perform an act of worship, including wudūʾ and the other forms of purification, should prepare the necessary implements beforehand so that he will not need them midway through the act.
3 – It is recommended to wash the hands three times before placing them into the water set aside for wudūʾ. This is unanimously agreed to be a sunnah. The proof that it is merely recommended, not obligatory, is that washing the hands is not mentioned in the verse, and the Prophet’s ﷺ bare practice on its own indicates recommendation, not obligation—an established legal principle.
4 – It is recommended to begin with the right hand when taking the water for wudūʾ so that the right hand is the one that scoops it up.
5 – Rinsing the mouth (maḍmaḍa) and drawing water into the nose (istinshāq) are obligatory, for both fall under the term “face,” whose washing is commanded in the verse of Sūrat al-Māʾidah.
6 – The ḥadīth does not limit mouth-rinsing and nose-sniffing to three times, yet because the mouth and nose are counted as part of the face, the recommendation to perform them thrice is inferred from the practice reported regarding the face as a whole.
7 – It is recommended to expel the water from the nose after inhaling it (istinshār). The scholars say that swallowing it is permissible.
8 – It is recommended to wash the face, rinse the mouth, inhale water into the nose, and wash the hands and feet three times each; for all of these limbs, triple repetition is recommended.