41 – ʿĀʾishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ liked to begin with the right when putting on his footwear, when combing his hair, when performing purification, and in all of his affairs.” Agreed upon. (1)

Vocabulary of the ḥadīth:
• yuʿjibuhu (he liked): from the root iʿjāb. One says, “This thing aʿjabani” when it pleases because of its beauty. The adjective ʿajīb denotes something that evokes wonder, and the verbal noun is ʿajab (both syllables with fatḥah). As for ʿujb (with ḍammah on the ʿayn and sukūn on the jīm), it refers to a person’s self-admiration. The intended meaning here is that he ﷺ was pleased by, approved of, preferred, and gave precedence to starting with the right. By contrast, ʿajb (fatḥah then sukūn) is, in its original sense, blameworthy.
• al-tayammun (beginning with the right): giving precedence to the right side over the left in directions and actions.
• fī tanaʿulihi: when putting on his sandals and the like—leather socks, stockings, and similarly his garments.
• wa tarajjulihi: with a doubled jīm; combing the hair of his head and his beard with a comb.
• ṭuhūrihi: with a ḍammah on the ṭāʾ; purification through wuḍūʾ, ghusl, and the removal of impurities.
• fī shaʾnihi: linked to al-tayammun, meaning “in giving precedence to the right.”
• fī shaʾnihi kullihi: in all matters that are considered wholesome—an all-embracing phrase following specific examples.

Lessons derived from the ḥadīth:
1 – It is recommended to start with the right in putting on footwear, combing the hair, performing purification, and every comparable wholesome matter.
2 – The statement “in all of his affairs” is a general expression after a particular specification, yet it remains general only with respect to wholesome matters, as noted above. Ibn Daqīq al-ʿĪd said: It is a general term restricted by the inclusion