Al-Muqaddimāt al-Mumahhidāt - Ibn Rush al-Jadd - (3/449)

Section on Giving Preference to the Right

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) liked to give preference to the right in all his affairs. He said: “When you perform ablution, begin on your right.” He also said: “When any of you eats or drinks, let him eat with his right hand and drink with his right hand, and let him take and give with his right hand, for Satan eats with his left hand, drinks with his left hand, and takes and gives with his left hand.”

It is reported that ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: “The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used his right hand for eating and purification, and his left hand for attending to his bodily needs and dealing with anything unclean.”

Of the actions a person performs, some are recommended to be done with the right hand and others with the left. If he uses his left hand for something recommended to be done with his right, or his right hand for something recommended to be done with his left, he has acted improperly but incurs no liability. If the action is an act of worship, it remains valid. It is recommended to use the left hand for anything involving unclean matter.

It is reported: “The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade a man to wash the soles of his feet with his right hand.” One should not blow one’s nose with the right hand or use it to remove anything unclean from the nose.

Some scholars, however, held that one should blow one’s nose and remove anything unclean from it with the right hand, following the apparent meaning of the report from ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), who said: “The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used his right hand for his face and his left hand for everything below that.”

It is reported that al-Hasan ibn ‘Alī blew his nose with his right hand in Mu‘āwiyah’s presence. Mu‘āwiyah said to him, “Use your left hand.” Al-Hasan replied, “My right hand is for my face, and my left hand is for my bodily needs.” ‘Alī ibn Abī Tālib (may Allah be pleased with him) held the same view concerning blowing the nose as that reflected in his son al-Hasan’s practice. Success comes through Allah alone.

فصل في التيامن في الأشياء كان رسول الله ﷺ يحب التيامن في أمره كله وقال: «إذا توضأتم فابدؤوا بميامنكم». وقال: «إذا أكل أحدكم أو شرب فليأكل بيمينه وليشرب بيمينه وليأخذ بيمينه وليعط بيمينه فإن الشيطان يأكل بشماله ويشرب بشماله ويأخذ بشماله ويعطي بشماله». وروي عن عائشة ﵂ أنها قالت: «كانت يد رسول الله ﷺ اليمنى لطعامه وطهوره ويده اليسرى لحاجته وما كان من الأذى». فما يتصرف به الإنسان منه ما يستحب له فعله بيمينه ومنه ما يستحب له فعله بشماله، فإن فعل ما يستحب له فعله بيمينه بشماله، أو ما يستحب له فعله بشماله بيمينه، أساء ولم يكن عليه شيء، وأجزأه ذلك الفعل إن كان من العبادات التي يستحب له أن يفعله بشماله ما كان فيه أذى. وقد روي «أن رسول الله ﷺ نهى أن يغسل الرجل باطن قدميه بيمينه» ولا يمتخط بيمينه، ولا ينزع الأذى من أنفه بيمينه. ومن أهل العلم من ذهب إلى أنه يمتخط بيمينه وينزع الأذى عن أنفه بيمينه على ظاهر ما روي عن عائشة ﵂ أنها قالت: «كانت يمين رسول الله ﷺ لوجهه وشماله لما وراء ذلك». وقد روي أن الحسن بن علي امتخط عند معاوية يمينه فقال له معاوية: شمالك، فقال الحسن: يميني لوجهي وشمالي لحاجتي. ومذهب علي بن أبي طالب ﵁ في الامتخاط مثل الذي فعل ابنه الحسن. وبالله التوفيق.