indeed, the foot, he says, has three states: when it is uncovered it must be washed, and that is the highest degree; when it is fully covered it may be wiped; and there is an intermediate case—when it is inside a sandal. In this situation it is neither among those coverings over which wiping is permitted, nor is it exposed so that washing would be obligatory; therefore it is given a middle ruling, namely sprinkling. Whenever the word “wiping” is applied to the foot in this case, what is meant, he maintains, is sprinkling.
He further asserts that both sprinkling upon the two sandals and wiping over them are reported in the Musnad through the narration of Aws ibn Abī Aws, and that Ibn Ḥibbān and al-Bayhaqī transmitted the same from Ibn ʿAbbās—so it is stated in al-Ikhtiyārāt (8).
Yet none of these reports contains any mention of sprinkling: neither the version in the Musnad, nor the narration of Aws ibn Abī Aws, nor any other—except for another hadith from ʿAlī (may Allah be pleased with him). He said: ‘Ibn ʿAbbās, shall I show you the ablution of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him?’ I replied, ‘Yes—may my father and mother be your ransom.’
He then had a container placed before him, washed his hands, rinsed his mouth, inhaled water and blew it out, then scooped water with both hands, struck his face with them, placing his thumbs on the front parts of his ears. He repeated that three times. Next he took a handful of water in his right hand, poured it over the crown of his head and let it run down over his face. He washed his right forearm up to the elbow three times, then the left the same. After that he wiped his head and ears, the outer surfaces of both. He then scooped water with both hands and struck his feet with it while his sandals were on, turning the sandal with the water, and did the same with the other foot. I asked, ‘Even with the sandals on?’ He replied, ‘With the sandals on.’ I asked again, ‘With the sandals on?’ and he answered, ‘With the sandals on.’ I repeated, ‘With the sandals on?’ and he confirmed, ‘With the sandals on.’
Imām Aḥmad recorded this report (1/82–83) through Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq, who said: ‘Muḥammad narrated to me…’