not in a state of purity. When this became burdensome for him, he commanded the use of the siwak for every prayer.” (1)

Some of them said: This was Allah’s informing the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, that he was not required to perform ablution except when rising for prayer, and not for any other act. Thus, after invalidating his ablution, he was permitted to do whatever acts he wished other than prayer. Abu al-Qasim al-Hanafi informed us; Abu al-Harith al-Tahiri informed us; al-Hasan ibn Muhammad ibn Halim informed us; Abu al-Muwajjih informed us; Sadaqah informed us; Ibn Uyaynah informed us, from Amr ibn Dinar, who heard Sa'id ibn al-Huwayrith, who heard Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, say: “We were with the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, when he returned from relieving himself. Food was brought to him, and he was asked, ‘Will you not perform ablution?’ He replied, ‘Why? Am I about to pray, that I should perform ablution?’” (2)

His saying, exalted is He: “Wash your faces”: The boundary of the face extends lengthwise from the hairline to the end of the chin, and widthwise from one ear to the other. ⦗102/b⦘ All of it must be washed in ablution. Water must also reach beneath the eyebrows, the eyelashes, the moustache, the sideburns, and the small patch of hair beneath the lower lip, even if these are thick. As for the side-whiskers and the beard, if they are thick such that the skin beneath them cannot be seen, it is not obligatory in ablution to wash their inner portions; rather, it is obligatory to wash their outer surface.

Is it obligatory to pass water over the outer surface of that part of the beard which hangs below the chin? There are two views:

The first is that it is not obligatory. This was the view of Abu Hanifah, because hair that hangs below the boundary of the head does not take the ruling of the head with regard to the permissibility of wiping over it. Likewise, hair that hangs below the boundary of the face does not take the ruling of the face with regard to the obligation of washing it.

The second view is that it is obligatory to pass water over its outer surface, because Allah, Most High, commanded that the face be washed, and the face is that part of this limb by which one faces another. In Arabic usage, it is said, baqala wajhu fulan and kharaja wajhuhu—that is, “so-and-so’s face has sprouted” and “his face has emerged”—when his beard begins to grow.

His saying, Most High: “and your hands up to the elbows,” means: together with the elbows, just as Allah, Most High, says: “Do not consume their wealth with your own wealth” (Surah al-Nisa, 2)—that is, together with your own wealth. And He says: “Who will be my helpers in the cause of Allah?” (Surah Al Imran, 52; and Surah al-Saff, 14)—that is, with Allah.

The majority of scholars hold that the elbows must be washed, and that the ankles must be washed as part of washing the feet. Al-Sha'bi