and Muhammad ibn Jarir held that the elbows and ankles need not be washed when washing the arms and feet, because the particle ilā (up to) indicates an endpoint and a limit, and therefore what lies at the limit is not included.

We say: This is not a limit; rather, it means “together with,” as we have mentioned. It has also been said: when something is delimited by a term of the same kind, the endpoint is included; but when it is delimited by something of a different kind, it is not included. This is like His saying, Most High: “Then complete the fast until nightfall” (Surah al-Baqarah, 187). Night is not included in it, because it is not of the same kind as the day.

His saying, Most High: “and wipe your heads”: The scholars differed regarding the amount of the head that must be wiped. Malik said: The entire head must be wiped, just as the entire face must be wiped in dry ablution. Abu Hanifah said: One-quarter of the head must be wiped. According to al-Shafi‘i, may Allah have mercy on him, whatever amount is properly called wiping is obligatory.

Those who permitted wiping part of the head cited as evidence what Abd al-Wahhab ibn Muhammad al-Khatib related to us: Abd al-Aziz ibn Ahmad al-Khallal informed us; Abu al-Abbas al-Asamm informed us; al-Rabi‘ informed us; al-Shafi‘i informed us; Yahya ibn Hassan informed us, from Hammad ibn Zayd and Ibn Ulayyah, from Ayyub al-Sakhtiyani, from Ibn Sirin, from Amr ibn Wahb al-Thaqafi, from al-Mughirah ibn Shu‘bah: “The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, performed ablution, then wiped over his forelock, his turban, and his leather socks.” (1)

On the basis of this hadith, some scholars permitted wiping over the turban. This was also the view of al-Awza‘i, Ahmad, and Ishaq.

Most scholars, however, did not permit wiping over the turban in place of wiping the head. They said: In the hadith of al-Mughirah, the obligation of wiping was fulfilled by wiping the forelock; and this indicates that wiping the entire head is not obligatory.

His saying, Most High: “and your feet up to the ankles”: Nafi‘, Ibn Amir, al-Kisa’i, Ya‘qub, and Hafs recited wa-arjulakum (and your feet) with the lām in the accusative, while the others recited wa-arjulikum with the lām in the genitive. According to the accusative recitation, it is coordinated with His saying, “wash your faces and your hands”—that is, “and wash your feet.” As for the genitive recitation, a small number of scholars held that the feet are to be wiped. It is related from Ibn Abbas that he said: “Ablution consists of two washings and two wipings.” This is also related from Ikrimah and Qatadah. Al-Sha‘bi said: “Gabriel came down with wiping. Do you not see that the one performing dry ablution wipes what is ordinarily washed and omits what is ordinarily wiped?”

Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari said that one performing ablution may choose between wiping over the leather socks and washing the feet.

The general body of scholars among the Companions, the Successors, and others held that washing the feet is obligatory. They said: