Allah has made obligatory regarding the washing of the hand: “then wash your faces and your hands up to the elbows” (Qur’an 5:6).

Among the benefits of this ḥadith is that it exposes the ignorance of some people who imagine that what is nowadays called nail-polish is like the leather socks: if a woman applies it while in a state of ritual purity she may merely wipe over it for a day and a night. This notion is incorrect. Nail-polish must be removed when performing wuḍūʾ so that the water reaches the nails and the tips of the fingers.

Another benefit is the permissibility of employing free persons as servants, for al-Mughīrah used to serve the Prophet ﷺ. There is no doubt that serving the Messenger ﷺ is an honor in which anyone would take pride. The Prophet ﷺ had free men who served him, such as ʿAbdullāh ibn Masʿūd (may Allah be pleased with him), Anas ibn Mālik, and others; thus al-Mughīrah was among those who served the Prophet ﷺ.

A further benefit is that it is permissible to assist someone in his ablution—by pouring water for him, bringing the vessel closer, and the like. Likewise, if he is unable to wash his limbs himself, you may wash them on his behalf; for example, if his hand is broken or paralyzed, there is no harm in your washing his limbs for him.

The ḥadith also shows that when a person is wearing leather socks or ordinary socks after having purified himself, he may wipe over them, and that wiping over them is better than