—the Most High—has commanded wiping as far as the two protruding bones, and this constitutes washing. For anyone who wipes in the restricted sense confines the wiping to the upper surfaces of the feet. By mentioning washing in relation to the first two limbs and wiping in relation to the latter two, He indicates that wiping in the general sense is obligatory for these latter two limbs. At times, wiping in the restricted sense suffices, as in wiping the head and the turban and wiping over leather socks; at other times, complete wiping—which is washing—is indispensable (1), as with uncovered feet.

The Sunnah transmitted from the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—through recurrent mass transmission establishes wiping over leather socks and washing (2) the feet. The Rāfida reject this mass-transmitted Sunnah, just as the Kharijites reject similar matters that they imagine conflict with the apparent meaning of the Quran. Indeed, the washing of the feet and wiping over leather socks are transmitted from the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—(3) more widely than the amputation of a hand for a quarter of a dinar, three dirhams, ten dirhams, or a similar amount.

Mentioning wiping in relation to the feet also indicates that only a little water should be poured over them, for excessive use of water is very common when washing them. It also makes the wording concise (4), for (5) when two coordinated terms involve actions of the same general kind, it is sufficient to mention only one of the two types, as in the saying: