Man Lā Yaḥḍuruh al-Faqīh

127 - جَاءَ نَفَرٌ مِنَ اَلْيَهُودِ إِلَى رَسُولِ اَللَّهِ صَلَّى اَللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ فَسَأَلُوهُ عَنْ مَسَائِلَ فَكَانَ فِيمَا سَأَلُوهُ أَخْبِرْنَا يَا مُحَمَّدُ لِأَيِّ عِلَّةٍ تُوَضَّأُ هَذِهِ اَلْجَوَارِحُ اَلْأَرْبَعُ وَ هِيَ أَنْظَفُ اَلْمَوَاضِعِ فِي اَلْجَسَدِ قَالَ اَلنَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اَللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ «لَمَّا أَنْ وَسْوَسَ اَلشَّيْطَانُ إِلَى آدَمَ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ دَنَا مِنَ اَلشَّجَرَةِ فَنَظَرَ إِلَيْهَا فَذَهَبَ مَاءُ وَجْهِهِ ثُمَّ قَامَ وَ مَشَى إِلَيْهَا وَ هِيَ أَوَّلُ قَدَمٍ مَشَتْ إِلَى اَلْخَطِيئَةِ ثُمَّ تَنَاوَلَ بِيَدِهِ مِنْهَا مَا عَلَيْهَا فَأَكَلَ فَطَارَ اَلْحُلِيُّ وَ اَلْحُلَلُ مِنْ جَسَدِهِ فَوَضَعَ آدَمُ يَدَهُ عَلَى أُمِّ رَأْسِهِ وَ بَكَى فَلَمَّا تَابَ اَللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ عَلَيْهِ فَرَضَ اَللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ عَلَى ذُرِّيَّتِهِ تَطْهِيرَ هَذِهِ اَلْجَوَارِحِ اَلْأَرْبَعِ فَأَمَرَ اَللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ بِغَسْلِ اَلْوَجْهِ لِمَا نَظَرَ إِلَى اَلشَّجَرَةِ وَ أَمَرَهُ بِغَسْلِ اَلْيَدَيْنِ إِلَى اَلْمِرْفَقَيْنِ لِمَا تَنَاوَلَ بِهِمَا وَ أَمَرَهُ بِمَسْحِ اَلرَّأْسِ لِمَا وَضَعَ يَدَهُ عَلَى أُمِّ رَأْسِهِ وَ أَمَرَهُ بِمَسْحِ اَلْقَدَمَيْنِ لِمَا مَشَى بِهِمَا إِلَى اَلْخَطِيئَةِ.

Hadith.127 - A group of Jews came to the Messenger of Allah (sw) and asked Him about various matters. Among the questions they asked was: ‘Tell us, O’ Muhammad, why these four parts are washed in ablution when they are the cleanest parts of the body?' The Prophet (sw) replied: "When Satan whispered to Adam (as), he approached the tree and looked at it, and thus he lost the brightness of his face. Then he walked towards it—this was the first step taken towards wrongdoing. He reached out with his hand to take from it, and he ate. Consequently, the ornaments and coverings left his body, and he placed his hands on his head and wept. When Allah (swt), Mighty and Majestic, accepted his repentance, He made it obligatory upon him and his descendants to purify these four parts. Thus, Allah (swt) commanded the washing of the face because he had looked at the tree, the washing of the hands up to the elbows because he had used them to take from it, the wiping of the head because he had placed his hand on his head, and the wiping of the feet because he had walked with them towards the wrongdoing (khatee'ah)."

128 وَ كَتَبَ أَبُو اَلْحَسَنِ عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُوسَى اَلرِّضَا عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ إِلَى مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سِنَانٍ فِيمَا كَتَبَ مِنْ جَوَابِ مَسَائِلِهِ: «أَنَّ عِلَّةَ اَلْوُضُوءِ اَلَّتِي مِنْ أَجْلِهَا صَارَ عَلَى اَلْعَبْدِ غَسْلُ اَلْوَجْهِ وَ اَلذِّرَاعَيْنِ وَ مَسْحُ اَلرَّأْسِ وَ اَلْقَدَمَيْنِ فَلِقِيَامِهِ بَيْنَ يَدَيِ اَللَّهِ تَعَالَى وَ اِسْتِقْبَالِهِ إِيَّاهُ بِجَوَارِحِهِ اَلظَّاهِرَةِ وَ مُلاَقَاتِهِ بِهَا اَلْكِرَامَ اَلْكَاتِبِينَ فَيَغْسِلُ اَلْوَجْهَ لِلسُّجُودِ وَ اَلْخُضُوعِ وَ يَغْسِلُ اَلْيَدَيْنِ لِيُقَلِّبَهُمَا وَ يَرْغَبَ بِهِمَا وَ يَرْهَبَ وَ يَتَبَتَّلَ وَ يَمْسَحُ اَلرَّأْسَ وَ اَلْقَدَمَيْنِ لِأَنَّهُمَا ظَاهِرَانِ مَكْشُوفَانِ يَسْتَقْبِلُ بِهِمَا كُلَّ حَالاَتِهِ وَ لَيْسَ فِيهِمَا مِنَ اَلْخُضُوعِ وَ اَلتَّبَتُّلِ مَا فِي اَلْوَجْهِ وَ اَلذِّرَاعَيْنِ.

Hadith.128 - Abu Al-Hasan Imam Ali ibn Musa Ar-Ridha (as) wrote to Muhammad ibn Sinan in response to his questions: "The reason for wudu (ablution), for which it has become obligatory for a servant to wash the face and arms, and to wipe the head and feet, is to prepare to stand before Allah (swt) Almighty, to face Him with one’s visible limbs, and to encounter the noble recording angels with them. The face is washed for the act of prostration and submission. The hands are washed so that one may turn them over in prayer, supplicating with them, expressing hope and reverence, and focusing in worship. The head and feet are wiped because they are exposed, facing all conditions, and do not possess the same level of humility and dedication as the face and arms."