Ḥadīth 212212 - وَقَالَ زُرَارَةُ: قُلْتُ لِأَبِي جَعْفَرٍ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ أَ لاَ تُخْبِرُنِي مِنْ أَيْنَ عَلِمْتَ وَ قُلْتَ إِنَّ اَلْمَسْحَ بِبَعْضِ اَلرَّأْسِ وَ بَعْضِ اَلرِّجْلَيْنِ فَضَحِكَ وَقَالَ «يَا زُرَارَةُ قَالَهُ رَسُولُ اَللَّهِ صَلَّى اَللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ وَ نَزَلَ بِهِ اَلْكِتَابُ مِنَ اَللَّهِ لِأَنَّ اَللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ قَالَ: « فَاغْسِلُوا وُجُوهَكُمْ »
فَعَرَفْنَا أَنَّ اَلْوَجْهَ كُلَّهُ يَنْبَغِي أَنْ يُغْسَلَ ثُمَّ قَالَ « وَ أَيْدِيَكُمْ إِلَى اَلْمَرٰافِقِ » فَوَصَلَ اَلْيَدَيْنِ إِلَى اَلْمِرْفَقَيْنِ بِالْوَجْهِ فَعَرَفْنَا أَنَّهُ يَنْبَغِي لَهُمَا أَنْ يُغْسَلاَ إِلَى اَلْمِرْفَقَيْنِ ثُمَّ فَصَّلَ بَيْنَ اَلْكَلاَمِ فَقَالَ: « وَ اِمْسَحُوا بِرُؤُسِكُمْ » فَعَرَفْنَا حِينَ قَالَ « بِرُؤُسِكُمْ » أَنَّ اَلْمَسْحَ بِبَعْضِ اَلرَّأْسِ لِمَكَانِ اَلْبَاءِ ثُمَّ وَصَلَ اَلرِّجْلَيْنِ بِالرَّأْسِ كَمَا وَصَلَ اَلْيَدَيْنِ بِالْوَجْهِ فَقَالَ: « وَ أَرْجُلَكُمْ إِلَى اَلْكَعْبَيْنِ » فَعَرَفْنَا حِينَ وَصَلَهُمَا بِالرَّأْسِ أَنَّ اَلْمَسْحَ عَلَى بَعْضِهِمَا ثُمَّ فَسَّرَ ذَلِكَ رَسُولُ اَللَّهِ صَلَّى اَللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ لِلنَّاسِ فَضَيَّعُوهُ ثُمَّ قَالَ: « فَلَمْ تَجِدُوا مٰاءً فَتَيَمَّمُوا صَعِيداً طَيِّباً فَامْسَحُوا بِوُجُوهِكُمْ » فَلَمَّا أَنْ وَضَعَ اَلْوُضُوءَ عَمَّنْ لَمْ يَجِدِ اَلْمَاءَ أَثْبَتَ بَعْضَ اَلْغَسْلِ مَسْحاً لِأَنَّهُ قَالَ «بِوُجُوهِكُمْ»
ثُمَّ وَصَلَ بِهَا: «وَ أَيْدِيكُمْ مِنْهُ» أَيْ مِنْ ذَلِكَ اَلتَّيَمُّمِ لِأَنَّهُ عَلِمَ أَنَّ ذَلِكَ أَجْمَعَ لَمْ يَجْرِ عَلَى اَلْوَجْهِ لِأَنَّهُ يَعْلَقُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ اَلصَّعِيدِ بِبَعْضِ اَلْكَفِّ وَ لاَ يَعْلَقُ بِبَعْضِهَا ثُمَّ قَالَ اَللَّهُ « مٰا يُرِيدُ اَللّٰهُ لِيَجْعَلَ عَلَيْكُمْ مِنْ حَرَجٍ » وَ اَلْحَرَجُ اَلضِّيقُ.
Hadith.212 – From Zurarah, he asked Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir (as):
'Would you not inform me from where you derived and said that wiping is done on part of the head and part of the feet?'
Imam (as) smiled and said: 'O’ Zurarah, it was stated by the Messenger of Allah (sw) and it was revealed in the Book of Allah (swt). Allah (swt), the Exalted, said: "So wash your faces" (Qur'an 5:6). Thus, we understood that the entire face must be washed.
Then Imam (as) said: "and your hands up to the elbows." He connected the hands up to the elbows with the face, so we understood that they must be washed up to the elbows.
Then, He separated between the statements and said: "and wipe your heads." Thus, we understood from "your heads" that wiping is done on part of the head due to the use of "bi" (preposition indicating partiality).
Then, He connected the feet to the head just as He connected the hands to the face and said: "and your feet up to the ankles." So, we understood, by connecting them to the head, that wiping is done on part of them.'
He continued: 'The Messenger of Allah (sw) explained this to the people, but they neglected it.
Then Allah (swt) said: "If you do not find water, then seek clean earth and wipe over your faces and hands with it." Thus, when He waived the requirement of wudu for one who does not find water, He replaced some of the washing with wiping, as He said, "with your faces."
Then He connected it with: "and your hands from it," meaning from that tayammum, because He knew that not all of the dust would reach the face, as some of it would adhere to part of the hand and not all of it.
Then Allah (swt) said: "Allah (swt) does not intend to make difficulty for you," and difficulty means constraint.'"