On Wudu: Why did we not say that it is obligatory to begin with the right?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : Making the ghusl (full ritual bath) start from the left is permissible, and the Sunnah (recommended practice) came with the right. Is there a contradiction in this? He said that it is recommended to perform the ghusl with the right, to begin with the right, and the Sunnah came with the left. And what? Washing with wudu (ablution),
The Shaykh : the Sunnah came from the left.
The questioner : I do not mean with the right; I mean she asked why we say it is obligatory?
The Shaykh : Yes, by the generality of the verse "your hands," and Allah did not mention anything specific, so the action of the Messenger is on the basis of recommendation.
The questioner : The verse is not specifying it.
The Shaykh : No, it is not specifying it; the Sunnah is specifying it.
The questioner : And consistently, if Allah wills.
The Shaykh : It is not consistently so, it is not consistently so, we do not know. Yes. Yes, indeed.
The Shaykh : the Sunnah came from the left.
The questioner : I do not mean with the right; I mean she asked why we say it is obligatory?
The Shaykh : Yes, by the generality of the verse "your hands," and Allah did not mention anything specific, so the action of the Messenger is on the basis of recommendation.
The questioner : The verse is not specifying it.
The Shaykh : No, it is not specifying it; the Sunnah is specifying it.
The questioner : And consistently, if Allah wills.
The Shaykh : It is not consistently so, it is not consistently so, we do not know. Yes. Yes, indeed.
Source
قناة «فضيلة الشيخ محمد بن صالح العثيمين»، 225 - في الوضوء لماذا لم نقل بوجوب البدائة من اليمين؟ الكافي في فقه الإمام أحمد بن حنبل - ابن عثيمين — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.