The Meaning of the Saying of Allah the Exalted: "And wipe your heads."
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The Shaykh : "And wipe your heads." The head is that which is elevated and prominent, and it is from this that the "president" (ra'is) is named, because of the elevation of his rank. The scholars say that the head refers to the area of hair growth, from the neck to the hairline on the forehead, as well as what is on the right and the left. The preposition "bi" (with) in "wipe your heads" indicates that the wiping must directly contact the head. I said that the head extends from here to here, and from here to here. How is it wiped? If it is wiped in any manner, there is no harm. For example, if one says, "I move my hand around it like this," there is no blame. If one says, "I do this, then return, then do this, then return," there is no blame. However, it is better to take both hands, wet them with water, and pass them over the head like this until they reach the back of the head, then return them to the place where one started. This is the wiping of the head.
The ears: The ears are part of the head because they are at the top of the body, so they have a position of prominence. How are they wiped? The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) would insert his index fingers into the cavities of his ears like this, and wipe their outer parts with his middle fingers like this. Note that the head is wiped and not washed. Why? Because the head has hair, so if it were washed, it would cause hardship, especially in cold days. What did I say? If it were washed, it would cause hardship, especially in cold days, is that not so? Wiping does not cause hardship. Secondly, the head is elevated; if it were washed, the water would run down to the entire body, making his clothes wet and causing him difficulty, even in hot days. So it was from the mercy and wisdom of Allah the Exalted that He made it obligatory for His servants to wipe the head only, not wash it.
And wipe your heads
وامسحوا برؤوسكمThe ears: The ears are part of the head because they are at the top of the body, so they have a position of prominence. How are they wiped? The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) would insert his index fingers into the cavities of his ears like this, and wipe their outer parts with his middle fingers like this. Note that the head is wiped and not washed. Why? Because the head has hair, so if it were washed, it would cause hardship, especially in cold days. What did I say? If it were washed, it would cause hardship, especially in cold days, is that not so? Wiping does not cause hardship. Secondly, the head is elevated; if it were washed, the water would run down to the entire body, making his clothes wet and causing him difficulty, even in hot days. So it was from the mercy and wisdom of Allah the Exalted that He made it obligatory for His servants to wipe the head only, not wash it.