And it is the hadith of 'Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: "If religion were based on opinion, the sole of the shoe would be more deserving of wiping than the top of it."
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The Shaykh : And it is the hadith of 'Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: "Bulugh al-Maram 60 Abu Dawud narrated it with a good chain":
So these are two contradictory hadiths, but the first is weak, and a weak hadith cannot stand against one that is stronger; it falls before it and is not considered. Accordingly, wiping is on the top of the shoe, as 'Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said, attributing the matter to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him).
His saying (may Allah be pleased with him):Bulugh al-Maram 60 means: by the initial opinion, which is the first impression.
Bulugh al-Maram 60: But religion is not based on the initial opinion, nor on the first impression—Are you with us, Ya Firas, and the one next to you is Mahmoud? Mahmoud—Religion is not like this. Religion is based on deep reasoning built upon mature intellect. Otherwise, there is no doubt that evidence, meaning correct transmission, cannot contradict clear intellect. This is a rule: "Correct transmission cannot contradict clear intellect". The proof of this is that Allah always says: , which indicates that the Shari'ah is in agreement with what? With intellect, and that whoever contradicts the Shari'ah contradicts intellect.
Accordingly, the saying of 'Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) in his statement:Bulugh al-Maram 60 means what?
By the initial opinion,Bulugh al-Maram 60, but religion is based on deep, established, and deliberate intellect. Therefore, you find that most of those who build their affairs on the first impression cause more harm than good, because they did not look at the consequences, nor did they look at the results and outcomes. You find them causing more harm than good. For this reason, when Imam Abu Hanifah (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked about a group who go out enjoining good and forbidding evil, but with violence and taking people by force?
He said: They should not go out. They said: They are enjoining good and forbidding evil. He said: Yes, but they cause more harm than good.
And this rule is obligatory for a person to build his methodology and life upon: to look at what?
At the consequences. You may perhaps quench your thirst and satisfy your grievance in this situation, and you may think that you have been satisfied, but the harms that occur are more than the benefit that you obtained. So look, my brother, at the results, look at the consequences. What matters do we observe now around us or far from us that indicate this? That it is obligatory for us to be deliberate and prudent before we take steps.
If we look at this issue with deep reasoning, we find that the top of the shoe is more deserving of wiping than the sole. The top of the shoe is more deserving, because if you wipe the top of the shoe, you wipe over something clean, something that the earth has not contaminated with harm or dirt, which might be present. If you wiped the sole, your hand would become contaminated with harm, dirt, and filth. The intention of this wiping is not to wash the foot. If the intention were to wash the foot, it would be obligatory for us to remove the shoe. But the intention is to worship Allah (Mighty and Majestic) by wiping this limb in a way that purifies it. Accordingly, religion, which is wiping the shoe from its top, is in agreement with intellect and sound, correct reasoning.
If the religion were based on opinion, it would be more important to wipe over the under parts of the leather socks than the upper, but I have seen Allah’s Messenger (rad) wiping over the upper parts of his leather socks.
لو كان الدين بالرأي لكان أسفل الخف أولى بالمسح من أعلاه ، وقد رأيت النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم يمسح على ظاهر خفيهSo these are two contradictory hadiths, but the first is weak, and a weak hadith cannot stand against one that is stronger; it falls before it and is not considered. Accordingly, wiping is on the top of the shoe, as 'Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said, attributing the matter to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him).
His saying (may Allah be pleased with him):
If the religion were based on opinion
لو كان الدين بالرأيit would be more important to wipe over the under parts of the leather socks than the upper
لكان أسفل الخف أولى بالمسح من أعلاهDo they not use their reason?
أفلا تعقلونAccordingly, the saying of 'Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) in his statement:
If the religion were based on opinion
لو كان الدين بالرأيBy the initial opinion,
it would be more important to wipe over the under parts of the leather socks than the upper
لكان أسفل الخف أولى بالمسح من أعلاهHe said: They should not go out. They said: They are enjoining good and forbidding evil. He said: Yes, but they cause more harm than good.
And this rule is obligatory for a person to build his methodology and life upon: to look at what?
At the consequences. You may perhaps quench your thirst and satisfy your grievance in this situation, and you may think that you have been satisfied, but the harms that occur are more than the benefit that you obtained. So look, my brother, at the results, look at the consequences. What matters do we observe now around us or far from us that indicate this? That it is obligatory for us to be deliberate and prudent before we take steps.
If we look at this issue with deep reasoning, we find that the top of the shoe is more deserving of wiping than the sole. The top of the shoe is more deserving, because if you wipe the top of the shoe, you wipe over something clean, something that the earth has not contaminated with harm or dirt, which might be present. If you wiped the sole, your hand would become contaminated with harm, dirt, and filth. The intention of this wiping is not to wash the foot. If the intention were to wash the foot, it would be obligatory for us to remove the shoe. But the intention is to worship Allah (Mighty and Majestic) by wiping this limb in a way that purifies it. Accordingly, religion, which is wiping the shoe from its top, is in agreement with intellect and sound, correct reasoning.