Ruling on Prioritizing the Left over the Right in Ablution
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Question:
In ablution, if one prioritizes the left over the right?
Answer:
The correct view is that it is not permissible, and there is a well-known scholarly disagreement on this: the majority hold that it falls under the category of recommended practice, but the Prophet’s (peace and blessings be upon him) consistent practice of prioritizing the right in his hands and feet—and he is the one who explains what is summarized in the Qur’an—requires giving preference to the opinion of those who said that prioritizing the right is obligatory in this matter. And in the hadith of Abu Hurayrah:.
The conclusion is that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) explained the verse in His saying (Exalted and Majestic is He): [Al-Ma'idah: 6], so his action is an explanation of this, and he began with the right in his hands, and he began with the right in his feet, so it is obligatory to follow that.
In ablution, if one prioritizes the left over the right?
Answer:
The correct view is that it is not permissible, and there is a well-known scholarly disagreement on this: the majority hold that it falls under the category of recommended practice, but the Prophet’s (peace and blessings be upon him) consistent practice of prioritizing the right in his hands and feet—and he is the one who explains what is summarized in the Qur’an—requires giving preference to the opinion of those who said that prioritizing the right is obligatory in this matter. And in the hadith of Abu Hurayrah:
When you put on your clothes and perform ablution, begin with your right sides.
إذا لبستُم وتوضَّأتُم فابدؤوا بميامنكمThe conclusion is that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) explained the verse in His saying (Exalted and Majestic is He):
O you who have believed, when you rise to [perform] prayer, wash your faces and your forearms to the elbows and wipe over your heads and wash your feet to the ankles
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا قُمْتُمْ إِلَى الصَّلَاةِ فَاغْسِلُوا وُجُوهَكُمْ وَأَيْدِيَكُمْ إِلَى الْمَرَافِقِ وَامْسَحُوا بِرُءُوسِكُمْ وَأَرْجُلَكُمْ إِلَى الْكَعْبَيْنِ
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.