Explanation of the author's statement: "And combing through the thick beard and the fingers, and giving preference to the right."

The Shaykh :"And combing through the thick beard" Combing through the thick beard. The beard is either thick or thin. The thin one is that which does not cover the skin. This is the thin one, and the thick one is that which covers the skin. If a person has a thin beard that does not cover the skin, it is obligatory for him to wash the beard and what is underneath it. The reasoning is that what is underneath it, when it was visible, was part of the face, and the face must be washed, so it is obligatory to wash it. However, if it is thick, it is not obligatory to wash anything but its outer surface. Is it obligatory to wash the part of the beard that hangs down? The well-known view in the school of thought is that it is obligatory to wash what hangs down. The second opinion is that it is not obligatory to wash the part of the beard that hangs down, just as it is not obligatory to wash the part of the head that hangs down. However, the closer view is that it is obligatory. The difference between it and the head is that the beard, even if it is long, achieves the washing of the face, so it is included in the limit of the face. As for the part of the head that hangs down, it is not included in the head, because the head is taken from "al-itrās" (the top), which is the height, and what descends below the level of the hair is not "itrās." So, if the beard is thick, it is recommended to comb through it, and if it is thin, it is obligatory to wash it and what is underneath it. Now, the author's statement "combing through the thick beard" how is it combed? Combing it has two forms. The first is that he takes a handful of water and puts it underneath it and says, "like this." This is one method. The second is that he takes a handful of water and combs through it with his fingers, like this, like a comb. All of this has been reported in hadith. Its evidence is the hadith of 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: And although there is a defect in the chain of this hadith, it has many other paths from other hadiths. That is, it has paths and corroborating narrations that indicate it reaches the level of "hasan" (good) at its lowest degree. Based on this, combing through the thick beard is a recommended practice (sunnah). The scholars mentioned that conveying purification to the hair is divided into three categories. The first category is that it is obligatory to convey purification to what is underneath the beard, whether it is thick or thin. This is when the purification is the major purification from janabah (major ritual impurity). It is obligatory to wash the hair and what is underneath it, even if it is thick. The evidence is the hadith of 'A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) used to pour water on his head until he thought he had thoroughly wet his skin, then he poured it over it three times. And the hadith: The second category is the opposite: it is not obligatory to convey purification to what is underneath the hair, whether it is thin or thick. This is in the chapter of tayammum (dry ablution). In tayammum, it is not obligatory for you to convey the dust to what is underneath the beard, even if it is thin. The third category is that it is obligatory to convey purification to what is underneath the beard if it is thin, and it is not obligatory if it is thick. This is in wudu' (ablution). He said, "And combing through the thick beard." If he does not have a beard.

The questioner : He washes his face.

The Shaykh : He washes his face. And the combing is dropped. Do we say the same if a person does not have a head in the chapter of Hajj and 'Umrah? A person who is bald and has no hair?

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : Yes, shaving is dropped from him. Yes, it is dropped.

The questioner : They say what is dropped.

The Shaykh : Yes, some scholars say it is obligatory for him, or it is recommended for him, to pass the razor over his head!

The questioner : And what is the benefit?

The Shaykh : Yes, it has no benefit. In truth, it has no benefit at all. Because passing the razor over the hair is not intended for its own sake, so that we would say that when one of the two things becomes difficult, the other becomes obligatory. And what is the purpose of passing the razor over the hair? Removing it. And that has already been achieved. And this is similar to the statement of those who said that the mute person who does not speak recites al-Fatihah with his movements. He must move his tongue and lips, and he has no voice and no speech. And what is the benefit! No benefit. Because moving the tongue and lips is for the purpose of showing the speech and recitation. So if that is difficult, moving them is futile. "And combing through the thick beard and the fingers" Combing through the fingers. The hands or the feet? Both. But it is more emphasized in the feet. Yes. How does he comb through the hands? He combs through the hands like this, inserting his fingers, interlacing them with each other. As for combing through the feet, they said that he combs through them with the little finger of the left hand, starting with the little finger of the right foot from the bottom. Do you understand? The little finger of the left hand, this small one of the left hand, starting with the little finger of the right foot from the bottom, and going up to the thumb. Then the left foot, starting with the thumb for the sake of giving preference to the right. Because the right side of the right foot is the little finger, and the right side of the left foot is the thumb. So he starts with the right foot from the little finger and with the left foot from the thumb. And it is done with the little finger of the left hand to minimize harm. And the left hand... is advanced to avoid harm. But there is no doubt that some scholars preferred this. However, the statement that this is from the Sunnah, and that it was not reported from the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), is questionable. It is said that this is a preference (istihسان) of some scholars, but a person does not adhere to it as a Sunnah. Just as they mentioned in trimming the nails that he trims them in an alternating manner. And they reported a hadith about it, but it is not authentic and not established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). "Whoever trims his nails in an alternating manner will not be afflicted with eye disease" Protection from eye disease. But this hadith is not established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). How is the alternating manner? You start with the little finger of the right hand, then the middle finger, then the thumb, then the ring finger, then the index finger. This is with the right hand. With the left hand, you start with the thumb, then the middle finger, then the little finger, then the index finger, then the ring finger. This is the alternating manner. But if the hadith were authentic regarding the eye and the head, we would say that Allah is capable of everything. It may be a cause that Allah made a cause, even if we do not know how. But the hadith is not authentic and not established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). So how do I trim the nails? According to the hadith of 'A'ishah: Where do I start? From the little finger of the right hand, then the ring finger, then the middle finger, then the index finger, then the thumb, then the thumb of the left hand, then the index finger, then the middle finger, then the ring finger, then the little finger. This is on the condition that there is a heaviness in the soul regarding that, but it is closer than the alternating manner. Here the author says: "And the fingers and giving preference to the right".

The questioner : In the hadith about trimming the fingers, I want the little finger?

The Shaykh : Weak. Weak. It is not authentic. Giving preference to the right is also recommended. So we said that combing through the feet is more emphasized. Why? For two reasons. The first is that the fingers are close together. The second is that they come into contact with dust and harm. So they are more deserving than the hands. The author said: "And giving preference to the right". This means that giving preference to the right is from the Sunnah of wudu'. So you start with the right hand before the left, and with the right foot before the left, and with the right cheek before the left, and with the right ear before the left.

The questioner : No, it will reach.

The Shaykh : Incorrect. Yes, good. Correct? Incorrect. So only the four limbs: the hands and the feet. You start with the right hand, then the left, and with the right foot, then the left. As for the face, the texts indicate that it is washed once, like this. And the head is also wiped once. And the ears are wiped once, because they are two parts of one organ, so they are included in wiping the head. But if a person is unable to wipe his head except with one hand, with which does he start? With the right. And similarly, regarding his right ear, he starts with it before the left. The evidence for the permissibility of giving preference to the right is the statement of 'A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her):

The questioner : And his purification.

The Shaykh : "His purification" is incorrect. It is "tuhur" (purification). He likes it, meaning it pleases him. Giving preference to the right. And based on this, we establish this ruling on this hadith. Giving preference to the right. He said: "And taking water"

The questioner : Assuming tayammum in wiping over the leather socks, he wipes over the right...