Wiping of the Feet Without Washing?

Wiping the feet when not wearing anything on the foot is not established from Sunnah !

Those who Follow Wiping of the Feet Without Washing

Wiping the feet when not wearing anything on the foot is not established from the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam). As for their using as a proof the reading of the Aayah:

wamsahoo bi ru'oosikum wa arjulakum ilaal ka'bayn: rub your heads and your feet to the ankles…

[Soorat-ul-Maaidah 5:7] 

Reading (arjulikum) – and saying that the feet are thus connected to (the command to wipe) the heads – and this is not correct, rather they are connected to (the order to wash) the hands.

As for the reading of the word (arjulikum) with Kasra of the laam –

as-San’aanee says That is for wiping over the leather socks – as is shown by the Sunnah – and this is the best interpretation for this particular recital.

(As-Subul, 1/58).

The Qur’aan is not to be explained according to the human intellect – especially in the matters of worship such as Salaat and wudoo , etc. – but by the Sunnah which explains this Pillar. And there are many such examples in the Qur’an which the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) explained by his sayings – and from this is the washing of the feet – and its proof from the Sunnah has preceded.

If they wish to use the intellect then we say to them:

The bottom of the foot has more right to be wiped than the surface (their saying being the wiping of the surface), and if they say: Then what about the socks? we say: That is established from the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) just as washing the foot is also established in the Sunnah.

Leaving out one of two verbs and sufficing with one of them, as the Arabs, when two verbs come together having similar meaning and are followed by things related to them, makes it permissible to mention only one of the two verbs and attaching those things relating to the second to those relating to the first which is mentioned – according to what the wording demands, until it is as if the two are partners with regard to the verb, as the poet said: I fed it with hay and cold water. And what is meant is: I fed it with hay and gave it cold water to drink.

The saying of az-Zajjaj (a great scholar of the language):

It is permissible that the wording (arjulikum) has the meaning of ‘wash the feet’ as the wording (ilal Ka’bain) conveys that meaning – as the mentioning of a limit suggests washing just as Allaah ta’ala says ilaal maraafiq [that is the limit of the elbows is for washing] however, if wiping were intended then there would be no need for mention of a limit just as Allaah ta’ala says wamsahoo bi ru’oosikum not mentioning any limit (for wiping the head) and further the term wiping can be used to mean washing.

(Al-Mirqaat, 1/400).

And further, the great majority of scholars have agreed that it is obligatory to wash the feet and that is reported – and reaches the level of mutawaatir from the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) as al-Haafiz Ibn Hajr says;

And further it is not established that any of the Sahaabah differed regarding that – except what is reported from ‘Alee, Ibn ‘Abbas and Anas (radhiAllaahu ‘anhum) – and it is established that they went back on that.

(Al-Mirqaat. 1/400

And Abu Hurairah (radhiAllaahu ‘anhu) reports that Rasoolullah (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) came to the graveyard and said

...they will come on the Day of Judgement with their blazes shining from the wudoo.

Meaning the Rasoolullah (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) will know from the traces of the washing, as for those who do not wash then he will not know them on the Day of Judgement.

Ibn Hajr says:

And it is established that this shining of the faces, hands and feet are particular to the Muslim Ummah.

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