Many people might be making wudhu several times a day but dont really know the hadiths or verses in the Qur'aan that show us how it is supposed to be done.
Some of us only know how to make wudhu since our parents taught us, whilst others cant really remember when they learnt how to make wudhu, they just knew!
In this article we will be dealing with a very specific part of wudhu and that is washing your feet. How are you supposed to wash your feet excatly? Some people say you should wash between your toes? Is it sufficient to just pour water on your feet? Read on to find out more inshAllah
Alot people are mindless when it comes to washing their feet and they just do it quickly and might even at times be neglectful and not do it properly.
Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan writes in his book al-Mulakhas al-Fiqhi:
Then know o muslim, that it is waajib to make the wudhu reach all the parts. Since it has been reported that the Prophet saw a man who had left (dry) a spot the size of a nail whereupon the Prophet told him go back and perfect your wudhu!
And the Prophet said woe to the (dry) heels from the hell fire! And he said this because many people are mindless when it comes to washing them properly and they dont make the water reach them.
Shaykh Aboo Maalik Kamaal ibn as-Sayyid Saalim writes in his book
Saheeh Fiqh as-Sunnah:
And washing of the feet is waajib amongst the majority of ahl-Sunnah (in wudhu). And every companion who reported the way the Prophet made wudhu mentioned the washing of the feet up until the ankles as has been reported by 'Uthmaan etc.
And washing inbetween the toes becomes waajib if the washing of the feet can not be completed except that the area between the toes are washed aswell. If however the feet can be washed without rubbing between the toes then this rubbing becomes Mustahab.
Shaykh Saalih ibn al-'Uthaymeen writes in his book
ash-Sharu'ul Mumti':
And from the sunan of wudhu is rubbing inbetween the toes, and this is important because the toes are very close to eachother and might get dirty easily.
With regards to the toes then it is said that one should use the little finger of the left hand to clean the left little toe on the right foot and work your way up to the big toe and so forth.
And some scholars have perfered this way, but to say that this is from the sunnah when it has not been established to be from the Prophet then it raises concerns. Some scholars perfered it, but that does not mean it is from the Sunnah.