“Authenticity of Salah” page 15 - “Masah (passing wet fingers) over the nape”

May 17 2012 , Written by Karim ben Amor Published on #Articles de Karim ben Amor, #Réfutations

REFUTATION OF THE BOOKLET: “Authenticity of Salah”

“Masah (passing wet fingers) over the nape”

(“Authenticity of Salah” - page 15)

The author (Muhammad Ilyas Faisal) of this book tried to proof that passing wet fingers over the nape is part of the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (salla Allah aleyhi we sallem).

The author quoted in his book a narration which is attributed to the Prophet Muhammad (salla Allah aleyhi we sallem) from Ibn Umar (radhee Allah ‘anhu):

عن بن عمر أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: "من توضأ ومسح على عنقه وقي الغل يوم القيامة"

“Whoever performs wudhu (ablution) and makes masah (wipe) over nape, he will be saved from wearing a necklace (of fire) around his neck on the Day of Judgement”.

Then the author of the booklet (Mohammad Ilyas Faisal) said (see page 16):

“The famous commentator of Bukhaari Shareef, Allamah Ibn Hajar Asqalaani (R.A.), writes in his book Talkheesul Habeer (v.1 p.92) that this narration is Sahih.”

I decided then to check myself what Ibn Hajar (rahimuhu Allah) really said in his book, and to be more precise, Ibn Hajar Al Asqalaani (rahimuhu Allah) mentioned the narration above in page 92 (vol.1) and explained it in page 93 (vol.1) of his book Talkheesul Al Habeer:

Ibn Hajar said (page 93 of his book Takhlees Al Habeer – vol.1):

رواه أبو الحسين بن فارس بإسناده عن فليح بن سليمان عن نافع عن بن عمر أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: "من توضأ ومسح بيديه على عنقه وقي الغل يوم القيامة" وقال هذا إن شاء الله حديث صحيح.

قلت: بين بن فارس وفليح مفازة فينظر فيها.

“I (Ibn Hajar) read a part of what narrated Abu Al Hassin ben Faares with his chain of narration, from Faleeh Ibn Sulayman from Naafa’ from Ibn Umar that the Prophet (salla Allah aleyhi wa sallem) said: “Whoever performs wudhu (ablution) and makes masah (wipe) over nape with his hands, he will be saved from wearing a necklace (of fire) around his neck on the Day of Judgement”.

Then Ibn Hajar said: “He (Abu Al Hassin) said: InshaAllah the hadith is Sahih, I (Ibn Hajar) said: between Ibn Faares and Faleeh there is a huge gap, we need to take this in account.”

We clearly read that it is not Ibn Hajar who said that the hadith is inshaAllah Sahih, but Abu Al Hassin!! Moreover, Ibn Hajar (rahimuhu Allah) said that in the narration chain between Abu Al Hassin ben Faares and Faleeh Ibn Sulayman there is a huge gap, the narration chain is lacking!!! Which makes the hadeeth being weak.

So those narrations on wiping over the neck during the wudhu (ablutions) were established as being weak from Ibn Hajar Al Asqalani, An Nawawi, Ibn Tayymia.

Sheikh Al Albani (rahimuhu Allah) has classed those narrations as being weak (da’eef) in da’eef sunan Abu Dawud.

The author of that book (authenticity of salah) also said (see page 16) that: “Allamah Shawkaani (R.A.) has also affirmed this (i.e. that the narration is sahih) in Naylul Awtar (vol.1 p.204).

I also checked in the book of Imam Al Shawkaani and he quoted (in page 202 to be precise) exactly what Ibn Hajar wrote. (below in Arabic exactly the same quotation translated above from Ibn Hajar’s book) from the book Naylul Awtar (vol.1 p.202) of Imam Al Shawkaani:

قال الحافظ ابن حجر في التلخيص :

Al Haafadh Ibn Hajar said in his book Takhlees Al Habeer:

قال الحافظ : قرأت جزءا رواه أبو الحسين ابن فارس بإسناده عن فليح بن سليمان عن نافع عن ابن عمر : ( أن النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم قال : من توضأ ومسح بيديه على عنقه وقي الغل يوم القيامة ) . وقال : إن شاء الله هذا حديث صحيح . قلت : بين ابن فارس وفليح مفازة فلينظر فيها انتهى

So none of them (Ibn Hajar and Al Shawkaani) stated that the hadith is sahih, but it is a misquotation once again from Mohammad Ilyas Faisal. Indeed, the one who said “it is sahih inshaAllah” is Abu Al Hassin ben Faares, not Ibn Hajar, because Ibn Hajar said it is a weak narration because of the the huge gap which is between Abu Al Hassin ben Faares and Faleeh Ibn Sulayman.

I also checked the other narration about wiping over the neck, and none of them reach the level of sahih, but all of them are weak or invented narrations!!!

Let see inshaAllah what the other scholars of Islam said about wiping over the neck during ablutions (wudhu):

قال شيخ الإسلام ابن تيمية :

" لم يصح عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم أنه مسح على عنقه في

الوضوء ، بل ولا روي عنه ذلك في حديث صحيح ، بل الأحاديث الصحيحة التي فيها صفة وضوء النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم لم يكن يمسح على عنقه ; ولهذا لم يستحب ذلك جمهور العلماء كمالك والشافعي وأحمد في ظاهر مذهبهم ، ومن استحبه فاعتمد فيه على أثر يروىعن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه ، أو حديث يضعف نقله : أنه مسح رأسه حتى بلغ القَذَال .

ومثل ذلك لا يصلح عمدة ، ولا يعارض ما دلت عليه الأحاديث ، ومن ترك مسح العنق فوضوءه صحيح باتفاق العلماء " انتهى .

"مجموع الفتاوى" (21/127) .

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said:

There is no saheeh report from the Prophet (salla Allah aleyhi we sallem) which says that he wiped his neck during wudoo’, rather no such thing has been narrated from him in any saheeh hadeeth. Rather the saheeh ahaadeeth which describe the wudoo’ of the Prophet (salla Allah aleyhi we sallem) do not mention that he wiped his neck. Hence the majority of scholars, such as Maalik, al-Shaafa’i and Ahmed did not regard that as mustahabb. Those who say that it is mustahabb rely on a report narrated from Abu Hurayrah (radhee Allah ‘anhu) or a da’eef (weak) hadeeth which says that he wiped his head until he reached the back of his head. Such reports cannot be relied on, and it does not contradict what is indicated by the sound ahaadeeth. Whoever does not wipe his neck, his wudoo’ is valid according to scholarly consensus. End quote. Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 21/127.

وهذا الحديث : ( أنه صلى الله عليه وسلم مسح رأسه حتى بلغ

الْقَذَالَ ، وَهُوَ أَوَّلُ الْقَفَا ) . رواه أبو داود (132) وضعفه الألباني في ضعيف أبي داود .

This hadeeth, “He (salla Allah aleyhi we sallem) wiped his head until he reached the back of his head (which is the beginning of the back of the head),” was narrated by Abu Dawood (132) and was classed as da’eef by al-Albaani in Da’eef Abi Dawood.

وذكر النووي في "المجموع" (1/489) اختلاف أصحاب الشافعي رحمهم الله في مسح الرقبة في الوضوء ، ثم قال : هذا مختصر ما قالوه ، وحاصله أربعة أوجه :

أحدها : يسن مسحه بماء جديد . والثاني : يستحب ولا يقال مسنون . والثالث : يستحب

ببقية ماء الرأس والأذن.

والرابع : لا يسن ولا يستحب . وهذا الرابع هو الصواب ،

ولهذا لم يذكره الشافعي رضي الله عنه ، ولا أصحابنا المتقدمون ، ولم يذكره أيضا أكثر المصنفين , ولم يثبت فيه عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم

In al-Majmoo’ (1/489) al-Nawawi mentioned a difference of opinion among the companions of al-Shaafa’i (may Allaah have mercy on him) concerning wiping the neck in wudoo’. Then he said: This is a summary of what they said, and they had four views on this matter, one of which is that it is Sunnah to wipe it with new water. The second is that it is mustahabb and cannot be said to be Sunnah. The third is that it is mustahabb to use the water left from wiping the head and ears. The fourth is that it is neither Sunnah nor mustahabb. The fourth view is the one that is correct. Hence al-Shaafa’i (may Allaah have mercy on him) did not mention it, and neither did our earlier companions. It was not mentioned by most of the scholars. There is no proof of that from the Prophet (salla Allah aleyhi we sallem).

، وثبت في صحيح مسلم وغيره عنه صلى الله عليه وسلم أنه قال : ( شَرُّ الأُمُورِ مُحْدَثَاتُهَا وَكُلُّ بِدْعَةٍ ضَلالَةٌ ) وفي الصحيحين عنه صلى الله عليه وسلم : ( مَنْ أَحْدَثَ فِي دِينِنَا مَا لَيْسَ فِيهِ فَهُوَ رَدٌّ ) وفي رواية لمسلم : ( مَنْ عَمِلَ عَمَلًا لَيْسَ عَلَيْهِ أَمْرُنَا فَهُوَ رَدٌّ )

It is proven in Saheeh Muslim and elsewhere that the Prophet (salla Allah aleyhi we sallem) said: “The worst of matters are those which are newly-invented, and every innovation is a going astray.”

In al-Saheehayn it is narrated that the Prophet (salla Allah aleyhi we sallem) said: “Whoever introduces anything into our religion that is not part of it, will have it rejected.:”According to a version narrated by Muslim: “Whoever does any action that is not in accordance with this matter of ours will have it rejected,:

وأما الحديث المروي عن طلحة بن مصرف عن أبيه عن جده : أنه رأى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يَمْسَحُ رَأْسَهُ حَتَّى يَبْلُغَ الْقَذَالَ وَمَا يَلِيهِ مِنْ مُقَدَّمِ الْعُنُقِ . فهو حديث ضعيف بالاتفاق .

With regard to the hadeeth that is narrated from Talhah ibn Musarraf, from his father, from his grandfather, which says that he saw the Messenger of Allaah (salla Allah aleyhi we sallem) wiping his head until he reached the back of his head and the first part of the neck, it is a hadeeth which is da’eef (weak) according to scholarly consensus.

وأما قول الغزالي : إن مسح الرقبة سنة لقوله صلى الله عليه وسلم : (مَسْحُ الرَّقَبَةِ أَمَانٌ مِنْ الْغُلِّ ) فغلط ، لأن هذا موضوع ليس من كلام النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم " انتهى .

With regard to the words of al-Ghazaali: Wiping the neck is Sunnah because the Prophet (salla Allah aleyhi we sallem) said, “Wiping the neck is a protection from the yoke (or chains – al-ghull)”, this is a mistake, because these are not the words of the Prophet (peace salla Allah aleyhi we sallem). End quote.

وقال ابن القيم في "زاد المعاد" (1/195) :

" ولم يصح عنه (صلى الله عليه وسلم) في مسح العنق حديث البتة "

Ibn al-Qayyim said in Zaad al-Ma’aad (1/195):

There is no saheeh hadeeth from the Prophet (salla Allah aleyhi we sallem) about wiping the neck at all.