Beware of negnot washing your heels properly, for not doing so can lead to them being burnt in the Hellfire! So, perform your ablution thoroughly

Arabic text

عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو رَضيَ اللهُ عنهما قَالَ: رَجَعْنَا مَعَ رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مِنْ مَكَّةَ إِلَى الْمَدِينَةِ حَتَّى إِذَا كُنَّا بِمَاءٍ بِالطَّرِيقِ تَعَجَّلَ قَوْمٌ عِنْدَ الْعَصْرِ، فَتَوَضَّؤُوا وَهُمْ عِجَالٌ، فَانْتَهَيْنَا إِلَيْهِمْ وَأَعْقَابُهُمْ تَلُوحُ لَمْ يَمَسَّهَا الْمَاءُ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «وَيْلٌ لِلْأَعْقَابِ مِنَ النَّارِ أَسْبِغُوا الْوُضُوءَ».

Translation

‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: We returned with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) from Makkah to Madīnah, and when we came to some water on the way, some of the people were in a hurry at the time of the ‘Asr prayer and performed ablution hurriedly; and when we reached them, their heels were dry, and no water had touched them. Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Beware of negnot washing your heels properly, for not doing so can lead to them being burnt in the Hellfire! So, perform your ablution thoroughly."

Explanation

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) traveled from Makkah to Madīnah with his Companions, and on their way they found water. Some of the Companions hurried to perform ablution for the ‘Asr prayer, so much so that the backs of their feet appeared to the observer to be dry. So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: There will be punishment and destruction in Hellfire for those who fail to wash the backs of their feet during ablution. He ordered them to perform ablution perfectly.

Benefits

• It is obligatory to wash the feet during ablution. This is because if wiping were permissible, whoever neglects to wash the heel would not be threatened with Hellfire.
• It is obligatory to wash the whole parts that must be washed, and whoever leaves even a small part of what must be washed, intentionally and out of negligence, his prayer is not valid.
• The Hadīth demonstrates the significance of teaching and guiding the ignorant.
• A knowledgeable person should criticize when he sees the neglect of the obligatory and supererogatory acts of worship in an appropriate manner.
• Muhammad Is-hāq ad-Dahlawi said: The proper performance of ablution is of three kinds: obligatory: to wash the part once. Sunnah: to wash it three times. Recommended: to wash it three times in a thorough manner.

Topics

• Jurisprudence and Juristic Principles
• Jurisprudence of Acts of Worship
• Purification
• Ablution
• Method of Ablution