Chapter on the Description of Ablution (Wudu)

The Shaykh (Al-Mufid), may Allah سبحانه وتعالى support him, said: "It suffices for a person, when wiping their head, to wipe the front portion with the width of a single finger placed across the hair up to the hairline. If they wipe with the width of three joined fingers, they have completed the act fully and performed the preferred method. Similarly, it suffices when wiping the feet to wipe each one using the tip of the index finger from the toes to the ankles. If they wipe them with the palms of their hands, it is better." This is supported by Allah’s سبحانه وتعالى statement: "And wipe your heads and your feet up to the ankles." (Surat al-Maʾidah, 5:6). Whoever wipes their head and feet with one finger falls under the definition of "wiping" and is thus considered to have fulfilled the requirement. However, anything less than a single finger is not permissible because, while the apparent meaning might suggest its validity, the Sunnah prohibits it. This also supports the permissibility of wiping in this manner, as further evidence demonstrates.