Imamiyya ( Muslims who believe in, study and prepare for the advent of the Imam Mahdi (a.s.)) Faqihs have agreement in this belief that nothing other than anointment on feet is acceptable in ablution, and cabbalas quoted from Ahl -e- Bait confirms this fact and also Hadith of Imam Baqir (a.s.) mentioned before, and there are lots of Hadith available in this issue.

But Ahadith which have been quoted in resources of Ahl -e- Sonnat are completely different with each other. Tenth of Ahadith point to the matter of anointment on feet or say Prophet (s.a.) did perform anointment on feet after anointment of head, while they impute washing of feet to Prophet (s.a.) in other Ahadith and some them anointment on shoes!

Ahadith of first group which say only anointment are from famous book, like:

1- Sahih Bokhari

2- Musnad of Ahmad

3- Sunan of Ibn Maja

4- Mustadrak Alhakem

5- Interpretation of Tabari

6- Dorr Almanthoor

7- Kanz Alummal and others that their reliability is confirmed for brothers of Ahl -e- Sonnat.

And tellers of these cabbalas are persons like:

1- Amir Almu’mineen Ali (a.s.)

2- Ibn Abbas

3- Anas ibn Malik (exclusive servant of Prophet (s.a.))

4- Osman ibn Affan

5- Basr ibn Saeed

6- Rifa’a

7- Abu Dhubyan (Zubyan) and others that are from famous tellers.

And we suffice to mention five cabbalas from them, and how wonderful is that a person like Aloosi, famous commentator, says: Anointment on feet has only one cabbala which has been made the excuse of Shi’aa!!¹

1- Amir Almu’mineen Ali (a.s.) says: “I thought that sole of feet are preferred for anointment until I saw that prophet of Allah (s.a.) is performing anointment on top of the feet”.²

This Hadith quotes anointment on feet explicitly from Prophet (a.s.) and by a person like Ali (a.s.).

2- Ibn Matar says: “When we were sitting with Ali (a.s.) in mosque a man came and asked his holiness: Show me the method of ablution of prophet of Allah (a.s). His holiness called Qanbar and ordered him to bring a jug of water, then he washed his hands and face three times and put his finger in his mouth (to wash the teeth) and inhaled three times and washed (face and) hands three times and perform anointment once on head and feet to the heels”.³

Although both Ahadith has been quoted by Amir Almu’mineen Ali (a.s.) from holy Prophet (s.a.), but talk about two different story that their common matter is anointment on feet during ablution by prophet of Allah (s.a.).

3- Basr ibn Saeed says: “Osman came to the sitting place and asked for the water for ablution and tasted and inhaled (flew in mouth and into nostrils), then he washed his face thrice and each of his hands thrice and performed anointment on feet thrice and then he said: I saw prophet (s.a.) that performed ablution in this way (then asked for confirmation from people there who were a group of Sahaba of prophet of Allah (s.a.) and said:) Is it correct, you who are present here? All of them said: Yes!”⁴

This Hadith show that not even Osman, but another congregation of Sahaba also was confirming explicitly that anointment of feet has been the method of prophet of Allah (s.a.) during ablution. (Although it has three times of anointment, which can be Mustahab in view of some of them or mistake of teller).

4- Rifa’a says that I heard from prophet of Allah (a.s.) who said: Prayer of none of you is correct until perform the ablution as Allah has been ordered: Wash face and hands to the elbows and perform anointment on head and feet to the ankles”.⁵

5- It has been quoted from Abi Malik Ash’ari that said to his people: “Get together in order that I perform a prayer like prayer of prophet of Allah (s.a.) for you, when they congregated, he said: Is there anyone among you other than your tribe? They said: No, but one of our nieces (whom her husband is from another tribe). He said: niece is also considered as our tribe (this expression shows that the governing regime was preventing to explain the prayer or ablution of prophet of Allah (s.a.), for political reasons, as it was). At this moment he asked for a bowl of water and performed ablution, tasted and inhaled and washed his face thrice, also his hands three times and performed anointment on head and feet, then performed prayer with them”.⁶

***

 Those that mentioned above are only a small part of cabbalas which have been quoted in famous book of Ahl -e- Sonnat by famous tellers.

Therefore those who say that there is not any Hadith quoted for this issue or there is only one Hadith that refers to anointment on feet are unknowledgeable and fanatic persons who assume that conniving and ignoring truths can abrogate truths.

These are like persons who have ignored implication of verse of Ma’eda Sura on necessity of anointment, and even have said that this verse confirms the Ghasl with the meaning of washing which its explanation mention before.

1- Rooh Alma’ani, vol. 6, page 87.
2- Musnad of Ahmad, vol. 1, page 124.
3- Kanz Alummal, vol. 9, page 448.
4- Musnad of Ahmad, vol. 1, page 67.
5- Sunan of Ibn Maja, vol. 1, page 156.
6- Musnad of Ahmad, vol. 5, page 342.