Surely, Islam is a global religion and it is for all parts of the world in any age and time, while Shari’a is tolerant and facile. Assume that how many problems can washing the feet, five times a day, cause for people in different parts of the world and it would avert a group of persons from ablution and prayer due to this rigor.

And this is the result of Ijtihad against Nass and leaving the cabbalas about anointment.

This possibility is available that a part of cabbalas about Ghasl (but not all of them) have been forged in the time of Bani Umayya when the market of Hadith forgery prospered and Muaviya paid large amounts of money to some of Hadith forgers, because everyone knew that Ali (a.s.) believed in anointment on feet and Muaviya wanted to oppose with his holiness in anything.

Please pay attention to these two Ahadith:

1- It is mentioned in Sahih of Muslim that Muaviya ordered Sa’d ibn Abi Waqas to curse and maledict Amir Almu’mineen Ali (a.s.)! (because Sa’d strongly abstained from this act), and Sa’d said: I heard three superiority about Ali (a.s.) from prophet of Allah (s.a.) that I will never forget and I wish that I had only one them because I prefer that over great treasures. Then he told the story of battle of Tabook and the statement of “اما ترضی ان تکون لی بمنزلة هارون من موسی” (Don’t you want to be to me like Aaron to Moses) and the important expression which Prophet (s.a.) said about Ali (a.s.) and the story of Mubahela.¹

This Hadith shows clearly that how much Muaviya insisted on opposing Amir Almu’mineen Ali (a.s.).

2- It is understood from lots of cabbalas that two groups performed Hadith forgery in first centuries.

First group was persons who were apparently righteous and pious (but credulous) which forged Hadith in purpose of approaching Allah. It seems that they were religious people that performed this act to encourage people to read Qur'an and made strange Ahadith about superiorities of Suras and ascribed them to holy Prophet (s.a.) which unfortunately number of them was not few!

Famous scholar of Ahl -e- Sonnat, Ghartabi, says in the book “Tazkaar” (page 155): There is no reliability about Ahadith which Hadith forgers made up about superiorities of Suras of Qur'an. A huge congregation of people performed this act about superiorities of Suras of Qur'an (and maybe) about superiorities of other acts. They forged Hadith for approaching to Allah and assumed that they invite people to good acts in this way (and they thought that there is no difference between lying which is one of the worst sins and Fiqh and piety!!).

This scholar (Ghartabi) quotes from “Haakem” and some other Sheikhs of Hadith tellers in the page of his book that one of pious persons forged Ahadith in superiority of Qur'an and its Suras voluntary (and intending to approach of Allah). When they asked him why did you do this? He answered: I saw that tendency and propensity of people to Qur'an has decreased and I wanted to increase they tendency to Qur'an, and when they told him that holy Prophet (s.a.) said: “Anyone who impute false statement to me, has been prepared his place in the fire”, he answered that Prophet (s.a.) said: “Anyone who impute to me …” which means anyone who say a lie against me, but I say these lies for his benefit!!

Ghartabi is not alone in quoting these kinds of Ahadith, and other groups of scholars of Ahl -e- Sonnat has also quoted this (For more information refer to the valuable book of “Alghadeer”, volume five, chapter of “Liars and forgers”).

Second group were persons who performed fabricating Ahadith in benefit of Muaviya and Bani Umayya and against Ali (s.a.) for giving huge amounts of money. One of them was “Samra ibn Jundab” who gave four hundred thousands dirhams from Muaviya and made this Hadith against Ali (a.s.) and in laud of his murderer and said that the holy verse: “And there is a person amongst people who trades his life for the satisfaction of Allah, and Allah is kind and merciful to all of his servants”² has been descended about Abdul Rahman ibn Muljam, murderer of Ali (a.s.) and the holy verse: “And there is a person amongst people who will amaze you by their speech about the life of this world and will call Allah as the witness of what it is inside his heart, while he is the most contentious of enemies”³ about Ali (a.s.).⁴

We seek refuge with Allah from these lies.

Therefore it is not wonderful that they forged cabbalas about washing the feet for opposing Ali (a.s.).

1- Sahih of Muslim, vol. 7, page 120.
2- Baqara Sura, verse 207.
3- Baqara Sura, verse 204.
4- Ibn Abi Alhadid Mu’tazili,according to quote of Muntahi Almaqal, memoir of “Samara”.