Firstly: Washing the face
1. Ruling of washing the face:
Washing the face is one of the obligations of ablution. Consensus over this matter has been narrated by: al-Tahawi, al-Mawardi, Ibn Hazm, Ibn `Abd al-Barr, Ibn Rushd, Ibn Qudamah, and al-Nawawi.
2. Boundaries of what is defined as the face:
The face is that through which muwajahah (facing) is established.
Its boundaries horizontally: Everything between the roots of the ears.
Its boundaries vertically: Everything between where the hairline usually grows and the bottom of the chin.
3. Early sideburns:
The early sideburns [138] What is meant by the early sideburns here is the hair growing at the same level as the ears, between the temples and the cheeks. It is also described as the hair growing on the bone in front of the ears. It is normally the first part that grows of a male adolescent's beard. are a part of the face, and must be washed with it. This is the opinion of the majority: the Hanafi, Shafi`i, and Hanbali mainstream opinions. It is also an opinion among the Malikis, chosen by Ibn `Abd al-Barr.
4. Ruling of washing the beard:
If the beard is thin, enough to show the skin, then its external and internal (underneath it) must be washed. If it is thick, its external must be washed, and this is a matter of consensus among the four schools of jurisprudence, [139] The Shafi`is took as exception the hairs of the eyelashes, the eyebrows, the moustache, the early sideburns, and the soul patch. For them, both their exterior and interior must be washed, its hair and the skin underneath, regardless of the thickness of the hair. This is due to the hair normally being thin in the aforementioned sections, and only rarely thick, so it did not have its own ruling. It was also mentioned that it is not obligatory to wash the interior of a thick soul patch and its skin, as is the case for a thick beard. A third narration is that it is obligatory to wash both its inward and outward if its hair does not connect to that of the beard. and the vast majority of scholars from the Companions and the Followers opine this.
5. Ruling of washing the lengthy part of the beard: [140] That which extends from the beard is defined as the beard hair which escapes the boundaries of the face in length and/or width.
The scholars have differed over the ruling of lengthy part that extends from the beard according to a few opinions, the strongest of which are two:
The first: It is that it is wajib to wash the external of that which extends from the beard, and this is the opinion of the majority: Malikis, the correct opinion of the Shafi`is, and the Hanbalis.
The second: It is that it is not wajib to wash the external of that which extends from the beard, and this is the opinion of the Hanafis, one opinion among the Shafi`is, and a narration from Imam Ahmad.
6. Washing some of the face:
Washing some of the face is not sufficient, and consensus has been narrated regarding this by al-Tahawi, Ibn `Abd al-Barr, and al-Nawawi.
7. Ruling of gurgling (madmadah) and sniffing up water (istinshaq):
Gurgling and sniffing up water are both wajib in performing ablution, and this is the position of the Hanbalis. A group of the righteous predecessors also opined this, and it is the choice of some Zahiris, as well as Ibn Taymiyyah, Ibn al-Qayyim, al-Shawkani, Ibn Baz, al-Albani, and Ibn `Uthaymin.
8. Description of gurgling and sniffing up water:
The sunnah in gurgling and sniffing up water is that they are performed through the same scoop of water. The one performing ablution would scoop water into the hollow of his hand to gurgle therefrom, then he would inhale. He would then do the same with another scoop, and finally a third. This is the position of the Shafi`is, Hanbalis, and an opinion among the Malikis. It is also chosen by al-Maziri, Ibn Rushd the grandfather, [141] Nicknamed so as he is the grandfather of Ibn Rushd, the known philosopher. Ibn Daqiq al-`Id, Ibn Taymiyyah, Ibn al-Qayyim, Ibn Baz, and Ibn `Uthaymin.