Section: The limit of the hand commanded to be washed is from the wrist (al-ku‘), because the absolute term "hand" in the Shari‘ah encompasses that, as evidenced by the saying of the Almighty: "As for the thief, both male and female, cut off their hands" (43), and the thief’s hand is only cut from the wrist joint. Likewise, Tayammum (dry ablution) (44) is on the hands up to the wrist, and the blood money (diyah) required for a hand is due upon one who severs it from the wrist joint (45). Submerging a part of it, even a finger or a nail, is like submerging all of it according to one of the two views, because that which the prohibition attaches to entirely also attaches to its parts, like hadath (ritual impurity) and najasah (impurity). The second view is that it does not prohibit [the water from being used], and this is the opinion of al-Hasan, because the prohibition addressed submerging all of it, and it does not follow from a thing being a preventative that its part is also a preventative, just as it does not follow from a thing being a cause that its part is also a cause. [Submerging it after washing it, but before completing the three times, is like submerging it before washing it] (46), because the prohibition remains (47) and does not vanish until he washes it three times.

Section: There is no difference whether the sleeping person’s hand is bare, wrapped in something, inside a bag, or whether the sleeping person is wearing his trousers or not. Abu Dawud said: Ahmad was asked: "If a man sleeps and he is wearing his trousers?" He replied: "The trousers and other things are the same." The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "If one of you wakes from his sleep, he must not insert his hand into the vessel until he has washed it three times." This means the hadith is general, so it is obligatory to follow its generality. Furthermore, when a ruling is linked (48) to a probability (mazinnah), the reality of the underlying wisdom is not considered, just like the waiting period (‘iddah) required for the clearance of the womb, which is required for the woman who has reached menopause and the young girl; and likewise is the Istibra’ (clearing of the womb), even though the probability of impurity is not limited to touching the private parts, for there might be a pimple or a boil on the body, or he might scratch his body and blood might come out from [between his nails] (49), or it might come out.