until he raised [the water] to the calves, then he said: I heard the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—saying: "My nation will arrive on the Day of Resurrection with bright foreheads and limbs from the traces of wudu', so whoever among you is able to lengthen his brightness, let him do so." Agreed upon. Abu al-Hazim (4) narrated from him something close to this and said: I heard my friend—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—saying: "The adornment of the believer will reach wherever the wudu' reaches." Agreed upon (5).

19 - Issue; He said: (And the interlacing of the beard)

The sum of this is that if the beard is thin such that the skin is visible, it is mandatory to wash what is beneath it. If it is thick, it is not mandatory to wash what is beneath it, but it is recommended to interlace it. Among those from whom it was narrated that he used to interlace his beard are: Ibn 'Umar, Ibn 'Abbas, al-Hasan, Anas, Ibn Abi Layla, and 'Ata' ibn al-Sa'ib (1). Ishaq said: If he leaves the interlacing of his beard intentionally, he must repeat it, because the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—used to interlace his beard (2). It was narrated from him by 'Uthman ibn 'Affan. Al-Tirmidhi said: This is a Hasan Sahih hadith. Al-Bukhari said: This is the most authentic hadith on the subject. Abu Dawud (3) narrated from Anas that when the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—performed wudu', he would take a handful of water, insert it under his chin, [and interlace his beard with it] (4), and say: "This is how my Lord, the Almighty and Majestic, has commanded me." From Ibn 'Umar, he said: When the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—performed wudu', he would rub his cheeks slightly, then interlace his beard with his fingers from underneath it. Recorded by Ibn Majah (5).