‘Ata’ and Abu Thawr said: It is mandatory to wash the interior of the hair of the face [even if it is thick, just as it is mandatory in the case of major ritual impurity (janaba), and because one is commanded to wash the face] (6) in wudu' just as one is commanded to wash it in the case of janaba; therefore, whatever is mandatory in one of them is likewise mandatory in the other.
The opinion of the majority of the scholars is that this is not mandatory, and interlacing is not mandatory. Among those who permitted the omission of interlacing are: Ibn ‘Umar, al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali, Tawus, al-Nakha‘i, al-Sha‘bi, Abu al-‘Aliya (7), Mujahid, al-Qasim (8), Muhammad ibn ‘Ali (9), Sa‘id ibn ‘Abd al-‘Aziz (10), [and Ibn al-Mundhir] (11); this is because Allah the Almighty commanded washing without mentioning interlacing, and most of those who narrated the wudu' of the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—did not recount it. If it were mandatory, he would not have omitted it in any instance of wudu'. If he had performed it in every wudu', everyone or most of those who narrated his wudu' would have transmitted it. His omission of it indicates that washing what is beneath the thick hair is not mandatory, because the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—had a thick beard, and water would not reach what is beneath its hair without interlacing and thoroughness. His performance of interlacing (12) in some instances indicates that it is recommended. And Allah knows best.
Section: Ya‘qub (13) said: I asked Ahmad about interlacing, so he showed me from under his beard.
(6) Omitted from the original. (7) Abu al-‘Aliya Rafi‘ ibn Mihran al-Riyahi, his mawla, the Basran, the reciter and exegete, who died in the year 93 AH. Al-‘Ibar 1/108, Tahdhib al-Tahdhib 3/284-286. (8) In M: "And Abu al-Qasim." We fear it might be: "And Abu al-Qasim Muhammad ibn ‘Ali," for Muhammad ibn ‘Ali mentioned hereafter has the kunya Abu al-Qasim. He is Abu Muhammad al-Qasim ibn Muhammad ibn (Abi Bakr al-Siddiq) ‘Abd Allah al-Qurashi al-Taymi, one of the seven jurists. He was trustworthy, a scholar, pious, and a narrator of many hadiths; he died in the year 106 AH. Siyar A‘lam al-Nubala’ 5/53-60. (9) Meaning: Ibn al-Hanafiyya. He is Abu al-Qasim Muhammad ibn ‘Ali ibn (Abi Talib) ‘Abd Manaf al-Qurashi al-Hashimi. He was pious and possessed vast knowledge; he died in the year 80 AH. Siyar A‘lam al-Nubala’ 4/110-129. (10) Abu Muhammad Sa‘id ibn ‘Abd al-‘Aziz al-Tanukhi, the jurist of the Levant after al-Awza‘i; he was righteous and devout. He died in the year 167 AH. Al-‘Ibar 1/250. (11) In M: "And al-Mundhir." (12) In M: "Interlacing." (13) Perhaps he is Abu Yusuf Ya‘qub ibn Ibrahim ibn Kathir al-‘Abdi al-Dawraqi, who sat with Imam Ahmad and asked him about various matters which he then narrated from him, and he authored [the book] "Al-Musnad." He died in the year 252 AH. Tabaqat al-Hanabila 1/414-415.
