He then performed interlacing with his fingers. Hanbal said: From under his chin, from the bottom of the chin, he interlaces both sides of his beard with water, and wipes its sides and its interior. Abu al-Harith (14) said: Ahmad said: If he wishes, he may interlace it along with his face, [and if he wishes, when he wipes his head.
It is recommended to tend to the rest of the hair of his face] (16) and to wipe the inner corners of his eyes, so that any kohl or eye discharge (ghamas) thereon is removed. Abu Dawud (17) narrated with his chain of authority from Abu Umama that he mentioned the wudu' of the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—and said: He used to wipe the inner corners of his eyes.
20- Issue; he said: (And taking new water for the two ears, their outer parts and their inner parts).
The recommended practice is to take new water for the two ears. [Ahmad said: I recommend that he take new water for his two ears. Ibn ‘Umar used to take new water for his two ears] (1). This is the opinion of Malik and al-Shafi‘i. Ibn al-Mundhir said: This which they have stated is not found in the reports; indeed, Abu Umama, Abu Hurayra, and ‘Abd Allah ibn Zayd have narrated that the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—said: "The two ears are part of the head." Ibn Majah narrated these (2). Ibn ‘Abbas, al-Rubayyi‘ bint Mu‘awwidh, and al-Miqdam ibn Ma‘dikarib narrated that the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—wiped his head and his ears once. Abu Dawud narrated these (3). Our argument is that the act of singling them out with new water has indeed (4) been narrated from Ibn ‘Umar, and al-Zuhri held the view that they are part of the face. Al-Sha‘bi said: What faces forward of them is from the face, and their outer part is from the head. He said...
(14) He is Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Sa’igh. Mentioned previously on page 21. (15) In the original: "I asked." (16) Omitted from the original. (17) In: Chapter on the Description of the Prophet's Wudu'—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—from the Book of Purification. Sunan Abi Dawud 1/29. (1) Omitted from the original. (2) In: Chapter: The Two Ears are Part of the Head, from the Book of Purification. Sunan Ibn Majah 1/152. Abu Dawud also recorded the hadith of Abu Umama in: Chapter on the Description of the Prophet's Wudu'—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—from the Book of Purification. Sunan Abi Dawud 1/29. And al-Tirmidhi, in: Chapter on what has been narrated that the two ears are part of the head, from the Chapters of Purification. ‘Aridat al-Ahwadhi 1/54. (3) In: Chapter on the Description of the Prophet's Wudu'—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—from the Book of Purification. Sunan Abi Dawud 1/27-29. (4) Omitted from the original.