of the forearm and the upper arm are joined is obligatory, so if one of them is removed, he must wash the other. If it is from above the elbows, the obligation of washing lapses due to the absence of its location. If he is armless and finds someone to perform wudu for him voluntarily, he is obligated to accept it because he is capable of it. If he does not find someone to perform wudu for him except for a fee that he can afford, he is also obligated to do so, just as he is obligated to purchase water. Ibn Aqil said: It is possible that he is not obligated, as in the case where, if one is unable to stand during prayer, he is not required to hire someone to make him stand or support him. If he is unable to pay the fee or cannot find someone to hire, he prays according to his condition, like one who lacks both water and earth. If he finds someone to perform tayammum for him but does not find someone to perform wudu for him, he is obligated to perform tayammum, like one who lacks water but finds earth. This is the school of al-Shafi'i, and I do not know of any disagreement regarding it.

Section: If there is dirt under his nails that prevents water from reaching what is underneath, Ibn Aqil said: His purification is not valid until he removes it, because it is a place on the hand covered by something not of the original creation in a manner that prevents the reaching of water, while it is possible to reach it and there is no harm in doing so, making it similar to if there were wax or something else upon it. It is possible that he is not obligated to do so, because this is something that is covered by custom. If washing it were mandatory, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) would have clarified it, because it is not permissible to delay clarification beyond the time of need. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did indeed criticize them for entering upon him with dirt, and the residue of one of them between his fingertip and his nail (13). He meant that the smell of the stench of the dirt in their creases under their nails reaches [the nostrils], so he criticized the stench of its odor, not the invalidity of their purification. If it were invalidating to the purification, that would have been more important than the stench of the odor, and thus more deserving of clarification. Also, because this is something that is covered by custom, it is similar to what hair covers on the face.

Section: Whoever performs wudu from a small amount of water from which he scoops with his hand, and he scoops from it while washing his hands, it does not affect the water. Some of the companions of al-Shafi'i said: The water becomes used (musta'mal) by his scooping from it, because it is the place of washing the hand, and he is intending wudu and the washing of it (14), making it similar to if he