Question 2173: Can the wiping of the head (in Wudu) be performed with the left hand?
Answer
✅ Answer: Consider the following hadith:
1 عن زُرَارَةَ قَال: قَالَ أَبُو جَعْفَر أَ لَا أَحْكِي لَكُمْ وُضُوءَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ الی ان قال وَ مَسَحَ مُقَدَّمَ رَأْسِهِ وَ ظَهْرَ قَدَمَيْهِ بِبِلَّةِ يَسَارِهِ وَ بَقِيَّةِ بِلَّةِ يُمْنَاهُ... الي ان قال... وَ تَمْسَحُ بِبِلَّةِ يُمْنَاكَ نَاصِيَتَكَ
📚 Al-Kafi, Vol. 3, p. 25
Imam al-Baqir (peace be upon him) said: Shall I not describe to you the wudu of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and his family)?... Up to where he said: Then he wiped (passed his hand over) the front of his head and the top of his two feet with the moisture of his left hand and the remaining moisture of his right hand.
Up to where he said: With the moisture of the right hand, you wipe the forehead/forelock (the hair at the very front of your head)...
✅ In two parts of the above hadith, it is explicitly stated that wiping the head is performed with the right hand.
✅ The above reliable hadith is one of the few ahadith—and perhaps the only hadith—that clarifies for us that wiping the head is done with the right hand. Therefore, it is appropriate that wiping the head be performed only with the right hand. In case of intentional or accidental wiping of the head with the left hand, it is proper to exercise caution and repeat it, so that, God willing, we may soon meet our Master, Imam al-Mahdi (may Allah's blessings be upon him and may Allah hasten his noble relief), and seek a ruling/permission from him regarding wiping the head with the left hand, God willing.
✅ Of course, according to the principles of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them all), it is clear that if a person has a valid reason or obstacle preventing them from wiping the head with the right hand, doing so with the left hand is permissible:
2 عَنْ مَنْصُورِ بْنِ حَازِمٍ قَالَ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْداللَّهِ علیه السلام النَّاسُ مَأْمُورُونَ وَ مَنْهِیُّونَ وَ مَنْ کَانَ لَهُ عُذْرٌ عَذَرَهُ اللَّهُ
📚 Al-Mahasin, Vol. 1, p. 245
Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: People are commanded and forbidden, and whoever has an excuse (in fulfilling these duties), Allah accepts his excuse!
اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَی مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَ عَجِّلْ لِوَلِیِّکَ الْفَرَجَ وَ الْعَافِیَةَ وَ النَّصْر