Praise be to Allah.
Our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
"The worst matters are those that are newly-invented, and every innovation (Bid'ah) is a going astray."
Sahih Muslim (867) , Sunan Ibn Majah (45)
Regarding wiping the back of neck during wudu, there is no proof of that from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).
There is a hadith of abu dawud that says "He (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) wiped his head until he reached the back of his head (which is the beginning of the back of the head),"
Sunan Abi Dawud (132)
This hadith is classed as Da’eef by al-Albani in Sahih wa Da’eef Abi Dawud No.132
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said:
"There is no sahih report from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) which says that he wiped his neck during wudu."
There is also another famous hadith which is often quoted in this respect, also quoted by Shaikh Ilyas Faisal in his book "sifatus salaah" he quotes that hadith and says:
" Hazrat Abdullah Ibn Umar (radhiallahu anhu) narrates that Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said: "Whoever performs wudhu and makes masah over his nape, he will be saved from wearing a necklace (of fire) around his neck on the the day of judgement ". " The famous commentator of Sahih al-Bukhari, Allamah Ibn Hajar Asqalaani (R.A), writes in his book Talkheesul Habeer (vol. 1: p.92) that this narration is Sahih. Allamah Shawkani (R.A.) has also affirmed this in Naylul Awtaar (vol. 1, p.204). "
However this is completely false statement about both Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani and Ash-Shawkani (may Allah have mercy on them).
First quoted hadith "It is narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Whoever wipes over the nape of his neck is saved from the neck-chain."
Then he commented on it as follows: (page-287)
"Abdullah Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Whoever performs wudu and wipes over his nape, he will be saved from wearing a necklace (of fire) around his neck on the the day of judgement "
Then he quoted the narrator of said hadith that he said 'this hadith is sahih' after that he wrote his personal opinion as follows:
I say: there is a ‘desert’ (i.e. a significant gap) between ibn Faris and Fulaih (2 narrators of that hadith), and this should be paid attention to. End quote.
Indicating that the hadith is da'eef.
Now regarding Ash-Shawkani (may Allah have mercy on him), he also said exactly the same he quoted Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him). He also quoted Al-Nawawi who said: "wiping neck is innovation (Bid'ah) and the hadith about that is fabricated."
and many others as quoted earlier.
See Nayl al-Awtar page-206 No. 198 and page-207 No. 199
For more detail on this topic read this article:
Our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
"The worst matters are those that are newly-invented, and every innovation (Bid'ah) is a going astray."
Sahih Muslim (867) , Sunan Ibn Majah (45)
Regarding wiping the back of neck during wudu, there is no proof of that from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).
There is a hadith of abu dawud that says "He (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) wiped his head until he reached the back of his head (which is the beginning of the back of the head),"
Sunan Abi Dawud (132)
This hadith is classed as Da’eef by al-Albani in Sahih wa Da’eef Abi Dawud No.132
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said:
"There is no sahih report from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) which says that he wiped his neck during wudu."
There is also another famous hadith which is often quoted in this respect, also quoted by Shaikh Ilyas Faisal in his book "sifatus salaah" he quotes that hadith and says:
" Hazrat Abdullah Ibn Umar (radhiallahu anhu) narrates that Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said: "Whoever performs wudhu and makes masah over his nape, he will be saved from wearing a necklace (of fire) around his neck on the the day of judgement ". " The famous commentator of Sahih al-Bukhari, Allamah Ibn Hajar Asqalaani (R.A), writes in his book Talkheesul Habeer (vol. 1: p.92) that this narration is Sahih. Allamah Shawkani (R.A.) has also affirmed this in Naylul Awtaar (vol. 1, p.204). "
However this is completely false statement about both Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani and Ash-Shawkani (may Allah have mercy on them).
- Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) in his book Al-Talkhees Al-Habeer page-286 No. 97:
First quoted hadith "It is narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Whoever wipes over the nape of his neck is saved from the neck-chain."
Then he commented on it as follows: (page-287)
Abu Muhammad al-Juwayni says:
" The scholars of hadith do not look favorably upon its chain of transmission There has been disagreement as to whether the practice is a Sunnah or a nicety (something done as good manners or a voluntary (nafil) recommendation) . "
However, the Imam (al-Juwayni al-Shafi'i) counters this by saying – as we summarize – that the students (of al-Shafi`i) had no need to disagree about the ruling when the hadith that indicates it is weak.
Al-Qadi Abu al-Tayyib says: "There is nothing established in the Sunnah to support it."
Al-Qadi Husayn says: "There is nothing in the Sunnah to support this practice."
Al-Fawrani says: "There is no narration to support it."
Al-Ghazali quotes this hadith in al-Wasit and then Ibn al-Salah comments on it saying: "This hadith is unknown from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). It is rather the statement of one of the Pious Predecessors."
Al-Nawawi says in (al-Majmu`) Sharh al-Muhadhdhab: "This hadith is fabricated. These are not the Prophet’s words."
In another place, he writes, "There is nothing authentic related about this from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). It is not Sunnah. Rather, it is an innovation. Al-Shafi`i did not mention it, nor did the majority of the students. It was only mentioned by Ibn al-Qas and a small minority. Ibn al-Ruf`ah raised the objection that al-Baghawi, who is a leading hadith scholar, considered it to be a preferable act. However, there is no basis for declaring it a preferable act except a report from the Prophet or a Companion, since there is no place for analogical reasoning in this matter."
Perhaps, al-Baghawi relied in this matter on what Ahmad and Abu Dawud narrated from Talhah ibn Musrrif from his father that his grandfather saw the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) wipe over his head until he reached the occiput and the nape of the neck. However, this has a weak chain of transmission, as we have already discussed.
As for the person from the Pious Predecessors that Ibn al-Salah mentions, perhaps he is referring to what Abu `Ubayd relates in Kitab al-Tahur from `Abd al-Rahman ibn Mahdi from al-Mas`udi from al-Qasim ibn `Abd al-Rahman from Musa ibn Talhah who said:
"Whoever wipes the nape of his neck along with his head is protected from the neck-chain on the Day of Resurrection."
It is possible to say that though it is a chain of transmission that stops at a Companion, it has the strength of a hadith that goes back to the Prophet, since it is not something that can be said on the basis of personal opinion. This would make it mursal.
- After that Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) in his book Al-Talkhees Al-Habeer page-288 No. 98 Quoted the hadith:
"Abdullah Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Whoever performs wudu and wipes over his nape, he will be saved from wearing a necklace (of fire) around his neck on the the day of judgement "
Then he quoted the narrator of said hadith that he said 'this hadith is sahih' after that he wrote his personal opinion as follows:
I say: there is a ‘desert’ (i.e. a significant gap) between ibn Faris and Fulaih (2 narrators of that hadith), and this should be paid attention to. End quote.
Indicating that the hadith is da'eef.
Now regarding Ash-Shawkani (may Allah have mercy on him), he also said exactly the same he quoted Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him). He also quoted Al-Nawawi who said: "wiping neck is innovation (Bid'ah) and the hadith about that is fabricated."
and many others as quoted earlier.
See Nayl al-Awtar page-206 No. 198 and page-207 No. 199
For more detail on this topic read this article:
And watch this video:
And Allah knows the best.
