Is it enough no wipe naked feet without washing them while making wudu?

Dear Brother / Sister,

According to Ahl as-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah, to wash the feet is one of the fards of wudu. It is not permissible to make wudu without washing all or some parts of them and to perform prayers with that wudu. The majority of the Companions, fiqh and tafsir scholars hold this view. We have to follow this caravan of guidance that follow the footprints of the Prophet (pbuh).

The Quran mentions washing the feet; hadith and fiqh books also mention it.

Ibn Umar stats the following:

"Once, the (pbuh) fell behind in a war. He caught up with us when it was time for the afternoon prayer. We made wudu but only wiped our feet. Thereupon, the Prophet said aloud,

'Woe on the heels in fire!'

He repeated it twice or thrice." (Bukhari, Muslim)

Jabir states the following:

"The Prophet (pbuh) ordered us to wash our feet when we make wudu." (al- Muhadhdhab,  I/18)

However, we cannot say that a person who believes that it is not fard to wash the feet while making wudu is an unbeliever because if the word in the verse of wudu is pronounced as “arjulakum”, it definitely shows that it is fard to wash the feet. However, if it is pronounced as “arjulikum” – as it is the case in one form of qira’ah – it does not mean so. Jafaris pronounce it like that. 

Ahl as-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah are determined not to call others unbelievers when it is possible. That is, if it is possible to differently interpret a statement or deed that apparently expresses unbelief, we do so. If a statement or deed has one hundred possibilities and ninety-nine of them express unbelief but one of them expresses belief, the one that expresses belief should be preferred.

(Halil Gönenç, Günümüz Meselelerine Fetvalar, I/145)

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