Answered by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
In lecture 3 (Purification) you mention that during wudu one must not deliberately wet one’s fingers and thumb for performing masah of the ears unless one is certain that they have become dry. Could you please tell me if one should deliberately wet one’s hands for doing masah of the head, nape and khuffs?
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful and Compassionate
The sunna is to wipe the ears with the same wetting of the hands used for wiping the ears. It is not sunna, nor recommended, in the Hanafi school to take new water. [Ibn Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar, showing how the position espoused by a minority of later Hanafi scholars, such as Imam Shurunbulali, is contrary to the relied upon position in the school.]
If one does take new water to wipe the ears (without need), it would be improper. However, one’s wiping of the ears would be valid and the sunna of wiping the ears itself will have been fulfilled.
As for wiping the head and khuffs, it is required that one’s hands would be wetted. According to Ibn Abidin and Umar Ibn Nujaym, the sounder position is that it is insufficient to wipe the head or khuffs with the wetness remaining from washing a previous limb. [Ibn Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar and Umar Ibn Nujaym, al-Nahr al-Fa’iq]
However, there is a famous opinion within the Hanafi school that it is sufficient (though not optimal) to wipe using such remaining wetness. [Haskafi, al-Durr al-Mukhtar; Ibn Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar] Thus position may be adopted with regards to past practice or present errors or forgetfulness, while one’s willful practice should be on the sounder position.
Wassalam,
Faraz Rabbani