What parts of the face are obligatory to wash, particularly concerning the edges where hair grows?
Chapter on the Obligation of Purification
Al-Mughni
Book of Purification
Primary text
Washing the face is obligatory by explicit text and consensus. This includes the area from the general hairline, meaning the typical hairline for most people, not necessarily the absolute limit for every individual; if someone has a receding hairline, washing extends to the generally accepted boundary of the hairline. For one whose hair grows low onto the face, the hair that extends beyond the general boundary must be washed. The area between the beard and the ear (*al-mafṣal*) must also be attended to. The Ear's status is debated; the proof against including the ears with the face is the Hadith stating, 'The ears are from the head,' and the report that the Prophet (PBUH) wiped his ears along with his head, not washing them with the face. The addition of ears to the face in some narrations is due to proximity, where an object is named after what is near it.
Supporting text
Al-Zuhri held that the ears are part of the face, citing the Hadith where the Prophet (PBUH) referred to his hearing as belonging to God who fashioned him, similar to sight. Malik held that the area between the beard and the ear is not part of the face because the face is that which allows for direct confrontation, and this area does not serve that purpose. Ibn Abd al-Barr stated he knew of no urban jurist who followed Malik's view. The proof against Malik is that this area is considered part of the face for one without a beard, so it should be so for one with a beard, like the rest of the face. Furthermore, this area facilitates confrontation even for a youth.