Is the utterance of 'Bismillah' (Tasmiah) required for washing the hands?
Chapter on Siwak and the Sunnah of Wudu
Al-Mughni
Book of Purification
Primary text
The ritual washing of the hands does not require the utterance of the Basmalah (Tasmiah).
Supporting text
Abu Al-Khattab held that Tasmiah is required for washing the hands by analogy with Wudu. This analogy is weak because the correct opinion states that Tasmiah is not obligatory in Wudu. If some scholars mandate it for Wudu, it is mandated as an act of worship, which should be restricted to its established context. Furthermore, Wudu is more emphasized, involves four limbs, and its cause is different from the cause for washing the hands.