Taharah in Al-Kafi: Hadith-Grounded Maliki Purity Law

The taharah chapter of al-Kafi presents Maliki purity law with Ibn Abd al-Barr's characteristic addition of hadith grounding. Where other Maliki texts might state the school's positions without extended reference to evidence, Ibn Abd al-Barr's mastery of hadith allows him to connect each major ruling to its prophetic basis.

On water, al-Kafi presents the Maliki positions with reference to the hadith evidence. The ruling that seawater is pure and purifying is grounded in the well-known hadith: 'Its water is pure and its dead are lawful,' a response the Prophet gave to a man who asked about performing wudu with seawater while on a sea voyage. Ibn Abd al-Barr notes that this hadith is sound and that Imam Malik had specific access to the practice of Medina's traders who regularly used seawater for purification when traveling by sea.

The wudu chapter presents the Maliki obligations with their evidential basis. On the requirement of wiping the entire head, Ibn Abd al-Barr notes the Quranic verse (5:6) which uses the Arabic formulation 'wipe your heads,' and Malik's interpretation that the definite article (al-) indicates the whole head is meant. He presents the evidential disagreement between the Maliki interpretation and the minority reading that permits wiping only part of the head, and explains Malik's reasoning for the majority Maliki position.

On the Maliki requirement of muwalah (continuity) in wudu — performing the obligatory elements one after another without significant interruption — Ibn Abd al-Barr presents the evidence from the practice of the Prophet and the Companions, which Malik regarded as establishing continuity as an obligation rather than merely a sunnah. The practical question of how long an interruption is 'significant' is addressed through the principle of custom: an interruption that causes the earlier washed parts to dry before the later ones are washed is too long.

For ghusl, Ibn Abd al-Barr presents the hadith on the obligating causes and the minimum valid performance. His characteristic approach is to note the sound hadiths that establish each ruling and to explain how Malik interpreted them. On the question of whether the ghusl of janabah and the Friday ghusl may be combined in one bath, he presents Malik's position (they may be combined with a single intention for both) with the evidential basis.

The chapter on hayd (menstruation) is presented with the clarity that reflects Ibn Abd al-Barr's awareness of its practical importance. The Maliki positions on the minimum and maximum durations of hayd, the characteristics that distinguish menstrual blood from other types of bleeding, and the acts forbidden to a menstruating woman are all stated with their evidential grounding.