Q:

There are two opinions among scholars with regard to wipong over the entire head, what are these two opinions? Also provide the evidence for each of the two opinions on this topic

A:

Jurists differed concerning the amount of the head required to be wiped as follows:

1- Malik and Ahmad stated that it is obligatory to wipe the entire head (Malik, Mudawwanah, 1:124; Ibn Qudamah, 1:92).

2- As-Shafiʿi, some followers of Malik, and Abū Hanifah hold that it is obligatory to wipe a part of it.  They further differed on the minimum part to be wiped as follows:

A– The followers of Malik indicated that the minimum part to be wiped is a third (Ibn Rushd, 1:19)

B- Abu Hanifah limited it to a fourth (al-Kasani, Bada’iʿ, 1:117).

C- Ash-Shafiʿi stated that any wiping of any part of the head or hair is sufficient (An-Nawawi, Minhaj: 12).

The reason for their disagreement is the vagueness of the particle ba in the verse of ablution. The verse reads, ‘wipe ba (over, or a part of) your heads’. If the particle ba is for ilhaq ‘association’, it is intended to associate the object to the verib. So, the verb is made transitive when used with

 the preposition ba. Therefore, in the verse of ablution, it would be interpreted as ‘wipe over your heads’ which means that the entire head must be wiped. This is the view of Malik and Ahmad.

In other cases, the particle ‘ba’ is used to mean ‘a portion of’, such as “akhadhtuhu bi thawbihi” (I grabbed him ba (by) his garment). It means that a part of his garment was grabbed. So, in the verse it may also be interpreted as “wipe a part of the head.”

This is the view of the remaining jurists who differed about the minimum portion that should be wiped. 

Almighty Allah knows best.