Sah?b? wouldn’t have resorted to defend himself with any excuse. Indeed, how strong this proof is. (1)
The Jumh?rul ‘Ulamah doubted the obligation of doing Ghusl on Friday depending on the prophet’s ( - ) had?th which states: ‘Whoever does Wud?’ on Friday, it is indeed a good deed, and whoever does Ghusl, it is then better’. (2)
Ibn Hazm, however, refuted this view saying: ‘Even if this narration is authentic; it does not state clearly that Ghusl on Friday is non-obligatory. It only states that Wud?’ is a good deed and Ghusl is better, and there is no doubt about that. All?h ( - عز وجل -) said:
[ ولو آمن أهل الكتاب لكان خيراً لهم]
‘ And had the people of the scriptures believed, it would have been better for them’ (3) , does this entail that believing [in All?h ( - عز وجل -)] is not an obligation ?! We seek refuge in All?h ( - عز وجل -) from saying such a statement. Besides even if this had?th states the non-obligation of doing Ghusl on Friday, it is still not considered a proof for this had?th would coincide with people’s state before the prophet’s ( - ) later order for Muslims to do Ghusl on Friday in his ah?d?th such as: ‘It is an obligation on every adult to do Ghusl on Friday’, in another narration ‘ ... on every muslim’. No doubt that the latter Ah?d?th abrogate the former. Accordingly, one must not abandon the abrogator for the abrogated. (4)
(1) “Tam?mul Minnah” (p. 120)
(2) Narrated by: Ahmad in “Al-Musnad” (vol. 5 / pp. 6, 11 and 22), Ab? D?w?d in “As-Sunnan” (no. 354), An-Nas?’? in “Al-Mujtab?” (vol. 3 / p. 94), At-Tirmith? in “Al-J?m?‘ ” (no. 497), Ad-D?rim? in “As-Sunnan” (vol. / p. 632), At-Tah?w? in “Sharh Ma‘?n? Al-?thar” (vol. 2 / p. 119), Al-Marwaz? in “Al-Jumu‘ah Wa Fadluha” (no. 31), Ibn Ab? Shaibah in “Al-Musannaf” (vol. 2 / p. 97), Al-Baghawh? in “Sharh As-Sunnah” (no. 335), Ibn Khuzaimah in “As-Sah?h” (no. 1757), Al-Khat?b in “Tarikh Bagdad” (vol. 2 / p. 352), Al-Baihaqi in “As-Sunnan Al-Kubra” (vol. 1 / pp. 295 - 6) and (vol. 3 / p. 190) from Al-Hasan from Samurah.
The narrators are trust worthy for whom the two Shaiks narrated except that Al-Hasan Al-Basr? is a Mudallis [who conceals narrators and reveals others while narrating ahad?th] narrator. However, considering the many narrations of the had?th, it is authentic.
(3) “Al-Imr?n S?rah” (verse no. 110).
(4) “Al-Muhall?” (vol. 2 / p. 14).