I heard Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) saying, “My people will come on the Day of Resurrection with bright faces, hands and feet from the traces of Wudu. If any of you can lengthen his brightness, let him do so”. [Agreed upon and this is Muslim’s version].
Hadith Commentary: The Light of Ablution
This noble hadith from Sahih Muslim, also recorded in Bukhari, contains profound glad tidings for the Ummah of Muhammad (ﷺ). The "bright faces, hands and feet" refer to the radiant illumination (nūr) that will manifest on the Day of Judgment as a direct result of performing wudu with excellence and consistency during worldly life.
The scholars explain this brightness as both physical light that will distinguish believers on that terrifying Day, and spiritual illumination reflecting the purity of their hearts and limbs. This light serves as evidence of their adherence to purification rituals, which cleanse both outer impurities and inner spiritual stains.
Jurisprudential Rulings
The command to "lengthen his brightness" refers to perfecting one's ablution by washing beyond the obligatory areas - extending to the elbows rather than just the hands, and to the shins rather than just the feet. This constitutes the sunnah practice of washing a portion of the limbs beyond what is strictly required.
Imam al-Nawawi states in his commentary on Sahih Muslim that this extension should be moderate, not excessive, maintaining the prophetic balance in all acts of worship. The wisdom behind this extension is to ensure complete coverage of the obligatory areas while earning extra reward.
Spiritual Dimensions
Ibn al-Qayyim elucidates that just as water cleanses the physical limbs, the remembrance and consciousness of Allah during wudu purify the heart. The physical light witnessed on Judgment Day corresponds to the spiritual light cultivated through sincere worship and God-consciousness.
This hadith encourages excellence (ihsan) in worship, transforming routine purification into an act that yields eternal benefits. The brightness serves as both a divine honor and public testimony of one's commitment to Islamic purification laws.