Al-Allama Al-Hilli in the Ka'abi's Dispute

Abstract

Al-Allama al-Hilli stated that the term "Ka'abi" in the ablution verse refers to the joint between the shin and the foot. He opposed the widely accepted view that considers it to be the top of the feet, supporting his argument to the Hadith of the Sahih al-Akhween, the narration of Ibn Babawayh, linguistic analysis, and the views of some scholars who deviated from the mainstream opinion, such as Shahidain and al-Karaki. They criticized him for various reasons, including contradicting the language, derivation, statements of the companions, explicit reports, and the consensus of scholars, in addition to the allegation of going against the consensus of the nation. Sheikh al-Bahai responded to these criticisms, and some scholars who disagreed with him later presented counterarguments. Meanwhile, others attempted to reconcile al-Hilli's statements with the commonly accepted view or suggested alternative interpretations.
In this research, we present the words of the companions, linguists, al-Allama al-Hilli, his critics, Al-Bahai, and those who came later in this debate. We aim to clarify the truth in this contentious matter.