Mishkat al-Masabih

Umm Salama told how Umm Sulaim said, "Messenger of God, God is not ashamed of the truth. Is any washing necessary for a woman when she has a sexual dream?” He replied, "Yes, when she sees signs of liquid.” Umm Salama then covered her face and said, "Messenger of God, does a woman have sexual dreams?” He replied, "Of course she does. In what way does her child resemble her?” (Bukhari and Muslim.) Muslim added in the version of Umm Sulaim, "The man’s liquid is coarse and white, the woman’s fine and yellow, so the resemblance comes from the one which prevails or comes first.”

‘A'isha said that when God’s messenger washed because of a seminal emission he first washed his hands, then performed ablution as he did for prayer, then put his fingers into the water and moved them through the roots of his hair, then poured three handfuls on his head with both hands, then poured the water over all his skin. (Bukhari and Muslim.) In a version by Muslim he first washed his hands before putting them into the vessel, then poured water over his left hand with his right hand, then washed his private parts, after which he performed ablution.

Ibn ‘Abbas reported Maimuna as saying, "I set out water for the Prophet to wash and concealed him with a garment. He poured water on his hands and washed them, then poured water with his right hand over his left, then washed his private parts, then put his hand on the ground and wiped it. He then washed it, rinsed his mouth, snuffed up water, washed his face and forearms, then poured water over his head and emptied it out over his body, after which he moved aside and washed his feet. I handed him a garment, but he did not take it; he went off shaking his hands." (Bukhari and Muslim, the wording being Bukhari’s.)

‘A'isha said that a woman of the Ansar asked the Prophet about washing after menstruation and he instructed her how to do it, saying, “Take a piece of cotton with musk and purify yourself with it.” She asked how she should do this, and he replied, “Purify yourself with it.” She asked again how she should do this and he replied, “Praise be to God! Purify yourself with it.” ‘A'isha then drew her aside and said, “Go over the mark of the blood with it.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Umm Salama said she told God’s messenger that she kept her hair closely plaited, and asked whether she should undo it when washing after sexual defilement. He replied, “No, it is enough for you to throw three handfuls over your head, then pour water over yourself, and you will be purified.” Muslim transmitted it.

Anas said that the Prophet used to perform ablution with a mudd of water and wash with a sa‘ up to five mudds. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Mu'adha reported ‘A'isha as saying, “God’s messenger and I used to wash from one vessel which stood between us, and he would get ahead of me, so that I would say, ‘Give me a chance, give me a chance.’ ” She said that they had had sexual intercourse. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

‘A'isha reported that when God’s messenger was asked about a man who noticed moisture but did not remember having had a dream, he said that he must wash; but when asked about a man who thought he had had a dream but noticed no moisture, he said that he did not require to wash. Umm Sulaim asked whether a woman must wash when she experienced that, and he replied, “Yes, women are of the same nature as men.” Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud transmitted it, and Darimi and Ibn Majah transmitted it up to “he did not require to wash.”

She also reported God’s messenger as saying, “When the parts which are circumcised pass one another washing is necessary,” adding that God’s messenger and she did that, and then washed. Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

Abu Huraira reported God's messenger as saying, “There is sexual defilement under every hair, so wash the hair and cleanse the skin.” Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it, and Tirmidhi said, “This is a gharib tradition, and al-Harith b. Wajih who is the transmitter is a shaikh one cannot trust.”

‘Ali reported God's messenger as saying, “If anyone leaves a spot on a hair which has been sexually defiled without washing it, such and such an amount of hell will have to be suffered for it.” ‘Ali said, “On that account I cut my hair; on that account I cut my hair,”* saying it three times. *Lit. "I treated my hair as an enemy." Abu Dawud, Ahmad and Darimi transmitted it, but Ahmad and Darimi did not repeat, “On that account I cut my hair.”

‘A'isha said that the Prophet did not perform ablution after washing. Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, Nasa’i and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

She also said that the Prophet used to wash his head with marshmallow when sexually defiled, contenting himself with that and not pouring water over it. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Ya'la told of God's messenger seeing a man washing in a public place, so he mounted the pulpit, and when he had praised and extolled God he said, “God is characterised by modesty and concealment and loves modesty and concealment, so when any of you washes he should conceal himself.” Abu Dawud and Nasa’i transmitted it, but in Nasa’i's version he said, “God is characterised by concealment, so when any of you intends to wash, he should hide behind something.”

Ubayy b. Ka'b said that “Water is necessary only when there is an emission” was a licence granted in the early days of Islam, but that afterwards it was renounced. Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud and Darimi transmitted it.

‘Ali reported that a man came to the Prophet and said, “I washed because of sexual defilement, then prayed the dawn prayer but noticed a spot about the size of a nail which had not been touched by the water.” God’s messenger replied, “If you had rubbed your hand over it, it would have been enough for you.” Ibn Majah transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Umar said that the original requirement was fifty times of prayer, seven washings to remove sexual defilement, and seven washings when urine fell on a garment. God’s messenger therefore kept on making requests till five times of prayer were appointed, one washing for sexual defilement, and one washing of a garment because of urine. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

God’s messenger met me when I was sexually defiled, took my hand and I walked with him. When he sat down I withdrew, and after I had gone home and washed I came back and found the Prophet still seated. He asked, “Where have you been, Abu Huraira?” I told him, and he said, “Glory be to God! The believer does not become impure.” This is Bukhari's wording and Muslim has something to the same effect, but after “I told him” he adds: I said to him, “You met me when I was sexually defiled, and I did not like to sit with you till I had washed.” Bukhari has the same in another version.

Ibn ‘Umar told how ‘Umar b. al-Khattab mentioned to God’s messenger that he was affected by seminal defilement during the night, and was told to perform ablution, wash his penis, and go back to sleep. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

‘Aisha said that when the Prophet was defiled and wanted to eat or sleep, he performed the ablution prescribed for prayer. (Bukhari and Muslim)

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri reported God’s messenger as saying, “When any of you has intercourse with his wife and wishes to repeat it, he must perform ablution between the two acts.” Muslim transmitted it.

Anas said that the Prophet used to have intercourse with his wives, with only a single washing. Muslim transmitted it.

‘A'isha said that the Prophet used to mention God’s name on all occasions. Muslim transmitted it.

We shall mention the tradition of Ibn ‘Abbas in the book on Foods* if God most High wills *Book XX , Chap. I, section II, 8th tradition; but one would have expected a tradition in section I.

Ibn ‘Abbas said that a wife of the Prophet washed in a bowl, and when God’s messenger wanted to perform ablution from it she said, “I was defiled, messenger of God.” He replied, “Water does not become defiled.” Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, and Ibn Majah transmitted it, and Darimi has something similar. In Sharh as-sunna it is given from him from Maimuna with the wording in al-Masabih.

‘A'isha said, “God’s messenger used to wash because of sexual defilement, then warm himself against me before I washed.” Ibn Majah transmitted it, and Tirmidhi transmitted something similar. In Sharh as-sunna it is given with the wording in al-Masabih.

‘Ali said, “The Prophet used to come out of the privy, recite the Qur’an to us and eat meat with us, nothing restraining him from the Qur’an but seminal defilement.” Abu Dawud and Nasa’i transmitted it, and Ibn Majah transmitted something similar.

Ibn ‘Umar reported God’s messenger as saying, “The woman who is menstruating and the one who is seminally defiled must not recite any of the Qur’an.” Tirmidhi transmitted it.

‘A'isha reported God’s messenger as saying, “Turn these houses so as not to face the mosque, for I do not make the mosque lawful for a menstruating woman or one who is seminally defiled.” Abu Dawud transmitted it.

‘Ali reported God’s messenger as saying, “The angels do not enter a house in which there is a picture, a dog, or one who is defiled.” Abu Dawud and Nasa’i transmitted it.

‘Ammar b. Yasir reported God’s messenger as saying, “There are three whom the angels do not approach, the dead body of an infidel, one who is smeared with khaluq,* and one who is sexually defiled unless he performs ablution.” *A liquid, yellow perfume mainly composed of saffron. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

‘Abdallah b. Abu Bakr b. Muhammad b. ‘Amr b. Hazm said that the letter sent by God's messenger to ‘Amr b. Hazm contained the words, “Only one who is pure must touch the Qur’an.” Malik and Daraqutni transmitted it.

I accompanied Ibn ‘Umar who wanted to relieve himself. After doing so, in the course of his talk that day he said that a man going along a street met God’s messenger when he came out of the privy, or had passed water, and saluted him without receiving any response. Then when the man was almost going out of sight in the street God’s messenger struck his hands on a wall, wiped his face with them, struck once more and wiped his forearms, then responded to the man’s salutation, saying, “The only thing which prevented me from responding to your salutation was that I was not in a state of purity.” Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Al-Muhajir b. Qunfudh said that he came upon the Prophet when he was passing water and saluted him, but he did not respond to the salutation till he had performed ablution. He then made his excuse to him saying, “I dislike mentioning God's name except when I am in a state of purity.” Abu Dawud transmitted it. Nasa’i transmitted it up to “till he had performed ablution” and said, “then when he had performed ablution he responded to it.”

Umm Salama said that God’s messenger would become defiled, then go to sleep, then awake, then go to sleep again. Ahmad transmitted it.

Shu'ba said that when Ibn ‘Abbas washed because of seminal defilement he emptied water seven times from his right hand over his left hand, then washed his private parts. Once he forgot how often he had emptied it, so he asked Shu'ba, but he replied that he did not know, so he said, “You should be ashamed of yourself. What prevents you from knowing?” Then he would perform his ablution for prayer, then pour water over his body and say, “Thus was God’s messenger accustomed to purify himself.” Abu Dawud transmitted it.

One day God’s messenger visited his wives, washing after intercourse with each, so I asked, “Messenger of God, why do you not simply wash once at the end?” He replied, “This is purer, better and cleaner. Ahmad and Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Al-Hakam b. ‘Amr said that God’s messenger forbade that a man should perform ablution with the water left over by his wife after purifying herself. Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah and Tirmidhi transmitted it. Tirmidhi adding “Or he said, “With her leavings’.” He said that this is a hasan sahih tradition.

Humaid al-Himyari said, “I met a man who was a companion of the Prophet for four years, as was Abu Huraira. He said that God’s messenger forbade that a woman should wash in water left over by a man, or that a man should wash in water left over by a woman.” Musaddad added that they should use it together. Abu Dawud and Nasa’i transmitted it, and Ahmad added at the beginning, “He forbade any of us to use a comb every day, or pass water in a bathing place.” Ibn Majah transmitted it from ‘Abdallah b. Sarjis.

Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, “None of you must pass water into standing water that is not flowing, then wash in it.” (Bukhari and Muslim.) In a version by Muslim he said, “None of you must wash in standing water when he is sexually defiled.” Abu Huraira was asked how it was to be done, and said that it was to be taken out in handfuls.

Jabir said that God’s messenger forbade passing water in motionless water. Muslim transmitted it.

My maternal aunt took me to the Prophet and said, “My nephew is ill.” So he wiped my head, invoked a blessing on me, then performed ablution, and I drank some of the water he had used. Then I stood up behind his back and looked at the seal of prophecy between his shoulders, like the button on a bride’s pavilion. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Ibn ‘Umar said that when God’s messenger was asked about water in desert country and what is frequented by animals and wild beasts, he replied, “When there is enough water to fill two pitchers it bears no impurity.” Ahmad, Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, Nasa'i, Darimi and Ibn Majah transmitted it. Another version by Abu Dawud has, “It does not become unclean.”

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri said that some people asked God’s messenger whether they might perform ablution out of the well of Buda‘a, which was a well into which menstrual cloths, dead dogs and stinking things were thrown, and he replied, “Water is pure and is not defiled by anything.” Ahmad, Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud and Nasa’i transmitted it.

Abu Huraira said that a man told God’s messenger that he sailed on the sea taking a small quantity of water with him. As he would suffer from thirst if he used this for ablution, he asked whether he might use sea water for that purpose, and received the reply, “Its water is pure, and what dies a natural death in it is lawful food.” Malik, Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, Nasa'i, Ibn Majah and Darimi transmitted it.

Abu Zaid quoted ‘Abdallah b. Mas'ud as saying that on the night when the jinn listened to the Qur’an* the Prophet asked him what was in his skin vessel, and when he replied that he had some nabidh, he said, “It consists of fresh dates and pure water.” *Lit "the night of the jinn" After Abu Talib’s death the Prophet went to at-Ta’if to proclaim his message, but was driven out. Returning to Mecca, he spent a night in the valley of Nakhla and we are told that a company of the jinn listened to him reciting the Qur’an See sura lxxii. Abu Dawud transmitted it, and Ahmad and Tirmidhi added that he performed ablution from it. Tirmidhi said that Abu Zaid is unknown, and there is a sound tradition in which ‘Alqama quotes ‘Abdallah b. Mas'ud as saying, “I was not with God’s messenger on the night when the jinn listened.” Muslim transmitted it.

Kabsha daughter of Ka‘b b. Malik and wife of Ibn Abu Qatada said that Abu Qatada visited her and she poured out water for him for ablution. A cat came and drank some of it, and he tilted the vessel for it till it had had a drink. Kabsha said that when he saw her looking at him he asked, “Are you surprised, my niece?” When she replied that she was, he declared that God’s messenger said, “It is not unclean; it is one of those who go round among you.” Malik, Ahmad, Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, Nasa’i, Ibn Majah and Darimi transmitted it.

Dawud b. Salih b. Dinar quoted his mother as saying that her mistress sent her to ‘A'isha with some hari a. She said that she found her praying and that she signed to her to lay it down. A cat came and ate some of it, but when ‘A'isha finished praying she ate from the place where the cat had eaten, stating that God’s messenger had said, “It is not unclean; it is one of those who go round among you adding that she had seen God’s messenger using water it had left to perform his ablution. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Jabir said that when God’s messenger was asked whether ablution might be performed with water which asses had left, he replied, “Yes, and with what all beasts of prey leave.” Baghawi transmitted it in Sharh as-sunna.

Umm Hani’ said that God’s messenger and Maimuna washed in a bowl containing traces of dough. Nasa’i and Ibn Majah transmitted it.