Worship and the Pillars

‘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.)

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.

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

As-Sa'ib b. Yazid said: 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.)

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.

He also said that when a desert Arab got up and passed water in the mosque the people took hold of him, but the Prophet said to them, “Leave him alone, and pour a bucket* of water over what he has passed, for you have been sent only to make things easy and not to make things difficult.” *The text has sajl au dhanub, the transmitter not being sure which word was used. Both mean a bucket. Bukhari transmitted it.

Anas said: While we were in the mosque with God’s messenger a desert Arab came and began to pass water in the mosque. The companions of God's messenger said, “Stop! Stop!” but God’s messenger said, “Don’t interrupt him; leave him alone.” They left him alone, and when he had finished God’s messenger called him and said to him, “These mosques are not suitable places for urine and filth, but are only for remembrance of God, prayer and recitation of the Qur’an,” or however God’s messenger expressed it.* Anas said that he then grave orders to one of the people who brought a bucket and poured water over it. *Indicating that the transmitter is not sure of the exact words. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Asma’ daughter of Abu Bakr said that a woman asked God's messenger to tell her what one should do when blood from her menses dropped on her garment. He replied, “When blood from her menses drops on the garment of any of you, she should rub it with her fingers and sprinkle water on it, then she may pray in it.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Sulaiman b. Yasir said that he asked ‘A’isha about the prostatic fluid which gets on to a garment, and she replied, “I used to wash it from the garment at God's messenger, and he would go out to prayer with the mark of the washing on his garment." (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Umm Qais daughter of Mihsan told how she brought a young son of hers who was not yet weaned to God’s messenger. He set him on his lap, and the child passed water on his garment; so he called for water and sprinkled it, but did not wash it. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

‘Abdallah b. ‘Abbas said that he heard God’s messenger say, “When a skin is tanned it is pure." Muslim transmitted it.

He also said that a sheep was given in alms to a female client of Maimuna, but it died. God’s messenger came along and asked, “Why did you not take its skin and tan it and get some good out of it?" They replied, "It died a natural death." He said, “It is only the eating of it that is prohibited. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Sauda the Prophet’s wife said, "A sheep of ours died and we tanned its freshly flayed skin, then continued to steep dates in it till it was worn out." Bukhari transmitted it.