Ahadith

Yaḥyá al-Māzinī narrated that a man asked ʿAbd Allāh ibn Zaid (r.a), the grandfather of ʿAmr ibn Yaḥyá: ‘Can you show me how the Messenger of Allāh (sa) used to perform ablution?’ ʿAbd Allāh ibn Zaid (r.a) replied in the affirmative. He sent for some water, poured it over his hands and washed them twice. Then, he rinsed his mouth and cleared out his nostrils, three times. Following that, he washed his face three times, then his arms up to the elbows, twice. He then passed his wet hands over his head, moving them forward and bringing them back from the rear, beginning at the front of his head and guiding them to the nape of his neck before returning to the starting point. Finally, he washed his feet.

Yaḥyá al-Māzinī related: ‘I witnessed ʿAmr ibn Abī Ḥasan asking ʿAbd Allāh ibn Zaid about the ablution of the Prophet (sa). He [ʿAbd Allāh ibn Zaid] requested a pot of water and proceeded to perform ablution [to demonstrate to] them [how] the Prophet (sa) would perform ablution. He poured water from the pot over his hands and washed his hands three times. Then, he immersed his hands into the pot, cleansing his mouth and drawing water into his nostrils, repeating the action three times. Then he immersed his hands in the water and washed his face three times. Then he washed each of his arms up to the elbows, twice. Then he immersed his hands in the pot and passed them over his head, moving them from the front and bringing them from the back, once. Then he washed his feet up to the ankles.’

Abū Juḥaifah (r.a) narrated: ‘Once, at noon, the Prophet (sa) came out to us and water for ablution was brought to him. He performed ablution, and people began to take from the water left over from his ablution and started to rub it on their bodies [for blessing]. Then the Prophet (sa) offered two rakaʿāt for the Ẓuhr Prayer and two rakaʿāt for the ʿAṣr Prayer, and there was a blade-tipped spear in front of him.’

Abū Mūsá (r.a) said: ‘The Prophet (sa) called for a cup of water, with which he washed his hands, face and rinsed his mouth. Then, he instructed both of them [Abū Mūsá and Bilāl (r.a)]: “Drink from this and pour it over your faces and chests”.’

Ṣāliḥ narrated from Ibn Shihāb that Maḥmūd ibn al-Rabīʿ informed him – and he was the one upon whose face the Messenger of Allāh (sa) had once splashed water from the well when he was a boy – and ʿUrwah reported from al-Miswar and others, each of them confirming the account of the other: ‘And when the Prophet (sa) performed his ablution, those present would compete with one another over the leftover water.’

Al-Sāʾib ibn Yazīd said: ‘My maternal aunt took me to the Prophet (sa) and said: “O Messenger of Allāh, the son of my sister is unwell”; so he passed his hand over my head and supplicated [to Allāh to send His] blessings on me. Then, he performed ablution, and I drank out of the remaining water [that he had used for] ablution. Then I stood behind him and witnessed the seal of Prophethood between his shoulders which resembled the button of a canopy (zirr al-ḥajalah).’

Yaḥyá al-Māzinī narrated from ʿAbd Allāh ibn Zaid that he poured water from a vessel over his hands and washed them. Then he washed [his face] – or [the narrator said] he rinsed his mouth – and drew water into his nose with one handful of water, doing so three times. Then he washed each of his hands up to the elbows twice and passed his wet hands over his head, both forwards and backwards. Then he washed his feet up to his ankles. Then he said: ‘This is what the ablution of the Messenger of Allāh (sa) was like.’

Yaḥyá al-Māzinī narrated: ‘I was present with ʿAmr ibn Abī Ḥasan when he asked ʿAbd Allāh ibn Zaid (r.a) about the ablution of the Prophet (sa). He sent for a pot of water and demonstrated the ablution for them. He poured water over his hands and washed them three times. Then, putting his hands in the pot, he rinsed his mouth and drew water into his nose and cleared out his nostrils, doing so three times with three handfuls of water. Then, he put his hand in the pot and washed his face thrice. Then he put his hand in the pot and washed each of his hands up to the elbows twice. Then, he ran his wet hands over his head, moving them to the front and bringing them from the back. Then he put his hand in the pot of water and washed his feet.’ Wuhaib said: ‘He wiped his head only once.’

ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿUmar reported: ‘Men and women used to perform ablution together in the time of the Messenger of Allāh (sa).’

Jābir (r.a) said: ‘The Messenger of Allāh (sa) came to visit me when I was ill and had lost consciousness. He performed ablution and then sprinkled the remaining water on me, [after which] I regained consciousness and asked: “O Messenger of Allāh! Who will inherit from me, as my only heirs are kalālah?” Thereafter, the verses regarding inheritance were revealed.’