Ahadith

ʿImrān (r.a) narrated: ‘We were on a journey with the Prophet (sa). We left at night, and as the last part of the night approached, we fell asleep; a rest especially sweet for travellers. Only the heat of the sun stirred us from our sleep. The first to awaken was one person, followed by another, and then another; Abū Rajāʾ named them but ʿAwf forgot. Then ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb (r.a) was the fourth. When the Prophet (sa) would sleep, no-one would wake him until he woke up himself, because we did not know what may have happened with him during his sleep. When ʿUmar (r.a) woke and saw what had happened to the people, and he was a resolute man, he started proclaiming ‘Allāhu Akbar’, raising his voice with the takbīr, and he continued to proclaim ‘Allāhu Akbar’ and raise his voice with the takbīr until the Prophet (sa) woke, stirred by the sound. When he [the Prophet (sa)] woke up, the people complained to him about what had afflicted them. He replied: “There is no harm.” Or, he said: “It will cause no harm; go forth!” So they departed. They had not travelled far when the Holy Prophet (sa) dismounted. He called for water to perform the wuḍūʾ and did accordingly. The Adhān was performed and he led the people in Prayer. After concluding the Prayer, he noticed a man standing to the side. He asked: “O so-and-so, what prevented you from offering Prayer with the people?” He replied: “I am in a state of major ritual impurity (janābah), and there is no water.” He replied: “You should have used dust [to perform tayammum]; it would have sufficed you.” Then, the Prophet (sa) continued onwards and the people complained to him of thirst. So he dismounted and called on a certain individual – Abū Rajāʾ mentioned his name but ʿAwf forgot it – and sent for ʿAlī (r.a). He said: “The two of you should go and search for water.” They set off and encountered a woman seated on her camel between two waterskins [or two canteens] filled with water. They asked her: “Where is the water?” She replied: “I was at the water at approximately this time yesterday and our convoy is behind me.” They said to her: “Come with us.” She inquired: “To where?” They replied: “To the Messenger of Allāh.” She asked: “The one called Ṣābī?” They affirmed: “Certainly, he is the one you are referring to; come with us.” They escorted her to the Prophet (sa) and recounted to him the story.’ He [ʿImrān (r.a), the narrator] said: ‘They dismounted her from her camel, and the Prophet (sa) asked for a vessel and emptied the contents from the mouths of the two water-skins (or two canteens). He then tied their mouths and opened the nozzles at the bottom, and the following was announced to the people: “Drink and provide water [for your animals].” Consequently, whoever wanted to provide water [for their animals] did so and whoever desired to drink did so. Finally, he gave a pot of water to the man in a state of janābah and said: “Go and pour it over yourself.” The woman was standing there, looking at what was being done with her water. By Allāh, when they [the water-skins] were done with, we thought they held more than when he had begun. The Prophet (sa) said: “Collect [some provisions] for her.” So they collected dates, flour and powdered, parched grain for her, amassing some food and then placing it all in a cloth. They helped her onto her camel and positioned the cloth in front of her. He said to her: “Do you know that we have not taken anything from your water, but it was Allāh Who gave us water?” Then, she went to her people from whom she had been away. They asked: “What held you back, so-and-so?” She replied: “Something strange [happened]. Two men met me, took me to the man they call the Ṣābī and he did such-and-such. By Allāh, he is either the greatest sorcerer among the people between this and that”, and she indicated with her middle finger and index finger [to the ground] and then raised them towards the sky, signifying the sky and the earth, “or he is certainly the Messenger of Allāh.” After this incident, when fighting ensued between the Muslims and the idolators, the Muslims fought those around her but did not harm her or her tribe. Then, one day, she said to her people: “I believe these people are sparing you intentionally, so are you inclined to join Islām?” They heeded her counsel and embraced Islām.’ Abū ʿAbd Allāh [al-Bukhārī (rh)] said: ‘Ṣabaʾa means one who converts from one religion to another.’ And Abū al-ʿĀliyah says that the Ṣābīs were a group of the People of the Book who read the Zabūr [the scripture of David, or the Psalms]. Aṣbu [a word which has appeared in Sūrat Yūsuf, 12:34] means ‘I will incline’.

Abū Wāʾil narrated that Abū Mūsá (r.a) inquired of ʿAbd Allāh ibn Masʿūd (r.a): ‘If one cannot find water, should one not offer Prayer?’ ʿAbd Allāh (r.a) responded: ‘Yes, if I were unable to find water for a month, I would not offer Prayer; and if I were to give them permission in this regard, any of them finding it cold would do the same, that is, perform tayammum and offer Ṣalāh.’ He [Abū Mūsá] further said that he enquired about the statement of ʿAmmār (r.a) from ʿUmar (r.a). He replied: ‘I do not think ʿUmar (r.a) was convinced by the statement of ʿAmmār (r.a).’

Al-Aʿmash narrates that he heard Shaqīq ibn Salamah say: ‘I was once with ʿAbd Allāh and Abū Mūsá (r.a) when the latter asked him: “O Abū ʿAbd al-Raḥmān, if someone is in a state of major ritual impurity and cannot find water, what should he do?” ʿAbd Allāh (r.a) replied: “He should not offer Ṣalāh until he finds water.” Abū Mūsá asked: “What is your view regarding the statement of ʿAmmār (r.a), when the Prophet (sa) said to him: ‘It [tayammum] would have sufficed you’?” He argued: “Do you not see that ʿUmar was not convinced by this?” Abū Mūsá (r.a) said: “Leaving aside the statement of ʿAmmār, what do you make of this verse?” ʿAbd Allāh (r.a) could not provide an answer but said: “If we were to afford them leniency in this matter, it is possible that any of them who felt that the water was too cold would leave it and perform tayammum.” When Shaqīq was asked if this was why ʿAbd Allāh (r.a) disliked it, he affirmed: “Yes”.’

Shaqīq narrated that he was sitting with ʿAbd Allāh (r.a) and Abū Mūsá al-Ashʿarī (r.a) when the latter asked him: ‘If a man falls into a state of major ritual impurity and cannot find water for a whole month, would he not perform tayammum and offer Prayer? Then what do you make of the verse in Sūrat al-Māʾidah; “And if... you find not water, betake yourselves to pure dust?’ ʿAbd Allāh (r.a) replied: ‘If they are given permission in this matter, then those who feel that the water is too cold could perform tayammum with pure earth.’ I asked: ‘Do you dislike it because of this possibility?’ He replied: ‘Yes’. Then Abū Mūsá (r.a) said: ‘Have you not heard the statement of ʿAmmār (r.a) to ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb (r.a): “The Messenger of Allāh (sa) sent me for a task and I fell into a state of major ritual impurity. I did not find water, so I wallowed in the earth as animals do [to perform tayammum]. I mentioned this to the Prophet (sa), and he said: ‘It would have been enough for you to simply do this’.”’ Then he struck his hands once on the earth, shook them off and then used them to wipe the back of his right hand with his left hand or the back of his left hand with his right hand. Then he wiped his face with both of them. ʿAbd Allāh (r.a) said: ‘Do you not see that ʿUmar (r.a) was unconvinced by the statement of ʿAmmār (r.a)?’ Shaqīq added [in another narration]: ‘I was with ʿAbd Allāh and Abū Mūsá (r.a), and Abū Mūsá (r.a) said to him: “Have you not heard the statement of ʿAmmār (r.a) to ʿUmar (r.a): ‘The Messenger of Allāh sent me and you, and I fell into a state of major ritual impurity, so I rolled in the earth. Then we came to the Messenger of Allāh and told him about it, and he said: “It would have been enough for you to simply do this”.”’

ʿImrān ibn Ḥuṣain al-Khuzāʿī (r.a) narrated: ‘The Messenger of Allāh (sa) saw a man who was keeping himself away from everyone and did not offer Prayer with the people. He asked him: “O so-and-so, what prevented you from praying with the people?” He replied: “I am in a state of major ritual impurity and there is no water.” He [the Prophet (sa)] said: “You should have used dust [to perform tayammum]; it would have sufficed you”.’