In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.
The Ifadah Center
for Human Studies and Research
presents
An Abridgment of Sahih al-Bukhari.
Chapter: Performing ablution by washing each limb once.
On the authority of Ibn 'Abbas, who said:
"The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) performed ablution, washing each limb once."
Commentary on the hadith:
"The Prophet (peace be upon him) performed ablution, washing each limb once,"
meaning that he washed each limb a single time,
and likewise wiped the head once.
Key takeaways from the hadith:
Among the lessons derived from the hadith are:
It is obligatory in ablution to wash each limb once,
while whatever exceeds that is Sunnah.
The hadith also contains evidence that running the fingers through the beard is not obligatory;
for if one washes his face only once,
there remains no excess water in his hand with which to comb through it.
Chapter: Performing ablution by washing each limb twice.
On the authority of 'Abdullah ibn Zayd,
that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) performed ablution, washing each limb twice.
Commentary on the hadith:
"He performed ablution, washing each limb twice,"
meaning that he washed every limb two times.
Key takeaways from the hadith:
Among the lessons derived from the hadith are:
It is permissible to wash each limb twice in ablution,
and that it is not a condition for ablution to be performed in odd numbers—
whether once or thrice.
Chapter: Performing ablution by washing each limb thrice.
On the authority of Humran, who said:
"I saw 'Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) perform ablution:
he poured water over his hands three times,
then rinsed his mouth and snuffed water into his nostrils and blew it out,
then washed his face three times,
then washed his right hand up to the elbow three times,
then washed his left hand up to the elbow three times,
then wiped his head,
then washed his right foot three times,
then the left one three times.
He then said:
'I saw the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
perform ablution in a manner similar to this ablution of mine.'
He then said:
'Whoever performs ablution like this ablution of mine,
and then prays two rak'ahs without letting his mind wander in them,
will have his past sins forgiven.'"
In another narration:
"No person performs ablution properly,
and then observes the prayer,
except that his sins between that prayer and the next
will be forgiven, until he prays it."
Commentary on the hadith:
"He poured,"
meaning he poured out water to wash with.
"And blew it out" (istinthar):
istinthar refers to expelling water from the nose after sniffing it in.
"The elbow" (al-mirfaq):
it is the joint connecting the forearm to the upper arm.
"Without letting his mind wander in them":
what is meant
is divesting oneself of worldly preoccupations,
allowing the remembrance of Allah Almighty to predominate over the heart.
"Will have his past sins forgiven":
the promised reward is contingent upon two matters:
the first
is performing ablution in the aforementioned manner,
and the second
is praying two rak'ahs immediately thereafter.
"Performs ablution properly":
to complete it and perform it thoroughly.
Key takeaways from the hadith:
It is permissible to receive assistance in performing ablution,
though this involves further scholarly detail.
It also provides guidance regarding ordering between the recommended and obligatory acts,
though some scholars held that the prescribed order applies to the obligatory acts, not the recommended ones.
Among the lessons derived from the hadith is
that acts of worship are founded upon strict emulation,
and teaching by practical demonstration and application
leaves a deeper impression on the learner.
Chapter: Snuffing water and blowing it out during ablution.
On the authority of Abu Hurayrah,
that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
"When one of you performs ablution,
let him put water into his nose
and then blow it out;
and whoever cleans himself with stones should do so in an odd number;
and when one of you wakes up from sleep,
let him wash his hand before putting it into his ablution water,
for none of you knows where his hand spent the night."
Commentary on the hadith:
"And whoever cleans himself with stones" (istajmara):
istijmar
is wiping the area of urine and stool using jimār,
which are small stones.
"His ablution water" (wudu'ihi):
meaning the water used to perform ablution.
"Where his hand spent the night":
whether on a clean part of his body or an impure one.
Key takeaways from the hadith:
Among the lessons derived from the hadith are:
It is recommended to use an odd number of stones when cleaning oneself after relieving nature.
When the Lawgiver states a ruling and follows it with a rationale,
it indicates that the ruling is established because of that reason.
It implies the dislike of dipping one's hands into an ablution vessel before washing them,
whether waking up from nighttime sleep or daytime sleep.
It highlights the recommendation of exercising precaution in matters of worship,
and the recommendation of using euphemisms for matters one is customarily shy to mention explicitly.
Chapter: Washing the heels.
On the authority of Muhammad ibn Ziyad, who said:
"I heard Abu Hurayrah
—while he was passing by us as people were performing ablution from a water basin—
say:
'Perform your ablution thoroughly,
for Abu al-Qasim (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
"Woe to the heels from the Fire!"'"
Commentary on the hadith:
Chapter: Washing the heels.
"The heel" (al-'aqib):
is the hindmost bone that holds the back strap of the sandal.
"From the water basin" (al-mataharah):
meaning the vessel containing water for purification.
"Thoroughly" (asbighu):
isbagh
means ensuring the water reaches all required areas
and giving every limb its due share of washing.
"Woe" (wayl):
a word indicating punishment,
uttered to anyone who falls into a ruin they fully deserve.
Key takeaways from the hadith:
Among the lessons derived from the hadith are:
It is obligatory to wash both feet completely,
and wiping over them is not sufficient.
It contains guidance on instructing the ignorant,
the permissibility of being stern when censuring an error,
and the encouragement to check areas where water typically does not reach without careful inspection.
Chapter: Washing the feet while wearing sandals,
and that one does not merely wipe over sandals.
On the authority of 'Ubayd ibn Jurayj,
that he said to 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar:
"O Abu 'Abd al-Rahman,
I have observed you doing four things
that I have not seen any of your companions do."
He asked:
"And what are they, O Ibn Jurayj?"
He replied:
"I have seen that you do not touch any of the corners except the two Yamani corners;
I have seen you wearing tanned leather sandals;
I have seen you dyeing with yellow;
and I have seen that whenever you are in Makkah,
the people enter ihram as soon as they see the crescent moon,
while you do not enter ihram until the Day of Tarwiyah."
'Abdullah said:
"As for the corners,
I have not seen the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) touch any except the two Yamani corners.
As for the tanned leather sandals,
I saw the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) wear hairless leather sandals
and perform ablution while wearing them,
so I love to wear them.
As for the yellow dye,
I saw the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) dye with it,
so I love to dye with it.
As for entering ihram,
I have not seen the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) raise his voice in ihram
until his mount stood upright with him."
In another narration:
"Whenever he placed his foot in the stirrup
and his camel stood fully upright,
he would enter ihram from near the mosque of Dhu al-Hulayfah."
Commentary on the hadith:
"You do not touch":
meaning you do not embrace or touch with the hand
"any of the corners":
meaning the four corners of the Ka'bah,
"except the two Yamani corners":
which are the Black Stone Corner and the Yamani Corner.
"Tanned leather sandals" (al-ni'al al-sibtiyyah):
it is said they are sandals made from tanned cowhide devoid of hair.
"You dye with yellow":
it is said
this refers to dyeing garments with saffron and the like,
and it is also said
to mean dyeing the hair yellow.
"The people enter ihram" (ahalla al-nas):
ihlal
is raising the voice with the talbiyah.
"They see the crescent moon":
meaning the crescent moon of Dhu al-Hijjah.
"The Day of Tarwiyah":
is the eighth day of Dhu al-Hijjah.
"Until it stood upright" (tanba'itha):
meaning until it rises and stands straight.
"His mount" (rahilah):
meaning his riding camel,
whether male or female.
"The stirrup" (al-gharz):
meaning the stirrup used for mounting camels
provided that it is made of leather.
Points of benefit from the hadith:
It is derived from the hadith
that Ibn 'Umar, may Allah be pleased with him and his father, adhered strictly to the Sunnah;
that the obligation regarding the feet
is washing, not wiping;
and that dyeing with yellow is permissible.
Chapter: Beginning with the Right Side in Ablution and Ritual Bathing.
On the authority of Umm 'Atiyyah, may Allah be pleased with her, who said:
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, came in to us
while we were washing his daughter,
and said,
"Wash her three times, or five,
or more than that,
with water and sidr (lotus leaves),
and put camphor in the final wash.
When you have finished, notify me."
So when we finished, we notified him,
and he threw his waist-wrapper (haqw) to us,
saying,
"Wrap her inner shroud with it."
And in it:
"Wash her an odd number of times."
And in it:
"Three, five, or seven times."
And in it, he said,
"Begin with her right side
and with the parts washed in ablution."
And in it,
Umm 'Atiyyah said,
"And we combed her hair into three braids."
In another narration:
"And we placed them behind her."
Commentary on the hadith:
"His daughter"
refers to Zaynab, may Allah be pleased with her.
"Sidr"
refers to the leaves of the lote tree,
used to remove dirt
and to retard decomposition.
"Camphor"
is a sweet-smelling plant
that hardens the body,
and vermin are repelled by its scent.
"Notify me" (ādhinnanī)
means: inform me.
"Haqw"
means: his waist-wrapper (izār).
"Wrap her inner shroud with it" (ash'irnahā iyyāh):
The term ish'ār
refers to dressing someone in the undergarment that touches the skin directly;
the meaning is:
make this waist-wrapper her inner shroud.
"Begin with her right side"
means: in both the full washing and the ablution.
"And we combed her hair into three braids"
means: they plaited her hair into three braids
after detangling it with a comb.
Points of benefit from the hadith:
It is derived from the hadith
that it is recommended to begin with the right side when washing the deceased,
and by extension, this applies to acts of ritual purification
as well as all virtuous deeds;
that it is permissible to shroud a woman in a man's garment.
The hadith also demonstrates
the manner of washing and shrouding a female deceased,
that women have the greatest right to wash women,
and the mercy of the Prophet, peace be upon him,
and his compassion toward his daughter.
The hadith also indicates
that one who washes a deceased is not obligated to perform a ritual bath,
since the Prophet, peace be upon him, did not instruct
Umm 'Atiyyah, may Allah be pleased with her, to do so.
On the authority of 'A'ishah, who said:
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
used to like starting from the right side whenever possible, in all his affairs:
in his purification—
in another narration:
"and in his ablution"—
in combing his hair, and in putting on his sandals.
Commentary on the hadith:
"Starting from the right" (tayāmun)
means: beginning with the right side.
"In all his affairs"
is a general statement,
specified by other textual evidence
such as cleansing oneself after relieving nature with the left hand, and the like.
"His purification"
means: his ritual purification,
whether ablution or otherwise.
"Combing his hair"
means: dressing and combing it.
"Putting on his sandals"
means: slipping them onto his feet.
Points of benefit from the hadith:
It is derived from the hadith
that starting with the right is meritorious in all matters,
except where a text indicates otherwise;
and that the recommendation to begin with the right is waived in cases of incapacity.
Chapter: Seeking Water for Ablution
When the Time for Prayer Arrives.
On the authority of Anas ibn Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, set out
on one of his journeys
accompanied by a group of his Companions.
They proceeded on their way
until the time for prayer arrived—
in another narration:
"the 'Asr prayer"—
but they could find no water to perform ablution.
Then a man from among the people went
and brought a vessel containing a little water—
in another narration:
"a stone basin"—
so the Prophet, peace be upon him, took it
and performed ablution,
then placed his four fingers over the vessel,
and said,
"Stand up and perform ablution."
In another narration:
"And I saw the water gushing from beneath his fingers."
So the people performed ablution
until all of them had completed their ablution as they needed,
and they numbered seventy or thereabouts—
in another narration:
"eighty and some more"—
and in yet another narration:
"three hundred,
or nearly three hundred."
Commentary on the hadith:
"His journeys" (makhārijih)
means: his travels.
"He brought a vessel" (qadaḥ):
The qadaḥ is a drinking bowl or vessel.
"A stone basin" (mikhḍab min ḥijārah)
means: a stone tub used for washing clothes,
also called an ijjānah.
"Then he placed his four fingers over the vessel,"
and the water gushed forth.
This miracle is even greater than water bursting forth from a rock,
because rocks naturally yield water.
Points of benefit from the hadith:
It is derived from the hadith
that seeking water for purification is not obligatory before the prayer time enters;
that one is encouraged to keep righteous company while traveling;
and that sharing surplus water beyond one's own purification needs is obligatory in times of necessity.
The hadith also demonstrates a miracle of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
Chapter: Water Used to Wash Human Hair.
On the authority of Anas,
that when the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, shaved his head,
Abu Talhah was the first to take some of his hair.
Commentary on the hadith:
"Chapter: Water Used to Wash Human Hair":
Human hair is ritually pure;
therefore, the water used to wash it remains pure.
"When the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, shaved his head":
This took place on the Day of Sacrifice in Mina,
and the one who shaved his head was Ma'mar ibn 'Abdullah.
Points of benefit from the hadith:
It is derived from the hadith
that it is permissible to keep the hair of the Prophet, peace be upon him, and seek blessings through it,
and that it is ritually pure;
and it illustrates the eagerness of the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, to preserve the Prophet's relics.
Chapter:
If a Dog Drinks from Anyone's Vessel, Let Him Wash It Seven Times.
On the authority of Abu Hurayrah, who said
that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:
"If a dog drinks from anyone's vessel,
let him wash it seven times."
Commentary on the hadith:
"If it drinks" (shariba)
means: if it laps with its tongue,
which is referred to as walagh.
"A dog":
There is no distinction between a dog permitted to be kept and any other,
due to the general wording of the text.
Points of benefit from the hadith:
The hadith contains an allusion prohibiting the keeping of dogs,
by emphasizing the severity of its impurity above all other impurities.
It establishes the ritual impurity of a dog's leftover water,
and the stipulation of seven washings:
is it for thorough cleansing, or is it purely a devotional obligation?
There are two scholarly views on this.
On the authority of Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him,
that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:
"While a man was walking along,
he grew intensely thirsty.
He descended into a well and drank from it,
then climbed out,
only to find a dog panting heavily,
eating moist earth out of extreme thirst.
The man said,
'This dog has suffered thirst just as I did.'
So he filled his leather sock with water,
held it in his mouth,
climbed up, and gave the dog a drink.
Allah appreciated his deed
and forgave him."
They asked,
"O Messenger of Allah,
will we truly be rewarded for serving animals?"
He replied,
"In serving every living being with a moist liver, there is a reward."
Commentary on the hadith:
"Panting" (yalhath)
means its tongue was hanging out from extreme thirst or heat.
"Licking the moist earth" (ya'kulu al-thara)
refers to damp soil.
"He held it in his mouth"
means he held his leather sock between his teeth,
because he had to use both hands to climb up out of the well.
"Raqiya"
means he ascended.
"In every moist liver there is a reward"
means in serving every living, animate creature.
Benefits derived from the hadith:
Providing water is the most virtuous form of charity;
it encourages kindness toward every inviolable animal
whose killing we have not been commanded;
it underscores the prohibition of abusing any inviolable animal,
and the sinfulness of doing so.
Some Malikis argued
that this hadith proves
the ritual purity of a dog's leftover water,
because some of its saliva would have remained in the leather sock.
On the authority of 'Adi Ibn Hatim (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:
"I asked the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) about the blunt-tipped arrow (mi'rad),"
and he replied:
"If it strikes with its sharp edge, eat;
and in another narration:
'Eat whatever it pierces.'
But if it strikes with its broadside and kills,
then it has been killed by a blunt impact (waqidh),
so do not eat it."
I said,
"I release my hunting hound,"
and he said:
"If you release your hound—
and in another narration:
'your trained hound'—
and you mention the name of Allah,
then eat."
I asked,
"What if it eats from it?"
He replied,
"Then do not eat,
for it did not catch it for you;
it caught it only for itself."
I asked,
"What if I release my hound,
but find another dog with it?"
He said,
"Do not eat,
for you mentioned Allah's name only over your hound,
not over the other."
In another narration:
"If you shoot game and find it after a day or two,
bearing no mark other than your arrow,
then eat;
but if it has fallen into water,
do not eat."
"Al-Mi'rad"
is a broad blade that has weight and heaviness.
"With its sharp edge"
means it cut or pierced,
so the struck animal is properly slaughtered.
"With its broadside"
means it neither cut nor pierced,
but killed merely through its heavy impact.
"Waqidh"
is game killed by a stick, blunt object, or the like.
"It did not catch it for you":
catching it for one's master requires that the hound not eat from it.
"Trained"
refers to a hound that desists when restrained,
pursues when dispatched,
and does not eat from the catch on a single occasion,
but consistently demonstrates this behavior.
Benefits derived from the hadith:
The Muslims are unanimously agreed on the permissibility of hunting
for earning a livelihood and out of need,
and utilizing game for food and other purposes;
and that four conditions must be met
for game caught by a hound to be lawful:
first,
intentionally dispatching the hound;
second,
that it be properly trained;
third,
that it catch the game for its master by not eating from it;
and fourth,
that one mention the name of Allah upon releasing it.
Chapter: On Those Who Hold That Wudu Is Required Only from the Two Passages,
the private parts and the anus.
On the authority of Abu Hurayrah,
from the Prophet (peace be upon him), who said:
"A person's prayer in congregation exceeds his prayer in his house
and his prayer in his marketplace
by twenty-five degrees.
For when one of you performs wudu thoroughly,
and comes to the mosque intending only to pray,
he does not take a single step except that Allah raises him by it a degree,
and erases from him a sin,
until he enters the mosque.
Once he enters the mosque,
he remains in prayer so long as the prayer detains him,
and they pray—
meaning the angels pray for him—
so long as he remains in the spot where he prayed:
'O Allah, forgive him;
O Allah, have mercy upon him,'
so long as he does not break his wudu therein."
In another narration:
"So long as he does not cause harm therein."
In another narration:
"So long as he does not stand up from his prayer."
In another narration:
"A non-Arab man asked,
'What does breaking wudu mean, O Abu Hurayrah?'
He replied,
'A sound,'
meaning passing wind with sound."
Commentary on the hadith:
"The prayer of the collective"
means the congregational prayer.
"His prayer in his house"
refers to praying alone,
since prayer at home is usually performed individually.
"Performs wudu thoroughly":
thoroughness in wudu
means completing it properly while observing its Sunnahs and etiquettes.
"Detains him"
means remaining in the mosque waiting for the prayer.
"And the angels pray for him"
means they supplicate for him.
"So long as he does not break his wudu therein"
means so long as his wudu remains intact.
"So long as he does not cause harm therein"
means so long as he harms no one in his place of prayer with word or deed.
"Passing wind"
was mentioned to draw attention to the nullifiers of wudu.
Benefits derived from the hadith:
It is derived from the hadith
that the virtue of congregational prayer is clarified,
as well as the virtue of awaiting the prayer,
for waiting for it is itself an act of worship;
and it contains an exhortation to maintain one's state of wudu.
On the authority of Zayd Ibn Khalid,
who asked 'Uthman Ibn 'Affan (may Allah be pleased with him):
"I said,
'What is your view if a man has intercourse but does not ejaculate?'
'Uthman replied,
'He should perform wudu just as he does for prayer,
and wash his penis.'
'Uthman added,
'I heard this from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).'
I then asked 'Ali, al-Zubayr, Talhah, and Ubayy Ibn Ka'b (may Allah be pleased with them) about that,
and they instructed him to do the same."
Commentary on the hadith:
"What is your view?"
means: "Inform me."
"He does not ejaculate"
means no semen was emitted that would necessitate ghusl.
"And wash his penis"
because of its becoming defiled by prostatic fluid (madhy).
"They instructed him to do the same"
means merely performing wudu and washing the penis.
Benefits derived from the hadith:
In the hadith there is an inversion in phrasing,
the intended order being: he washes his penis and then performs wudu,
even though the conjunction 'and' (waw) does not inherently imply sequence,
but rather simple combination.
This hadith has been abrogated by scholarly consensus:
once the two circumcised parts meet,
ghusl becomes obligatory upon him,
whether he ejaculated or not.
On the authority of Abu Sa'id al-Khudri,
that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)
sent for a man from the Ansar,
who arrived with his head dripping wet.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said,
"Perhaps we rushed you?"
He replied, "Yes."
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) then said,
"If you are rushed or interrupted before climaxing,
then you need only perform wudu."
Commentary on the hadith:
"A man from the Ansar"
was 'Itban Ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him).
"With his head dripping"
means dripping with water from performing ghusl.
"We rushed you"
means we hurried you,
so you did not fulfill your need during intercourse.
"Quhit-ta"
comes from aqhata al-rajul,
if one engages in intercourse but experiences no ejaculation.
Among the benefits derived from this hadith:
The hadith has been abrogated, as mentioned previously.
It also indicates the recommendation of remaining constantly in a state of ritual purity,
for the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
did not reprimand him for delaying his response.
It also shows the permissibility of relying on strong circumstantial evidence,
as the traces of the ritual bath indicated that he had been occupied with intimate relations.