Abu Dawud

Chapter of Sahih Bukhari Hadith No. 6954: «بَابٌ في الصَّلاَةِ:»
Relevance between the Chapter and the Hadith:
What is the purpose of bringing «باب فى الصلاة» in the Book of Legal Stratagems (Kitab al-Hiyal)? And how is the hadith mentioned under the chapter heading relevant to the translation of the chapter? In reality, Imam Bukhari rahimahullah has refuted those who claim that if a person passes wind after sitting for the final tashahhud, his prayer is complete. Thus, their excuse is a legal stratagem (hiyal) to complete the prayer. For this reason, Imam Bukhari rahimahullah established a chapter regarding prayer, and the hadith he mentioned under the chapter is intended to completely demolish their stratagem.

Ibn Battal rahimahullah says:
«فيه ردّ على من قال إن من أحدث فى القعدة الأخيرة أن صلاته صحيحة لأنه أتي بما يضادها، و تعقب بأن الحدث فى أثنائها مفسد لها فهو كالجماع فى الحج لو طرأ فى خلاله لأفسده وكذا فى آخره.» [فتح الباري لابن حجر : 282/13]
“In this is a refutation of those who hold the view that if ablution (wudu) is nullified during the final sitting (of prayer), the prayer is valid, because he has performed an act contrary to the prayer. This has been countered by stating that the occurrence of a state of impurity (hadath) during prayer causes its invalidation, just as if one were to have intercourse during the time of Fajr, it would invalidate it. (In the same way, if ablution is nullified at any point during the prayer, the prayer is invalid and the person must repeat it.)”

Ibn al-Munir rahimahullah says:
«أشار البخارى بهذه الترجمة إلى الرد على قول من قال بصحة صلاة من أحدث عمدًا فى أثناء الجلوس الأخير و يكون حدثه كسلامه بأن ذالك من الحيل التصحيح الصلاة مع الحدث.» [فتح الساري : : 282/13]
“Imam Bukhari rahimahullah, through this chapter heading, has indicated a refutation of those who say that if someone deliberately breaks his ablution during the final tashahhud, his prayer is complete, and his state of impurity is like his saying of salam, that this is among the legal stratagems for validating the prayer with a hadith.”

From the statements of Ibn al-Munir and Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani rahimahumallah, it is understood that those who hold the view that if ablution is deliberately broken during the final tashahhud, the prayer is valid, should know that this too is among the legal stratagems regarding prayer, because the clear statement of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, which is transmitted under the chapter, is that “Allah does not accept the prayer of one who is in need of ablution.” Therefore, even if only the salam remains, he must repeat the prayer, because saying the salam is also among its most essential pillars. The explicit words are present in the authentic hadith: «تحليلها التسليم» Therefore, when a state of impurity occurs during prayer, neither under the chapter nor under its hadith will the prayer be valid.

Ibn al-Munir rahimahullah further writes:
«عدّ قول أبى حنيفة أن المحدث عمدًا فى أثناء الجلوس الأخير كالمسلّم، من التحيّل لتصحيح الصلاة مع الحدث، لأن البخاري رحمه الله بنى على أن التحلّل من الصلاة ركن منها، فلا يقبل مع الحدث.» [المتواري على ابواب البخاري : ص 341]
“That is, Imam Bukhari rahimahullah has considered that the one who deliberately remains in his prayer during the final sitting while in a state of impurity, this is among the legal stratagems for validating the prayer with a state of impurity. Imam Bukhari rahimahullah wants to establish that the salam is among the pillars of prayer, thus it will not be accepted according to the hadith.”

Allamah Badr al-Din ibn Jama‘ah rahimahullah also gives the same relevance, stating that saying the salam is as much a pillar of prayer as saying the takbir; when a state of impurity occurs, the prayer will not be valid.
«مقصوده فى ذكر الحيل الردّ على من صحح صلاته من الحدث فى التشهد الأخير لأنه متحمل فى صلاته مع وجود الحديث، و مراده أن هذا الحديث فى صلاته فلا يصح لأن للتحلل منها ركنا فيها بحديث و تحليلها التسليم، فالتحلل ركن منها كما أن التحرم بالتكبير ركن منها.» [مناسبات تراجم البخاري : ص 126]

Allamah Qastallani rahimahullah, in Irshad al-Sari, while explaining the relevance between the chapter heading and the hadith, says:
«ووجه تعلق الحديث بالترجمة: قيل: لأنه قصد الرد على الحنفية، حيث صحوا صلاة من أحدث فى الجلسة الأخيرة، و قالوا: إن التحلل يحصل بكل ما يضاد الصلاة فهم.» [ارشاد الساري : 316/11]
“That is, the relevance between the chapter heading and the hadith is from the aspect that it is said Imam Bukhari rahimahullah wants to refute the Hanafis through the chapter heading and the hadith, for according to them, if a state of impurity occurs during the final sitting, the prayer is valid. And it is said that this too is a stratagem, that the prayer is valid with a state of impurity. Therefore, the intent here is to refute them, that the prayer of one in a state of impurity will not be valid in any way, because the act of exiting the prayer, i.e., the salam, is a pillar of prayer, as is mentioned in the hadith: «تحليلها التسليم» just as the takbir is a pillar of prayer.”

Ibn Battal rahimahullah says:
«فيه رد على من قال: ان من أحدث فى القعدة الأخيرة أن صلاته صحيحة.» [عمدة القاري شرح صحيح البخاري، 159/24]
“This is a refutation of those who say that if ablution is nullified during the final sitting, the prayer is valid.”

From these quotations, it becomes clear that if a worshipper’s ablution is nullified, even at the time when he is about to say the salam in the tashahhud, he must repeat the prayer from the beginning. However, unfortunately, according to the Hanafis, the prayer of such a person is valid. The majority of the commentators have taken this position, but Allamah ‘Ayni rahimahullah lost the reins of forbearance and sought to refute Imam Bukhari rahimahullah himself. Thus, Allamah ‘Ayni rahimahullah, defending the Hanafis and employing a stratagem in the Book of Legal Stratagems, said:

SA «قلت لا مطابقة بين الحديث و الترجمة أصلاً فإنه لا يدل أصلاً على شيئي من الحيل، وقول الكرماني، فهم متحيلون فى صحة الصلاة مع وجود الحدث، كلام مردود غير مقبول أصلاً لأن الحنفية ما صححوا صلاة من أحدث فى القعدة الأخيرة بالحيلة، و ما للحيلة دخل أصلاً فى هذا، بل حكموا بذالك لقول صلى الله عليه وسلم، لابن مسعود رضي الله عنه، إذا قلت هذا أو فعلت هذا فقد تمت صلاتك، رواه أبوداؤد فى سننه و لفظه: إذا قلت هذا أو قضيت هذا فقد قضيت صلاتك ان شئت أن تقوم و إن شئت أن تقعد فاقعد، رواه أحمد . . . . . و قوله: وجه الرد أنه محدث فى صلاته، فلا تصح غير صحيح لأن صلاته قد تمت، و قوله لحديث: و تحليلها التسليم استدلال غير صحيح، لأنه خبر من أخبار الآحاد فلا يدل على الفرضية.» [عمدة القاري شرح صحيح البخاري، 159،160/24]
“The summary of Allamah ‘Ayni rahimahullah’s statement is that he says there is no correspondence between the chapter heading and the hadith, nor is this chapter based on any principle of legal stratagems. He says the Hanafis have not employed any stratagem, rather the ruling (that if ablution is nullified during the final sitting, the prayer is not invalidated) is present in the hadith of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, as in the hadith of Sayyiduna Ibn Mas‘ud radi Allahu anhu, which Imam Abu Dawud rahimahullah has mentioned in his Sunan:

«إذا قلت هذا أو قضيت هذا فقد قضيت صلاتك إن شئت أن تقوم و إن شئت أن تقعد فأقعد.» [سنن ابي داود : رقم الحدیث970]
‘That is, when you have said this, or he said: after you have done this, you have completed your prayer. If you wish, you may stand up, and if you wish, you may remain seated.’ This negates the idea that the salam is obligatory in prayer, because the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam gave the worshipper the choice to remain seated or to stand up. Furthermore, regarding the narration whose words are: «تحليلها التسليم» Allamah ‘Ayni rahimahullah writes that this reasoning is not correct, because this narration is from a solitary report (khabar wahid), and regarding the ruling about the beginning of prayer: «تحريمها التكبير» Allamah Sahib has also declared it unsound.”

EA Answers to the Objections of Allamah ‘Ayni Hanafi rahimahullah:
The first evidence presented by Allamah ‘Ayni rahimahullah, that «إذا قلت هذا أو قضيت هذا . . . . .» this narration is not a marfu‘ hadith, but rather the statement of Sayyiduna Ibn Mas‘ud radi Allahu anhu, and the eminent hadith scholars are agreed that this phrase is interpolated (mudraj). Therefore, leaving aside a marfu‘ hadith and acting upon «مُدْرَجْ» is not correct in any way. In fact, upon further reflection, the statement of Sayyiduna Ibn Mas‘ud radi Allahu anhu is present that «مفتاح الصلاة التكبير، و انقضاؤها التسليم إذا سلّم الامام فقم إن شئت.»

This statement of Sayyiduna Ibn Mas‘ud radi Allahu anhu contradicts the narration mentioned by Allamah ‘Ayni rahimahullah. Most likely, at this point, it will be said that Allamah ‘Ayni rahimahullah forgot this Hanafi principle: «أن الراوي إذا خالف الرواية، تكون الرواية متروكة» that is, when a narrator acts contrary to his own narration, his narration is rejected. Therefore, in light of Hanafi principles, the statement of Allamah ‘Ayni Sahib will be rejected. Secondly, Allamah ‘Ayni rahimahullah considered the narration «تحليلها التسليم» to be a solitary report (akhbar ahad). Most likely, whether it is a solitary report or mutawatir, if the hadith is authentic, it is a proof. The Noble Qur’an has also affirmed the authority of solitary reports. If someone does not accept it despite the evidence, that is his own affair. As for «تحريمها التكبير», Allamah ‘Ayni rahimahullah has also declared it unsound. He says that by «كبّر» is meant prayer (salat). Allah Ta‘ala says: «﴿وَرَبَّكَ فَكَبِّرْ﴾ [المدثر : 3]، المراده فى الصلاة إذا لا يجب خارج الصلاة . . . . .» If examined with a critical eye, the statement of Allamah ‘Ayni rahimahullah is questionable, because these verses of Surah al-Muddaththir were revealed in Makkah, before the obligation of prayer, so how can they specify any important pillar of prayer? In reality, here takbir refers to the general takbir. If one reflects on the verse and considers the principles of tafsir, this becomes clear.

Remember, the summary of the Qur’an and its clarification is done by the Sunnah. Thus, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam has «تحليلها التسليم» considered the saying of salam as the exit from prayer, and «تحريمها التكبير» as the takbir through which a person enters the prayer. Therefore, the objection of Imam ‘Ayni rahimahullah to the chapter heading and the hadith was weaker than a spider’s web. The pages do not permit, nor is comprehensiveness intended, otherwise a detailed treatise could be written on the arguments presented by Allamah ‘Ayni rahimahullah.

Hadith Commentary:
By bringing this hadith, Imam Bukhari refuted those who say that if a person passes wind after sitting for the final tashahhud (qu‘ud), then his prayer is complete—as if this is a trick to complete the prayer.
The Ahl al-Hadith say that the prayer will not be valid, because saying the salam (salutation) is also an integral (rukn) of the prayer.
In the authentic hadith it is mentioned: (its conclusion is the taslim [salutation])
So, it is as if the state of impurity (hadath) occurred within the prayer, and such a prayer, according to the hadith of the chapter, is not valid.

Hadith Commentary:
➊
In one hadith, it is stated that when "Allahu Akbar" is said at the beginning of the prayer, external things become forbidden, and then with the concluding salam, they become permissible.
(Sunan Abi Dawud, Al-Taharah, Hadith: 61)
This means that the opening takbir (takbir tahrimah) and the concluding salam are both integral parts (arkaan) of the prayer, which, according to the above hadith, must be performed while in a state of ablution (wudu).
However, some individuals hold the view that if, during the final tashahhud, after completing the tashahhud, a person deliberately performs an act that invalidates the prayer but does not say the salam, the prayer is still complete. As stated in Sharh Wiqayah: if, at the time of salam, one deliberately loses ablution, the prayer will not be invalidated.
(Sharh Wiqayah, Kitab al-Salat, Bab Sifat al-Salat: 1/510)
➋
Imam Bukhari rahimahullah has refuted these individuals because they employ legal stratagems (hiyal) to validate the prayer even though they are without ablution during the prayer. In reality, one who loses ablution during the final tashahhud is also without ablution, and thus his prayer will not be valid, because being outside the prayer is also an integral part of the prayer, which is completed by the concluding salam. If this final integral is performed without ablution, the prayer will not be valid.
➌
Hafiz Ibn Hajar rahimahullah writes that the salam is also a type of worship, because it consists of the remembrance (dhikr) of Allah and supplication for His servants. Therefore, in no way can a "major act of impurity" (hadath fahish) take the place of a proper dhikr.
(Fath al-Bari: 12/412)

Explanation:
Especially, washing the hands and feet more than three times is not established from the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. In the narration of Abu Dawud, it is mentioned that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam washed all the limbs three times each during ablution (wudu), then said: "Whoever does more or less than this has done wrong and acted unjustly."

In the narration of Ibn Khuzaymah, it is only stated: "Whoever does more has done wrong." This is correct, and the wording about doing less in the previous narration is not authentic. Because washing less than three times is, by consensus, not wrong.

«فساء» refers to the wind that exits from a person's anus with a light sound, and «ضراط» is the wind that exits with a sound.

Benefits and Issues:
Relevance between the Chapter and the Hadith:
Apparently, the chapter heading indicates generality, whereas «حدث» refers specifically to the emission of wind. In reality, the chapter established by Imam al-Bukhari rahimahullah is itself a hadith, which Imam Abu Isa al-Tirmidhi and others have narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Umar radi Allahu anhuma, stating that prayer is not accepted without purification, and charity from stolen property is not accepted. However, that hadith did not meet the conditions of Imam al-Bukhari rahimahullah. The relevance between the chapter and the hadith is as follows: Allah Almighty does not accept prayer without ablution (wudu), so if someone experiences «حدث», i.e., the emission of wind, he will repeat the prayer. Now, he cannot establish the prayer again until he performs ablution, because prayer is not accepted without ablution. This ruling applies equally to both men and women, whether it exits from the anus or the front.

◈ Imam Shams al-Din al-Safiri al-Shafi'i (d. 956 AH) writes:
«خروج شيئي من قبله او دبره، ولا فرق بين ان يكون الخارج عيناً، أو ريحاً ولو كان الرياح الخارج من فرج المراة و ذكر الرجل» [شرح صحيح البخاري للسفيري، ج3، ص106]

◈ Hafiz Ibn Hajar rahimahullah says:
«وهذه الترجمة لفظ حديث رواه مسلم وغيره من حديث ابن عمر و ابوداؤد وغيره من طريقه ابي المليح بن أسامة عن أبيه وله طرق كثيرة لكن ليس فيها شيئ على شرط البخاري، فلهذا اقتصر على ذكره فى الترجمة وأورد فى الباب ما يقوم مقامه» [فتح الباري ج1ص312]
That is, what is meant here is for ablution (wudu) and ritual bath (ghusl). And this chapter heading is found in the words of Muslim from Sayyiduna Ibn Umar radi Allahu anhuma, which Imam Abu Dawud has also narrated through many chains, but they are not according to the conditions of Imam al-Bukhari rahimahullah. That is why he summarized it in the chapter heading.
Therefore, the purpose of Imam al-Bukhari rahimahullah is that when ablution is nullified by «حدث», then prayer will not be valid without ablution. Thus, the chapter also points to this: that prayer is not accepted without ablution, whether it is a major impurity (hadath akbar) or minor impurity (hadath asghar).
Imam al-Bukhari rahimahullah established the chapter heading on generality, and deduced evidence from a specific noble hadith, which is specific to prayer, because the question of the questioner was also about this issue.

◈ Badr al-Din Ibn Jama'ah rahimahullah says:
«ان قيل ترجمة على العموم، واستدلال بالخصوص لان المراد بالحديث المذكور فى الصلاة خاصة، لانه سائلا ساله على ذالك» [مناسبات تراجم البخاري۔ ص 27]

◈ Dr. Abdul Karim Muhsin writes:
“Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu’s understanding of the hadith as referring to ‘fasa’ and ‘diraat’ (types of wind emission) was based on his opinion that touching the private part, touching one’s wife with desire, and vomiting a mouthful do not nullify ablution. This also appears to be the view of Imam al-Bukhari rahimahullah, as will be seen in the chapter «من لم يرالوضؤ الا من المخرجين» that will come later.” [توفيق الباري شرح صحيح البخاري ج1 ص201]
Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu specified the hadith with ‘fasa’ and ‘diraat’ because these two things commonly occur during prayer.

◈ Ibn al-Munir rahimahullah says:
“If you ask why the chapter heading is general, while the hadith of Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu «حدث فى الصلاة» is specific, it is because ‘faska’ or ‘paad’ («فساد أوضراط») is what commonly occurs during prayer, not urine or feces.” [المتواري، ص 69]

◈ The author of Awjaz al-Masalik writes:
“Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu mentioned ‘fasa’ and ‘diraat’ because they are the most general and frequent occurrences. It is not that the nullification of ablution is limited to only these two. Therefore, if one urinates or defecates, ablution will also become obligatory. However, since these two things were most frequent, only they were mentioned.”

Hadith Authentication (Takhrij al-Hadith):
[134۔ البخاري فى : 90 كتاب الحيل : 2 باب فى الصلاة 135، مسلم 225، أبوداود 60، ترمذي 76]

Lexical Explanation: «الطَّهَارَة» means purity, cleanliness, being pure, or purifying. In Islamic terminology, it refers to the removal of ritual impurity (hadath) and the elimination of physical impurity (najasah). Purity and cleanliness hold great importance in Islam, and this significance can be gauged from the very fact that purity has been called half of faith. Without purity, Islam’s foremost command—prayer (salah)—does not attain the level of acceptance (as mentioned in the above hadith). Purity has been described as the key to prayer. The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) has made the purity of the body, clothing, and place a condition for prayer. Even before the command of prayer, in order to instill in every Muslim the awareness that being a Muslim and maintaining purity and cleanliness are inseparable, ritual bath (ghusl) has been made obligatory upon every person entering Islam from disbelief. Certainly, these rulings are sufficient for us to give preference to purity and cleanliness in every circumstance.

Hadith Commentary:
➊
Imam Bukhari’s objective here is to establish that purification (taharah) is a condition for prayer (salah); without it, no prayer is valid.
Whether the prayer is obligatory (fard), supererogatory (nafl), or the funeral prayer (janazah), whether it is performed during residence or travel—if there is no purification, not even the lowest degree of acceptance will be attained.
By “lowest degree” is meant that the obligation is fulfilled, whether or not reward is attained.
If one began the prayer with purification and then lost ablution (wudu) during the prayer, that prayer is also unacceptable; in other words, no part of the prayer is valid without purification.
Some people are proponents of “bina” (continuation), meaning they say that if one’s prayer is interrupted, one should perform ablution and resume the prayer from where it was left off, thus completing the prayer. However, there is no authentic evidence for this.
A weak (da‘if) hadith forms the basis for this issue of “bina,” whereas no legal ruling can be established from a weak hadith.

➋
The answer of Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu regarding the occurrence of hadath (state of impurity) during prayer refers to “fasa’,” meaning the emission of wind without sound, or “dharat,” meaning the emission of wind with sound.
This is because, during prayer, the most common occurrence is the emission of wind; otherwise, there are other nullifiers of ablution besides this.

➌
Imam Bukhari rahimahullah has also mentioned this hadith in Kitab al-Hiyal (6954).
There, the intention is to refute trickery, but he does not specify any particular trick to which this hadith applies.
Ibn Battal, the commentator of Bukhari, has explained it in these words: the refutation is intended for those who hold the view that if, in the final tashahhud, one fears the emission of wind, then instead of saying the salam, if one deliberately emits wind, the prayer is still valid. This view is incorrect because the completion of prayer is through the salam, and forcibly emitting wind or its occurrence can never substitute for the salam; therefore, such a prayer is invalid.
Imam Bukhari rahimahullah’s purpose is that this kind of trickery is impermissible and forbidden in Islam.
(Sharh al-Bukhari by Ibn Battal: 8/312)

Hadith Commentary: Benefits and Issues:
Prayer (salah) is the foremost and ultimate form of presenting oneself before Allah, and of addressing and supplicating to Him.

Its true right would have been that for every prayer, the entire body be washed (ghusl, ritual bath) and completely clean, good clothing be required to be worn.

However, acting upon this would have been very difficult.

Therefore, out of His grace, Allah made it obligatory only to wash those limbs which are generally exposed outside of clothing.

Furthermore, in the state of not having ablution (wudu), a kind of spiritual unease and constriction is felt in one’s disposition.

And after performing ablution (wudu), a state of openness and expansion is produced in a person’s disposition,

and a subtlety and luminosity is created within a person’s inner self.

For this reason, ablution (wudu) has been made a necessary condition for prayer (salah),

without which prayer is not valid.

Commentary:
1:
It is in this very sentence that the relevance to the chapter lies,
that is:
Ablution (wudu) is nullified by the emission of wind.

Benefits:

Imam Nawawi rahimahullah writes that these ahadith are explicit texts that purification (ablution [wudu] or dry ablution [tayammum]) is obligatory for prayer, and the entire Ummah is unanimous on this issue that purification is a condition for the validity of prayer. Qadi Iyad rahimahullah says: The scholars differ regarding when purification became obligatory for prayer. Thus, Ibn Jahm's position is that in the early days of Islam, ablution (wudu) was Sunnah. Then, after the revelation of tayammum, it became obligatory. However, the majority of scholars hold the view that ablution (wudu) has been obligatory since the beginning of Islam. Then, the scholars differ on this issue: Is ablution obligatory for every person standing for prayer, or is it obligatory only for the one who is without ablution?

➊ Thus, some of the Salaf held the view that ablution (wudu) is obligatory for every prayer, and their evidence is this verse «إِذَا قُمتُم إلى الصَّلاةِ» [المائدة: 6].

➋ One group holds the view that this was the ruling in the beginning, but then it was abrogated.

➌ According to one opinion, the command for ablution (wudu) for every prayer is recommended (mandub).

➍ Another opinion is that ablution (wudu) is obligatory only for the one who is without ablution, but renewing ablution for every prayer is recommended (mustahabb). Upon this last opinion, there is consensus among all the people of fatwa, and now there remains no difference among them on this issue.

[نووي: 101/3، 102]