عَنْ عَمَّارِ بْنِ يَاسِرٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَرَّسَ بِأُوَلَاتِ الْجَيْشِ وَمَعَهُ عَائِشَةُ زَوْجُتُهُ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا فَانْقَطَعَ عِقْدٌ لَهَا مِنْ جَزْعِ ظَفَارٍ فَحُبِسَ النَّاسُ ابْتِغَاءَ عِقْدِهَا وَذَلِكَ حِينَ أَضَاءَ الْفَجْرُ وَلَيْسَ مَعَ النَّاسِ مَاءٌ، فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ عَلَى رَسُولِهِ رُخْصَةَ التَّطَهُّرِ بِالصَّعِيدِ الطَّيِّبِ، فَقَامَ الْمُسْلِمُونَ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَضَرَبُوا بِأَيْدِيهِمُ الْأَرْضَ ثُمَّ رَفَعُوا أَيْدِيَهُمْ وَلَمْ يَقْبِضُوا مِنَ التُّرَابِ شَيْئًا فَمَسَحُوا بِهَا وُجُوهَهُمْ وَأَيْدِيَهُمْ إِلَى الْمَنَاكِبِ وَمِنْ بُطُونِ أَيْدِيهِمْ إِلَى الْأَبَاطِ، وَلَا يَغْتَرُّ بِهَٰذَا النَّاسُ، وَبَلَغَنَا أَنَّ أَبَا بَكْرٍ قَالَ لِعَائِشَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا: وَاللَّهِ! مَا عَلِمْتُ إِنَّكِ لَمُبَارَكَةٌ
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ammar bin Yasir (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) camped at the place of Awlat al-Jaish in the last part of the night, and with him was his wife Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her). Her necklace of pearls from Dhafar was lost, and the people were detained to search for this necklace. Meanwhile, dawn was breaking and the people did not have any water. So Allah Almighty revealed the concession of purification with pure earth. Thus, the Muslims stood with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and struck their hands on the earth, then raised them, and did not take any soil with their hands at all. Then they wiped them over their faces, and with the outer part of their hands up to the shoulders, and with the inner part up to the armpits, they also wiped those parts with their hands. But people should not be deceived by this condition, and it has reached us that Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said to Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her): By Allah! What I have understood is that you are very blessed.