Fath al-Rabbani

Sayyiduna Jabir bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The key to Paradise is prayer, and the key to prayer is ablution."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Mus'ab bin Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him) that during the illness of Ibn 'Amir, some people came to him and began to praise him, but Sayyiduna 'Abdullah bin 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: "I am not among those who deceive you. I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: 'Indeed, Allah Almighty does not accept charity from treacherous wealth, nor prayer without ablution.'"

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Amr bin Abasah (may Allah be pleased with him), he says: I said, "O Messenger of Allah! Tell me about ablution (wudu)." He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When any one of you brings the water for ablution near, then rinses his mouth, draws water into his nose and expels it, then when he expels the water from his nose, the sins come out from his mouth and nostrils with the water. Then when he washes his face according to the command of Allah Almighty, the sins of his face come out from the edges of his beard with the water. Then when he washes his arms up to and including the elbows, the mistakes of his arms come out from the tips of his fingers. Then when he wipes his head, the sins of his head come out from the edges of his hair with the water. Then when he washes his feet up to the ankles according to the command of Allah Almighty, the sins of his feet come out from the edges of his toes. Then when he stands and praises Allah Almighty in a manner befitting Him, and then performs two rak‘ahs, he comes out of his sins just as on the day his mother gave birth to him." Abu Umamah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "O Amr bin Abasah! Consider carefully what you have said. Did you hear these things from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)? Is all of this granted to a servant at one place?" Sayyiduna Amr bin Abasah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "O Abu Umamah! I have grown old, my bones have become weak, the time of my death has drawn near, and I have no need to lie about Allah Almighty and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). If I had heard it from him once or twice or three times (I would not have narrated this hadith), but I have heard it from him seven times or even more than that."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Umamah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “When a person stands by the water for ablution with the intention of prayer and washes his hands, then with the first drop, the sins fall away from his hands. When he rinses his mouth, puts water into his nose, and expels it, then with the first drop, the sins fall away from his tongue and lips. When he washes his face, then with the first drop, the sins fall away from his ears and eyes. And when he washes his arms up to the elbows and his feet up to the ankles, he becomes as pure from every kind of sin and every kind of mistake as the day his mother gave birth to him. Then, when he stands for prayer, Allah Almighty raises his rank, and if he sits down, that is, does not pray, he sits down free from sins.”

It is also narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Umamah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When a Muslim servant performs ablution, sins depart from his ears, eyes, hands, and feet. Then, if he sits down after that, he sits down forgiven."

Shahr bin Hawshab (may Allah have mercy on him) says: We went to Sayyiduna Abu Umamah (may Allah be pleased with him), while he was sitting in the mosque cleaning lice, and he said that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When a Muslim performs ablution, sins fall from his ears, eyes, hands, and feet." In the meantime, Abu Zhibyah (may Allah have mercy on him) came while he was narrating to us, then he asked what he was narrating. So we told him what he was narrating, and he said: "Yes, I also heard Sayyiduna Amr bin Abasah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrate this hadith from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and in fact, there were these additional words in it: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'Whoever spends the night in a state of ablution, that is, sleeps after performing ablution, then when he wakes up at night and remembers Allah and asks Him for good in this world and the Hereafter, He grants it to him.'"

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah Sanabahi (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When a servant performs ablution and rinses his mouth, the mistakes exit from his mouth; when he cleans his nose, the errors fall from his nose; when he washes his face, the sins are removed from his face, even to the extent that the sins come out from the roots of his eyelashes. Then when he washes his arms, the errors come out from his arms, even to the extent that they fall from beneath his fingernails. When he wipes his head and ears, the sins fall from his head, and (by washing the feet) the sins fall from beneath the toenails. Then his walking towards the mosque and performing the prayer is an additional virtue."

(Second Chain) It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Abdullah Sanabahi (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Whoever rinses his mouth and draws water into his nose, the sins will come out from his mouth and nose. Whoever washes his face, the sins will be removed from the roots of his eyelashes. Whoever washes his arms, the sins will come out from his fingernails or from beneath his fingernails. Whoever wipes his head and ears, the sins will fall away from his head or from the hair of both his ears. And whoever washes his feet, the mistakes will come out from his toenails or from beneath his toenails. Then his walking towards the mosque will be in addition (to his good deeds).”

(Third Chain) Sayyiduna Abu Abdullah Sanabahi (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever rinses his mouth and cleans his nose, the sins will come out from his nose." Then he mentioned a hadith with the same meaning.

Sayyiduna Uthman ibn Affan (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever performs ablution and performs it well, his sins will come out from his body, even from beneath his fingernails."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Uthman bin Affan (may Allah be pleased with him) that he called for water and performed ablution, rinsed his mouth, put water into his nose, then washed his face three times, washed his arms three times, then wiped over his head and the outer part of his feet, and then he laughed and said to his companions: "Will you not ask me about the thing that made me laugh?" The people said: "O Commander of the Faithful! Why did you laugh?" He said: "I saw the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) call for water while he was near this very place, and he performed ablution just as I have done, then he smiled and said: 'Will you not ask me about the thing that made me smile?' The people said: 'O Messenger of Allah! What made you laugh?' He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'Indeed, when a servant calls for water for ablution and washes his face, Allah Almighty removes from his face every sin which his face committed; then when he washes his arms, the same happens; when he wipes (his head), the same happens; and when he washes his feet, the same happens.'"

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Uthman bin Affan (may Allah be pleased with him) that he called for water and performed ablution, rinsed his mouth, put water into his nose, then washed his face three times, washed his arms three times, then wiped over his head and the outer part of his feet, and then he laughed and said to his companions: "Will you not ask me about the thing that made me laugh?" The people said: "O Commander of the Faithful! Why did you laugh?" He said: "I saw the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) call for water while he was near this very place, and he performed ablution just as I have done, then he smiled and said: 'Will you not ask me about the thing that made me smile?' The people said: 'O Messenger of Allah! What made you laugh?' He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'Indeed, when a servant calls for water for ablution and washes his face, Allah Almighty removes from his face every sin which his face committed; then when he washes his arms, the same happens; when he wipes (his head), the same happens; and when he washes his feet, the same happens.'"

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "When a Muslim or believing servant performs ablution and washes his face, every sin which his eyes have looked at is washed away with the water or with the last drop of water. Then when he washes his hands, every sin which his hands have committed is washed away with the water or with the last drop of water. (The same applies to the rest of the limbs) until he becomes purified from sins."