Fath al-Rabbani

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdur Rahman bin Abu Qurad (may Allah be pleased with him), he says: I set out with the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to perform Hajj. When I saw that you (peace and blessings be upon him) were returning after relieving yourself, I took a leather vessel or bowl and followed behind you (peace and blessings be upon him). Whenever you (peace and blessings be upon him) intended to relieve yourself, you would go far away. In any case, I sat down on the way until you (peace and blessings be upon him) finished and returned. I said: "O Messenger of Allah! Please take water for ablution." So you (peace and blessings be upon him) turned towards me, poured water on your hand and washed it, then inserted your hand, closed your fingers (scooped water), poured water on one hand and then wiped your head, then took water in one hand and wiped your head, then scooped water and poured it on the back of your foot and wiped your foot with your hand, then came and led us in the Zuhr prayer.

Abdullah bin Muhammad, may Allah have mercy on him, says: Ali bin Husayn sent me to Lady Rubayyi’ bint Mu’awwidh, may Allah be pleased with her, to ask about the ablution of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. She brought out a vessel, which was of the measure of one mudd or one mudd and a quarter. Sufyan said: It seemed as if she was referring to the Hashimi mudd. In any case, Lady Rubayyi’, may Allah be pleased with her, said: I used to pour water for the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, in this vessel. He would pour water over his hands three times. Once she said: He would wash his hands three times before putting them into the vessel. Then he would wash his face and rinse his mouth three times and sniff water into his nose three times. Then he would wash his right arm three times and his left arm three times, and then wipe his head back and forth, and then wash both his feet three times each. Then when my cousin, our master Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both, came to me and asked me, I described the whole procedure, but he said: “I only find in the Book of Allah two times for wiping and two times for washing.”

(Second Chain) Abdullah bin Muhammad bin Aqil (may Allah have mercy on him) says: Sayyida Rabi’ bint Mu’awwidh (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated to me, she says: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used to come to us frequently, so he came to us and we placed a vessel before him and he performed ablution from it in such a way that he washed his hands three times and rinsed his mouth and put water into his nose once each, then he washed his face three times and both arms three times each, then with the water left in his hands from the ablution, he wiped his head twice in such a way that he started from the back of his head and then brought his hands to his forehead, and he washed his feet three times each and wiped the front and back parts of his ears.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Zaid bin Asim (may Allah be pleased with him), who had the honor of companionship, that someone said to him: "Show us how the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) performed ablution." So he called for a vessel, poured water on his hands three times and washed them, then put his hand into the water and took it out, and with a single handful rinsed his mouth and sniffed water into his nose, and did this three times. Then he put his hand in, took it out, and washed his face. Then he put his hand in the vessel, took it out, and washed his arms up to and including the elbows twice each. Then he put his hand in the vessel, took it out, and wiped his head in such a way that he moved his hands forward and then backward. Then he washed his feet up to the ankles and said: "The ablution of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was like this."

(Second chain of narration) His grandfather said to Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Asim (may Allah be pleased with him): "Can you show me how the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) performed ablution?" He said: "Yes," then he called for water for ablution and washed his hands twice, then rinsed his mouth three times and cleaned his nose, then washed his face three times, then washed both arms twice each, then wiped his head with both hands in such a way that he moved them from the front to the back and then brought them forward again. The detail is that he started from the front part of the head and took his hands to the nape, then returned them to the place where he had started, then washed his feet. In one narration, it is mentioned: He wiped his head twice and washed his feet twice as well.

It is narrated from Yazid bin Bara’ (may Allah have mercy on him), who was the governor of Oman and among the best of the common governors, that he said: My father, Sayyiduna Bara’ bin Azib (may Allah be pleased with him), said: “Gather together, so that I may show you how the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used to perform ablution and how he used to pray, because I do not know how long I will remain among you.” So he gathered his sons and family members and asked for water for ablution. Then he rinsed his mouth, put water into his nose, and washed his face three times. Then he washed his right hand three times, after that his left hand three times. Then he wiped his head and the outer and inner parts of his ears. Then he washed his right foot and then his left foot three times each and said: “This is how the ablution was. I have not left out anything in showing you the way the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) performed ablution.” Then he entered his house and prayed a prayer; we do not know which prayer it was. Then he came out and ordered the prayer to be established, so the iqamah was called and he led us in the Zuhr prayer. I think I heard some verses of Surah Yasin in that prayer. Then he led the Asr prayer, after that the Maghrib prayer, and then the Isha prayer, and then said: “How the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used to perform ablution and how he used to pray, I have not left out anything in showing you these things.”

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Mughirah bin Shu’bah (may Allah be pleased with him) that someone asked him whether, apart from Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), anyone else from this Ummah had ever led the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) in prayer. He replied: “Yes, we were on a journey during the expedition of Tabuk. When the time for suhoor (pre-dawn meal) arrived, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) struck the neck of his mount and set off. I followed behind him. For a while, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was out of my sight, then he returned and said to me: ‘Do you need anything?’ I replied: ‘No, O Messenger of Allah!’ He asked: ‘Do you have water?’ I said: ‘Yes.’ Then I poured water for the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him); he washed his hands, then his face, then began to pull back his sleeves, but he was wearing a Syrian cloak whose sleeves were tight, so he brought his arms out from inside, washed his face and arms, then wiped over his forehead, his turban, and his leather socks. When we reached the people, the prayer had already begun and Sayyiduna Abdur Rahman bin Awf (may Allah be pleased with him) was leading the prayer and had completed one rak’ah. I started to go and inform him, but the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) stopped me. Then we joined in the prayer for what remained, and completed what we had missed afterwards.”