Ibn Majah

The Ruling on Performing Ablution with Nabidh

(Imam Abu Hanifah rahimahullah) Performing ablution (wudu) with nabidh is permissible and valid. [بداية المجتهد 66/1]

Their evidences are as follows:
➊ It is narrated from Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud radi Allahu anhu that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, on the “Night of the Jinn” (the night when he met with the jinn), asked me, “Do you have any water?” I replied, “I do not have water, but I have a vessel in which there is nabidh.” Upon hearing this, the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said:
«فَصَبَبْتُ عَلَيْهِ فَتَوَضَّأَ بِهِ»
“Pour it out and perform ablution with it,” and he also said, “It is a drink and a purifier.” [ضعيف : سنن ابن ماجه/ ح: 385] 1
↰ In its chain of narration is Ibn Lahi‘ah, who is a weak narrator. [الضعفاء والمتروكين 192/1] 2

➋ In another hadith of similar meaning, the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said to Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud radi Allahu anhu:
«تَمْرَةٌ طَيِّبَةٌ، وَمَاءٌ طَهُورٌ»
“This is excellent dates and purifying water.” [ضعيف : سنن ابن ماجه/ ح: 384] 3
◈ Hafiz Ibn Hajar rahimahullah writes that the scholars of the Salaf have agreed upon the weakness of this hadith. [فتح الباري 471/1]
◈ Imam Tahawi rahimahullah states that this hadith of Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud radi Allahu anhu is narrated through various chains, but none of them are reliable as proof. [شرح معاني الآثار 94/1]
◈ Mulla Ali Qari rahimahullah has quoted Sayyid Jamal as saying that the hadith’s weakness is agreed upon by the hadith scholars. [مرقاة المفاتيح 182/2]
◈ Imam Abu Zur‘ah rahimahullah says that the hadith of Abu Fazar regarding nabidh is not authentic. [العلل لابن أبى حاتم 17/1]
◈ Also, in its chain is Abu Zayd, who is unknown, as declared by Imam Zayla‘i, Imam Ibn Hibban, Imam Bukhari, and Imam Tirmidhi rahimahumullah. [نصب الراية 147/1، المجروحين لابن حبان 198/3، تحفة الأحوذي 307/1، سنن ترمذي 88]

➌ It is narrated from Ali radi Allahu anhu that:
«كان لا يرى باسا بالوضوء من النبيذ»
“He did not see any harm in performing ablution with nabidh.” [ضعيف : دارقطني 78/1]
◈ Imam Daraqutni rahimahullah narrated it through two chains; in one, Hajjaj ibn Arta’ah is a weak narrator. [تقريب التهذيب 1119]
◈ In the other chain, Abu Layla al-Khurasani is an unknown narrator. [التقريب 8333]

➍ It is narrated from Ibn Abbas radi Allahu anhuma that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said:
«إذا لم يجد أحدكم ماء ووجد النبيذ فليتوضا به»
“When any of you does not find water but finds nabidh, he should perform ablution with it.” [ضعيف : دارقطني 76/1]
◈ Imam Daraqutni rahimahullah states that in its chain, Aban ibn Abi ‘Ayyash is abandoned in hadith, and Muja‘ah is weak.

(The Majority, Ahl al-Hadith, Imam Shafi‘i rahimahullah, Imam Ahmad rahimahullah) Performing ablution with nabidh is not permissible. [بداية المجتهد 66/1]

Their evidences are as follows:
➊ Nabidh is not water, and Allah the Exalted has only commanded purification with absolute water, and in the absence of water, He has commanded tayammum with earth, not nabidh, as is stated in the Qur’an:
«فَلَمْ تَجِدُوا مَاءً فَتَيَمَّمُوا صَعِيدًا طَيِّبًا» [4-النساء:43], [5-المائدة:6]
And in the hadith:
“Earth is the ablution of a believer, even if he does not find water for ten years; but when he finds water, he should fear Allah and let it touch his body.” [صحيح : ابوداود 332] 4

➋ The aforementioned narration from Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud radi Allahu anhu, in which the permissibility of ablution with nabidh is mentioned (“the Night of the Jinn”), is weak. [ضعيف : سنن ابن ماجه/ ح: 385] 1

➌ In fact, a narration is reported from Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud radi Allahu anhu to the contrary:
«لَمْ أَكُنْ لَيْلَةَ الْجِنِّ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَوَدِدْتُ أَنِّي كُنْتُ مَعَهُ»
“I was not present with the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam on the Night of the Jinn, though I wished I had been with him.” [صحيح مسلم/ فواد: 450، دارالسلام: 1010] 5

(Imam Nawawi rahimahullah) This hadith, which is narrated in Sunan Abi Dawud—wherein performing ablution with nabidh and the presence of Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud radi Allahu anhu with the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam on the Night of the Jinn is mentioned—clearly proves its invalidity, because this hadith is authentic, and the narration regarding nabidh is, by consensus of the hadith scholars, weak. [شرح مسلم 307/2]

➍ Abu ‘Ubaydah rahimahullah was asked, “Was your father present with the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam on the Night of the Jinn?” He replied, “No.” [دارقطني 77/1] 6

➎ Imam Tirmidhi rahimahullah has also given preference to this position. [ترمذي بعد الحديث 77]

(Preferred Opinion) The position of the majority of Ahl al-Hadith is preferred, as the preceding discussion necessitates, and also because if a pure substance is mixed with water to the extent that it can no longer be called absolute water (ma’ mutlaq), then that water is pure (tahir) but not purifying (mutahhir). [بداية المجتهد 54/1] 7

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1 [ضعيف : ضعيف ابن ماجة 85، كتاب الطهارة وسننها : باب الوضوء بالنبيذ ابن ماجة 385، أحمد 398/1، دارقطني 76/11، المعجم الكبير 65/10]
2 In its chain of narration is Ibn Lahi‘ah, who is a weak narrator.
[الضعفاء والمتروكين 192/1، ميزان الاعتدال 65/2، المغني 266/1]
3 [ضعيف : ضعيف ابن ماجه 84، أيضا، ابن ماجة 384، ابوداود 84، ترمذي 88، أحمد 402/1، المعه الكبير 95/10، دارقطني 77/1]
4 [صحيح : إرواء الغليل 153، ابوداود 332، كتاب الطهارة : باب الحنب يتيمم، ترمذي 164، نسائي 171/1، ابن حبان 1311/4، دارقطني 186/1، بيهقي 212/1]
5 [صحيح : بداية المجتهد 66/1، مسلم 450 كتاب الصلاة : باب الجهر بالقراءة من الصبح . . . . فواد: 688، دارالسلام: 1010، ترمذي 3258، ابوداود 85، أحمد 436/1، ابن خزيمة 82]
6 [دارقطني 77/1، كتاب الطهارة : باب الوضوء بالنبيذ، بيهقي 10/1]
7 [المجموع 90/1، بداية المجتهد 54/1، المغني 25/1، السيل الجرار 56/1، المحلى بالآثار 193/1، فقه السنة 141]
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