The virtue of ablution

Sayyiduna Abu Umamah al-Bahili (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When a person rinses his mouth, the sins of his mouth are removed; when he washes his face, the sins he committed with his face are removed; when he washes his arms, the sins he committed with his hands are removed; when he wipes his head, his faults fall away from the roots of his hair; and when he washes his two feet, the sins he committed with his feet are removed."
Imam al-Tabarani recorded this report in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat, and its narrators are the narrators of the "Sahih". Allamah al-Haythami states: I say: The hadith of Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) will come in the chapter "What has been narrated concerning ablution".

Shahr bin Hawshab narrates: Sayyiduna Abu Umamah (may Allah be pleased with him) told me that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever gets up to perform ablution, intending to offer the prayer, and then washes his palms, every sin of his palms (descends, i.e.) leaves with the first drop; when he rinses his mouth, puts water into his nose and cleans his nose, every sin of his tongue and lips leaves with the first drop; when he washes his face, every sin of his hearing and sight leaves with the first drop; when he washes both his arms up to the elbows and both his feet up to the ankles, he becomes free of every sin just as he was on the day his mother gave birth to him. Then when he stands to offer the prayer, Allah Almighty raises his rank, and if he remains seated (i.e. even if he does not offer the prayer), he sits in a state of being salim (i.e. free of sins)."
Imam Ahmad and Imam al-Tabarani (in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir and al-Mu'jam al-Awsat) recorded this report. Imam Ahmad's chain states that Abd al-Hamid bin Bahram narrated it from Shahr; there is disagreement about using the two of them as proof, but the correct view is that both are thiqah (trustworthy), and the criticism made of them is not a cause of disparagement.

Abu Muslim narrates: I came to Sayyiduna Abu Umamah (may Allah be pleased with him) while he was sitting in the mosque removing lice and burying them in the pebbles. I said: O Sayyiduna Abu Umamah! A man has narrated this hadith to me from you, that you (may Allah be pleased with you) said: I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) say: "Whoever performs ablution thoroughly, washes both his arms and his face, wipes his head and ears, and then stands to offer the obligatory prayer, Allah Almighty forgives him, for that day, the sins towards which he walked on his feet, which he did with his hand, which his ears heard, or which his eyes saw, and the evil he thought (all such sins of his for that day are forgiven)." Sayyiduna Abu Umamah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I have heard this from the Prophet of Allah so many times that I cannot count them.
Imam Ahmad recorded this report, and Imam al-Tabarani recorded something similar in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir. Its chain contains a narrator, Abu Muslim; I have not seen anyone mention this narrator's biography with either tawthiq (declaring him trustworthy) or jarh (criticism), except that Imam al-Hakim (may Allah have mercy on him) mentioned him in the section on kunyas and stated that Abu Hazim narrated from him, whereas the report mentioned here was narrated from him by Aban bin Abdullah. Ibn Abi Hatim also mentioned him in the same way.

Abu Ghalib narrates that he met Sayyiduna Abu Umamah (may Allah be pleased with him) in "Hims" and asked Sayyiduna Abu Umamah (may Allah be pleased with him) about some matters, and Sayyiduna Abu Umamah (may Allah be pleased with him) told them that he heard the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) say: "Whenever a Muslim servant hears the call to prayer and gets up to perform ablution, he is forgiven with the first drop of that water that touches his palm, and (he is forgiven) according to the number of those drops, until, when he finishes his ablution, all his past sins have been forgiven; and when he stands for the prayer, it is something additional for him (a means of earning extra reward)." Abu Ghalib says: I asked Sayyiduna Abu Umamah (may Allah be pleased with him): Did you yourself hear this from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)? He replied: Yes! By the One who sent him with the truth as a bearer of glad tidings and a warner, not once, not twice, not three times, not four times, not five times, not six times, not seven times, not eight times, not nine times, not ten times, (not) ten (more) times (i.e. even more often than that, I heard this myself from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)). He said this while clapping his two hands together.
Imam Ahmad and Imam al-Tabarani (in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir) recorded this report.

From him (the Companion, i.e. Sayyiduna Abu Umamah (may Allah be pleased with him)), in "al-Mu'jam al-Saghir",
this report is recorded: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: When a Muslim, while performing ablution, washes his hands, this becomes an expiation for the (sins) that his hand did; when he washes his face, this becomes an expiation for the things his eyes looked at; when he wipes his head, this becomes an expiation for the things his ears heard; and when he washes his feet, this becomes an expiation for the sins towards which he walked on his feet. Then when he stands for the prayer, it (i.e. the prayer) becomes a source of virtue for him. There is disagreement about using Abu Ghalib as proof; the rest of the narrators of this report are thiqat (trustworthy). Imam al-Tirmidhi declared a report narrated through Abu Ghalib hasan (good), and he also declared a report narrated through him "sahih" (authentic).
Imam Ahmad recorded this report with a "sahih" chain, adding these words: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Ablution becomes an expiation for his sins before it, and then the prayer becomes nafl for him (i.e. a means of extra reward)." He also recorded this report with another "sahih" chain, with these words: "When he performs ablution as he has been commanded."

Sayyiduna Abu Umamah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When a Muslim man performs ablution, his sins leave from his hearing, his sight, his two hands and his two feet; and if he remains seated (i.e. even if he does not offer the prayer after performing ablution), he sits in a state in which he has been forgiven."
Imam Ahmad recorded this report, and Imam al-Tabarani recorded something similar in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir; its chain is hasan (good).

Sayyiduna Abu Umamah (may Allah be pleased with him) reports this from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) as a "marfu'" hadith (traced back to the Prophet): He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When a Muslim performs ablution, washes his hands, rinses his mouth, and performs ablution as he has been commanded, Allah Almighty removes all the sins he committed that day: what he spoke with his mouth, what he touched with his hand, or what he walked towards, until the sins fall from his limbs. Then, when he walks on foot to the mosque, one step has a good deed recorded and the other erases a sin."
Imam al-Tabarani recorded this report in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir; its chain contains a narrator, Laqit Abu al-Mushawir, who narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Umamah (may Allah be pleased with him), and al-Jurayri and Qurrah bin Khalid narrated from him. Ibn Hibban mentioned him in the book "al-Thiqat" and said: he makes mistakes, and reports contrary to his have been narrated.

Sayyiduna Abu Umamah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When a Muslim performs ablution, sins depart from his hearing, his sight, his two hands and his two feet." The narrator states: Abu Taybah came while he (Sayyiduna Abu Umamah) was narrating this hadith to us, and he asked: What hadith is he narrating to you? So we told him about the hadith he had narrated to us. Then a man said: I heard Sayyiduna Amr bin Abasah (may Allah be pleased with him) mention this from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and he narrated this addition in it: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever spends the night in a state of ablution, then wakes at some time during the night and remembers Allah, whatever good of this world and the Hereafter he asks Allah for, Allah Almighty grants it (that good) to him."
Imam Ahmad recorded this report, and Imam al-Tabarani recorded something similar in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir and al-Mu'jam al-Awsat, with these words in it: "Whoever spends the night in a state of ablution, remembering Allah". Its chain is hasan (good). (Allamah al-Haythami says:) I say: The hadith of Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) comes after this, concerning the one who spends the night in a state of ablution.

Sayyiduna Abu Umamah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: (Or he narrated this report:) When you perform ablution properly, you come into a state in which you have been forgiven, and if you offer the prayer, it will be a virtue for you (i.e. a means of earning extra reward). A man said: O Sayyiduna Abu Umamah! What is your view about this: if that person stands and offers the prayer, will it be nafl (supererogatory) for him (i.e. can it be called nafl)? He replied: No! This nafl was for the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). How can it be nafl for a man, when a person keeps committing sins and errors? How can it be a virtue and reward for him?
Imam al-Tabarani recorded this report, and its narrators have been declared trustworthy. It is also narrated through another chain, which Imam Ahmad recorded; I have mentioned that report in the chapter "Special characteristics relating to the signs of Prophethood".

A man from the people of Madinah narrates: The mu'adhdhin gave the call to prayer for the Asr prayer. The narrator states: Sayyiduna Uthman Ghani (may Allah be pleased with him) called for water for ablution, performed ablution, and then said: I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) say: "Whoever performs ablution as he has been commanded and offers the prayer as he has been commanded, his sins are wiped away." Then Sayyiduna Uthman Ghani (may Allah be pleased with him) asked four Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) to bear witness about this hadith, and they bore witness to it from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) (that he (peace and blessings be upon him) had said this).
Imam Ahmad recorded this report; the hadith of Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) is recorded in the "Sahih" in a similar form and with the same meaning. Its chain contains a man who is not named.

It is reported about Sayyiduna Uthman Ghani (may Allah be pleased with him) that he called for water, rinsed his mouth, put water into his nose, washed his face three times, washed both his arms three times, and wiped his head and the upper part of his feet (perhaps he was wearing leather socks at the time). Then he laughed and said to his companions: Will you not ask me why I laughed? His companions asked: O Commander of the Believers! What made you laugh? Sayyiduna Uthman Ghani (may Allah be pleased with him) said: (Once) I saw the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) perform ablution just as I have performed it; then he (peace and blessings be upon him) laughed and he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Will you not ask me why I laughed? The people said: O Messenger of Allah! What made you laugh? He said: "When a servant calls for water for ablution and then washes his face, Allah Almighty removes all his faults connected with his face; 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." Allamah al-Haythami states: I say:
This report is recorded in the "Sahih" in abridged form,
and Imam Ahmad and Imam Abu Ya'la recorded this report, and its narrators are thiqat (trustworthy).

Tha'labah bin Abbad reports from his father; he says: I do not know how many times the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said this, an odd or an even number of times? He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When a servant performs ablution thoroughly, washes his face until the water flows over his chin, then washes both his arms until the water flows over his elbows, then washes his feet until the water flows over his ankles, then stands and offers the prayer, Allah Almighty forgives his past sins."
Imam al-Tabarani recorded this report in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir. He also recorded it through another chain and said: it is narrated from Tha'labah bin Imarah. He says: Ishaq al-Dabari narrated it in this way from Imam Abd al-Razzaq, and he erred regarding the narrator's name, because the correct name is "Tha'labah bin Abbad". The narrators of this report have been declared trustworthy.

Abu Ushshanah al-Ma'afiri narrates that he heard Sayyiduna Uqbah bin Amir say: I will not narrate anything from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he (peace and blessings be upon him) did not say. I heard him (peace and blessings be upon him) say: "There are two men from my Ummah; one of them gets up at night and prepares himself for purification while knots are tied upon him. He performs ablution: when he washes his hand in ablution, a knot is untied; when he washes his face, a knot is untied; when he wipes his head, a knot is untied; when he washes his feet, a knot is untied. The Lord says to those (angels) behind the veil: Look at this servant of Mine who is preparing himself (for My worship)! Whatever this servant of Mine asks of Me, he shall have."
Imam Ahmad and Imam al-Tabarani (in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir) recorded this report. He added these words in it: I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) say: "Whoever attributes to me something I did not say, let him prepare to reach his place in Hell." He also added these words: "There are some men from my Ummah; one of them gets up at night", and then the narrator mentioned the hadith as before. Both of them (i.e. Imam Ahmad and Imam al-Tabarani) recorded this report with two chains, the narrators of one of which are thiqat (trustworthy).

Sayyiduna Murrah bin Ka'b (may Allah be pleased with him), or perhaps Sayyiduna Ka'b bin Murrah (may Allah be pleased with him), narrates: I asked the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): In which part of the night is supplication answered most readily? He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: The last half of the night. The narrator then narrated the complete hadith, further on in which are these words: He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When a servant, while performing ablution, washes his hands, his sins fall from his hands; when he washes his face, the sins fall from his face; when he washes his arms, his sins fall from his arms; when he washes his feet, his sins fall from his feet." The narrator Shu'bah says: In this hadith he did not mention wiping the head.
Imam Ahmad recorded this report, and its narrators are the narrators of the "Sahih".

Sayyiduna Abu Umamah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "On the Day of Resurrection I will recognise every single member of my Ummah. The people said: O Messenger of Allah! Even the one whom you have seen, and also the one whom you (peace and blessings be upon him) have not seen? The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: The one I have seen and the one I have not seen (I will recognise both kinds of people), because they will have shining foreheads from the traces of ablution."
Imam Ahmad and Imam al-Tabarani (in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir) recorded this report, and its narrators have been declared trustworthy.

Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) reports this saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): "The example of my Ummah is like a river in which one bathes five times; no dirt will remain on such a person. (Likewise, a person of my Ummah) gets up for ablution and washes both his hands, and every sin he touched with his hands falls away; when he rinses his mouth, every sin his tongue spoke falls away; then he washes his face, and every sin his eyes looked at falls away; when he wipes his head, every sin his ears heard falls away; then when he washes his feet, every sin towards which his feet walked falls away."
Imam Abu Ya'la recorded this report; its chain contains a narrator, Mubarak bin Suhaym, on whose weakness the hadith scholars are agreed.

Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) reports this saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): "When a good trait is present in a man, Allah Almighty sets right all his deeds because of that trait. And as for a man's performing ablution for the prayer, Allah Almighty, because of his ablution, wipes away his sins, and his prayer becomes nafl for him (i.e. a means of earning extra reward)."
Imam Abu Ya'la, Imam al-Bazzar and Imam al-Tabarani (in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat) recorded this report; its chain contains a narrator, Bashshar bin al-Hakam, whom Abu Zur'ah and Ibn Hibban declared "da'if" (weak). Ibn Adi says: I hope there is no harm in him.

Sayyiduna Abu al-Darda' (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: I will be the first person who is given permission to prostrate on the Day of Resurrection, and I will be the first person to raise his head (from prostration on the Day of Resurrection). I will look in front of me and recognise my Ummah among all the nations; behind me it will be the same, on my right it will be the same, and on my left it will be the same (i.e. I will recognise the members of my Ummah among all the other nations). A man asked: O Messenger of Allah! How will you recognise your Ummah among all the other nations from Sayyiduna Nuh (peace be upon him) up to your Ummah? The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Because of the trace of ablution they will be radiant and shining; no one besides them will have this mark. I will recognise them by their records of deeds being in their right hands, and I will recognise them by their children running in front of them.
Imam Ahmad recorded this report, and Imam al-Tabarani recorded it in abridged form in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir; its chain contains a narrator, Ibn Lahi'ah, and he is da'if (weak). This report also has other chains, which will come later in the chapter on "Resurrection".

Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The people said: O Messenger of Allah! How will you (peace and blessings be upon him) recognise those members of your Ummah whom you (peace and blessings be upon him) have not seen? The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: They will be radiant and shining (with bright foreheads) because of ablution.
Imam al-Tabarani recorded this report in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat; its chain contains a narrator, Hasan bin Husayn al-Arabi, and he is extremely da'if (weak).

Sayyiduna Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: It was asked: O Messenger of Allah! How will you recognise that person, a member of your Ummah whom you (peace and blessings be upon him) have not seen? The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: By the brightness. (The narrator states:) I think the report also contains these words: they will be radiant because of the traces of ablution.
Imam al-Bazzar recorded this report, and its chain is hasan (good).

Sayyiduna Uqbah bin Amir (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: I came with twelve riders until we arrived at (the blessed city of) the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). My companions said: Who will look after the camels, so that we can go and benefit from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and when we come back we will tell him what we heard from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)? I said: I will do it. Then afterwards I thought: In this I will be at a loss, because whatever my companions hear, I will not have heard it from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). One day, when I was present, I heard a man narrating: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever performs complete ablution and then stands for the prayer becomes, with regard to his sins, as he was on the day his mother gave birth to him."
Imam al-Tabarani recorded this report in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat; the complete report has already passed in the Book of Faith (Kitab al-Iman), and the discussion of it has also passed.

Sayyiduna Abu Lubabah bin Abd al-Mundhir (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: I asked the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) about purification (i.e. ablution), and he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When a Muslim washes his mouth (during ablution), Allah Almighty forgives every sin that he committed with his tongue that day; when a man washes his arms, Allah Almighty forgives the sins of that day which his hands committed; and when he wipes his head, he becomes (in being free of sins) like the day his mother gave birth to him."
Imam al-Tabarani recorded this report in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat; its chain contains a narrator, Yusuf bin Khalid al-Samti, on whose weakness the hadith scholars are agreed.

Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When a Muslim performs ablution for the prayer, then when he rinses his mouth, every sin his tongue spoke leaves with the drops of water; when he puts water into his nose, every sin whose smell he perceived with his nose leaves with the drops of water; when he washes his face, every sin he looked at with his two eyes leaves his eyes with the drops of water; when he washes his two arms, every sin he seized with his hand leaves with the drops of water; when he washes his feet, every sin towards which he walked on his feet leaves with the drops of water. Then when he goes to the mosque, for every step he takes a good deed is recorded for him and a sin of his is erased, until he reaches his place."
Imam al-Tabarani recorded this report in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat; it is recorded in the "Sahih" in abridged form, and its narrators have been declared trustworthy.