Those who did not clean themselves with water and were content with stones

Sayyiduna Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) was asked: "Should istinja be done with water?" He said: "In that case my hand would keep smelling foul."

Ibrahim said: When al-Aswad and Abd al-Rahman bin Yazid entered the toilet, they would cleanse themselves with stones; they would not add anything to that, nor would they touch water.

Sa'id bin al-Musayyib was asked about cleansing oneself with water, and he said: "That is the purification of women."

Ibrahim was asked about cleansing oneself with water, and he said: "You are the ones who do this, whereas the predecessors used to cleanse themselves with stones."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Khuzaymah bin Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Cleansing after relieving oneself should be done with three stones, and there should be no dung among those stones."

Abu Bishr said: Tawus said: "Cleansing after relieving oneself is done with three stones." I said: "If three stones cannot be found, what should be done?" He said: "Use three sticks." I said: "If three sticks cannot be found, what should be done?" He said: "Use three handfuls of earth."

Al-Hakam said: Cleansing after relieving oneself should be done with three stones. If three stones are not sufficient, then five stones suffice.

Sayyiduna Ibn al-Zubayr (may Allah be pleased with him) saw a man washing off the traces of excrement with water. He said: "We did not use to do that."

Abd al-Rahman bin Yazid said: Some of the polytheists, mocking, asked Sayyiduna Salman (may Allah be pleased with him): "I see that your companion (peace and blessings be upon him) teaches you everything, even how to cleanse yourselves after relieving yourselves?!" Sayyiduna Salman said: "Indeed! He commanded us not to face the qiblah while relieving ourselves, and not to cleanse ourselves with fewer than three stones."

Sayyiduna Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Once the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) went out to relieve himself and said to me: "Bring me three stones." I brought two stones and a piece of dung. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) took the two stones, threw away the dung and said: "It is impure."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When one of you cleanses himself after relieving himself, let him cleanse himself three times."

Sayyiduna Salamah (may Allah be pleased with him) did not use to cleanse himself with water.

Ibrahim said: Alqamah and al-Aswad, or Abd al-Rahman bin Yazid, did not use more than three stones to cleanse themselves.

Nafi' said: Sayyiduna Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) did not cleanse himself with water. I used to bring him stones from the Harrah; when they became soiled, I would take them out and throw them away, then put others in their place.

Ibrahim said: Al-Aswad and Alqamah used to cleanse themselves with three stones.