It was narrated from Ibn 'Abbas that the Prophet (ﷺ) performed Ghusl and a cloth was brought to him, but he did not touch it, and he started doing like this with the water. [1] [1] This is a demonstration of his wiping off the water on his body with his hands.
Hadith Referenceسنن نسائي / ذكر ما يوجب الغسل وما لا يوجبه / 255
Hadith Gradingالألبانی:صحيح | زبیر علی زئی:صحيح
Hadith Takhrij«تفرد بہ النسائی، (تحفة الأشراف: 6351) (صحیح) : یقول المزی: المحفوظ حدیث ابن عباس، عن میمونة (وحدیث میمونة قد تقدم برقم: 245)»
Brief Explanation
1؎ : It is possible that you no longer needed it, or that the towel was no longer clean, due to which you disliked wiping your body with it. Therefore, this is not contrary to the narration of Aisha radi Allahu anha in which it is stated: «كان للنبي رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم خرقة ينشف بها بعد الوضوئ» nor is it contrary to the narration of Mu'adh radi Allahu anhu in which it is stated: «رأيت رسول الله رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم إذا توضأ مسح وجهه بطرف ثوبه». Although there is some criticism regarding both these hadiths, they strengthen each other.
2؎ : From this, the permissibility of wiping and shaking off water with the hand is established, and the narration in which the prohibition of shaking off water with the hand is mentioned is weak.
Explanation & Benefits
Hafiz Muhammad Ameen
255. Commentary: The act of shaking water off with the hands proves that after ablution (wudu) or ritual bath (ghusl), it is not necessary for water to remain on the limbs; it can be wiped off, whether with the hands or with a cloth or towel, etc. Some people have, based on this narration, considered the use of a towel to be disliked, but this reasoning is not correct.
Source: Sunan Nasa'i: Translation and Benefits by Shaykh Hafiz Muhammad Amin Hafizullah, Page: 255