Nasai

Hadith Commentary:
This hadith teaches that one should show compassion and kindness to children.
If they make any mistake, exercising patience is a sign of wisdom.
It is the right of children to be seated lovingly in one’s lap.
The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) himself showed great compassion to children; if they made any mistake, he would not hold them accountable because they are innocent and not legally responsible (ghayr mukallaf).
(Fath al-Bari: 10/533)

«والنجاسات هي غائط الإنسان وبوله إلا الذكر الرضيع»

“And the impurities are these: absolutely, the urine and feces of a human being. Except for the urine of a nursing infant (which is not impure).”

As the evidences are as follows:

➊ It is narrated from Abu al-Samh radi Allahu anhu that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said:
«يُغْسَلُ مِنْ بَوْلِ الْجَارِيَةِ، وَيُرَشُّ مِنْ بَوْلِ الْغُلَامِ»
“The garment soiled by a boy’s urine should be washed, and the garment soiled by a girl’s urine should have water sprinkled on it.” [أبو داود 376] 1

➋ In this meaning, a marfu‘ narration is also reported from Ali radi Allahu anhu: «بول الغلام الرضيع ينضح و بون الجارية يغسله» [أبو داود 378] 2

➌ It is narrated from Umm Qays bint Mihsan radi Allahu anha that she brought her small child, who had not yet eaten food, to the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. The child urinated on his garment, so he sallallahu alayhi wa sallam called for water and «وفنضحه ولم

يغسله» sprinkled water on the garment and did not wash it. [بخاري 223] 3

➍ In the hadith narrated from Umm Fadl radi Allahu anha, it is mentioned that Hasan radi Allahu anhu urinated in the lap of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, and he sallallahu alayhi wa sallam did not wash it (rather, he sufficed with sprinkling water). [أبوداود 375] 4

➎ It is narrated from Aisha radi Allahu anha that a child was brought to the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, and he urinated on him. So the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam called for water and poured it over the spot «ولم يغسله» “and did not wash it.” [بخاري 222] 5

In this issue, the scholars have adopted three positions.

➊ (Ali radi Allahu anhu, Ahmad rahimahullah, Ishaq rahimahullah, Zuhri rahimahullah) Their position is in accordance with the apparent meaning of the hadith. This is also narrated in one report from Umm Salamah radi Allahu anha, Imam Thawri, Imam Nakha‘i, Imam Dawud, Imam Ata, Imam Ibn Wahb, Imam Hasan, and Imam Malik rahimahumullah ajma‘in. [شرح زرقاني على مؤطا 129/1] 6

➋ (Awza‘i rahimahullah) For both boy and girl, sprinkling water alone is sufficient. A similar narration is also reported from Imam Malik rahimahullah and Imam Shafi‘i rahimahullah. [المجموع 548/2] 7

➌ (Hanafis, Malikis) Washing is necessary for the urine of both (boy and girl). [الدر المختار 293/1] 8

(Preferred) The first position is the preferred one.
Those who hold the third position have argued from those hadiths in which, in general, urine is mentioned as impure. However, “it is obligatory to interpret the absolute in light of the restricted,” and likewise, “it is obligatory to interpret the general in light of the specific.” Furthermore, making an analogy between the urine of a girl and that of a boy is invalid, because it is contrary to the clear text, and the aforementioned explicit hadiths refute the last two positions. [فتح الباري 390/1] 9

(Ibn Hazm rahimahullah) is unique in his view that for any male (even if he is grown), it is sufficient to sprinkle water on his urine. (Whereas the hadith mentions only the nursing infant.) [نيل الأوطار 95/1] 10

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1 [صحيح : صحيح أبو داود 362، كتاب الطهارة : باب بول الصبي يصيب الثو ب، أبو داود 376، نسائي 158/1 ابن ماجة 566، ابن خزيمة 283، بيهقي 415/2، دارقطني 130/1، حاكم 166/1]

2 [صحيح : صحيح أبو داود 364، كتاب الطهارة : باب بول الصبي يصيب الثوب، أبو داود 378، ترمذي 610، ابن ماجة 020، أحمد 76/1، شرح معاني الآثار 92/1، دارقطني 129/1، حاكم 160/1، بيهقي 415/2، ابن خزيمة 284، ابن حبان 247]

3 [بخاري 223، كتاب الوضوء : باب بول الصبيان، مسلم 287، أحمد 355/6، أبوداود 374، ترمذي 71، نسائي 157/1 ابن ماجة 524، حميدي 343، ابن الجارود 139، ابوعوانة 202/1، ابن خزيمة 144/1، شرح معاني الآثار 92/1، بيهقي 414/2، شرح السنة 284/1]

4 [صحيح : صحيح أبوداود 361، كتاب الطهارة : باب بول الصبي يصيب الثو ب، أبوداود 375، ابن ماجة 522، شرح معاني الآثار 92/1، حاكم 166/1، بيهقي 414/2 ابن خزيمة 282، شرح السنة 385/1، طبراني كبير 5/3]

5 [مسلم 286، كتاب الطهارة : باب حكم بول الطفل الرضيع و كيفية غسله، بخاري 222، ابن ماجة 523، احمد 52/6]

6 [شرح زرقاني على مؤطا 129/1، الكافي 91/1، قوانين الأحكام الشرعية ص/ 47، مغني المحتاج 84/1، كشاف القناع 217/1، المهذب 49/1]

7 [المجموع 548/2، مغني المحتاج 84/1، شرح زرقاني على مؤطا 129/1]

8 [روضة الطالبين 141/1، شرح المهذب 409/2، بداية المجتهد 77/1، فتح القدير 140/1، الدر المختار 293/1]

9 [نيل الأوطار 96/1، تلخيص الحبير 37/1، فتح الباري 390/1، عون المعبود 33/2، فقو الأثر 62/1، الفقه الإسلامي وأدلته 311/1، سبل السلام 69/1]

10 [نيل الأوطار 95/1، الروضة الندية 76/1]
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Hadith Commentary:
➊
These ahadith mention the ruling regarding the urine of children.
There is no doubt that whether it is the urine of a boy or a girl, both are impure. However, in view of circumstances and conditions, there is a concession regarding the urine of a boy.
If a boy urinates, then sprinkling water over it is sufficient, whereas the urine of a girl must be washed.
As is explicitly stated in the following ahadith:
“The urine of a boy should be sprinkled with water, and the urine of a girl should be washed.” (Sunan Abi Dawud, Book of Purification, Hadith: 377)
But the condition for the boy is that he should not be eating any food other than milk.
It is narrated from Lubabah bint al-Harith radi Allahu anha that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said:
“The urine of a girl should be washed, and the urine of a boy should be sprinkled with water.” (Sunan Abi Dawud, Book of Purification, Hadith 375)
In the narration of Abu al-Samh, the wording is “sprinkling” (rash) water over the urine of a boy.
(Sunan Abi Dawud, Book of Purification, Hadith: 376)
It should be noted that when the term “nadh” (sprinkling) is used in relation to clothing, it means to pour a little water, which is also called “rash” (sprinkling).

➋
Why has there been a concession in the method of purification for the urine of a boy? The reason given is that, compared to girls, there is generally more affection and attachment towards boys. That is why, besides the parents, many other relatives and friends tend to carry boys, whereas those who carry girls are fewer in comparison. When there is greater trial in a matter, the Shari‘ah grants concession in it.
Hafiz Ibn Hajar rahimahullah has considered this reasoning to be strong.
(Fath al-Bari: 1/427)
Some scholars have written that the temperament of boys is dominated by heat, due to which there is subtlety in their constitution. Because of this subtlety, merely pouring water is sufficient, as this will remove the particles of urine from the garment. However, in the temperament of girls, due to coldness, there is density, and as a result, the effects of density are also present in their urine, which are not removed merely by pouring water unless it is washed thoroughly.
Some scholars do not differentiate between the urine of boys and girls, rather they say that purification for both is by washing. However, a narration from Aisha radi Allahu anha is reported in these words that she poured water over the urine and did not wash it.
(Sahih Muslim, Book of Purification, Hadith: 662 (286))
And the wording of the narration of Umm Qays is that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam did nothing except sprinkle water.
(Sahih Muslim, Book of Purification, Hadith: 665 (287))
In fact, in some narrations, it is mentioned that he poured water over it only once.
(Sahih Muslim, Book of Purification, Hadith: 663 (286))
But the result of Islahi Sahib’s deliberation appears in these words:
“This statement that there is no difference between the urine of boys and girls has no basis.” (Tadabbur Hadith: 1/305)
We have clarified that this concession is only for as long as the child does not eat anything other than milk, but listen to what Islahi Sahib says:
“This statement that the child was not yet eating food—who clarified this? Obviously, the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam did not say this. This was said by the child’s mother or Ibn Shihab inserted it and put his own juristic opinion into the narration.”
(Tadabbur Hadith: 1/315)
We would say: What is the need for such contentious argumentation here about who clarified the issue of not eating food? The real issue is established from the hadith, that for the urine of a suckling child, pouring or sprinkling water is sufficient.
On this point, Islahi Sahib’s “deliberation” is silent, whereas the real need is to clarify the nature of the issue, which is nowhere to be found in his “deliberation.”
From this, you can gauge that the purpose of this person is not to explain and clarify the ahadith, but only to create doubts and suspicions in them, or by maligning Imam Zuhri, to pave the way for the rejection of hadith.
May Allah guide them.

Hadith Commentary:
Vocabulary of the Hadith:
(1)
يُبَرِّكُ عَلَيْهِمْ:
He would supplicate for them and pass his hand over them.
The original meaning of barakah (blessing) is abundance and increase.
(2)
يُحَنِّكُهُمْ:
The meaning of tahneek is to chew dates or something similar,
and then rub it on the palate of the child’s mouth.
(Sharh Nawawi: 1/139)
Benefits and Issues:
Upon the birth of a child, one should have tahneek performed by a good and pious person.
And one should have supplication made for the child by such a person. Good and pious people, too, should, with humility and modesty, show love and affection to children and should not feel any hesitation in supplicating for their goodness and blessing.
And tahneek should be performed for the child.
The ruling regarding the child’s urine will be mentioned ahead.

Hadith Commentary:
Vocabulary of the Hadith:
(1)
Yarḍaʿu:
A suckling child.
(2)
Ḥajr:
Lap or bosom.

Benefit:
This hadith proves that the Noble Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) used to show special compassion towards small children, and he would also supplicate for them. If a nursing boy urinates, it is correct to sprinkle water over it, and if a nursing girl urinates, then it should be washed.