Source Attribution
This excerpt is taken from the book “Aḥkām o Masā’il in the Light of the Qur’an and Sunnah” by Shaykh Mubashir Aḥmad Rabbānī.
Some people, in the name of the Qur’an, distort the authentic aḥādīth of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and attempt to create a contradiction between the Qur’an and Sunnah. Others invent false principles and rules in order to reject the aḥādīth found in the books of ḥadīth. The majority of such people are ignorant of the Arabic sciences and are incapable of reading even a single page of an Arabic book. Rather, some ignorant individuals cannot even recite the words of the Qur’an correctly.
We have personally encountered many such ignorant individuals who especially target Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī and Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim with criticism, yet they do not even possess the ability or courage to read a single line of these books. On one occasion, a man came to us objecting to a ḥadīth that had been mentioned in a question, bringing along some simple-minded people to mislead them. We placed the original Arabic copy of Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī before him and said, “Extract this ḥadīth from Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī.” By Allah, he could not extract it and instead asked us to do it ourselves. When we extracted the ḥadīth, we then asked him to translate it. He could not read even a single word and returned defeated, becoming an embodiment of the verse:
In short, a few misguided people and misguiders are busy distorting the meanings of the authentic aḥādīth of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in order to mislead the masses. May Allah guide them. The following statement of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ applies perfectly to them:
First, the text of the ḥadīth from Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī is presented:
Abū Bakr bin Ḥafṣ رضي الله عنه said:
Abū Salamah ʿAbdullāh bin ʿAbd al-Raḥmān bin ʿAwf رضي الله عنه was the foster nephew of Umm al-Mu’minīn ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها; she was his maternal aunt due to breastfeeding, as her sister Umm Kulthūm had nursed him.
The second person was also her foster brother. In Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī the wording is “the brother of ʿĀ’ishah”, while in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim and other collections it is explicitly stated “from breastfeeding”.
Imām al-Nawawī رحمه الله and a group of ḥadīth scholars state that he was ʿAbdullāh bin Yazīd, her foster brother.
In any case, both were foster relatives, and foster relationships carry the same rulings as blood relationships.
ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
Thus, neither of the questioners was a non-maḥram.
Imām al-Bukhārī رحمه الله titled the chapter:
“Bāb al-Ghusl bi al-Ṣāʿ wa Naḥwih”
(Ghusl with a ṣāʿ or something close to it)
And in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, the chapter heading is:
“Bāb al-Qadr al-Mustaḥabb min al-Mā’ fī Ghusl al-Janābah”
(The recommended amount of water for ghusl after janābah)
The phrase “ghusl al-Nabī ﷺ” can also mean the water used for ghusl, as this usage occurs repeatedly in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī.
For example, from Maymūnah رضي الله عنها:
And in another narration:
Thus, the meaning is that they asked about the quantity of water used for ghusl. In response, ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها called for a vessel containing about one ṣāʿ of water and demonstrated that this amount was sufficient.
Her intention was not to demonstrate the physical act of bathing.
She verbally described the method of ghusl, as narrated in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim:
And in Sunan al-Nasā’ī, Abū Salamah says:
This clearly shows that the objective was to explain the method and amount, not to physically expose anything.
If they were meant to see her, there would have been no purpose in the presence of a curtain. There is no authentic ḥadīth stating that they saw her bathing.
Those who derive such a meaning have no sound evidence.
Allah تعالى says:
If visibility remained after the curtain, then what would be the purpose of ḥijāb? This verse itself refutes such false interpretations.
May Allah grant guidance. Āmīn.
This excerpt is taken from the book “Aḥkām o Masā’il in the Light of the Qur’an and Sunnah” by Shaykh Mubashir Aḥmad Rabbānī.
Question
In a ḥadīth, it is mentioned that when Umm al-Mu’minīn ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها was asked about the method of performing ghusl after janābah, she called for water and demonstrated it by performing ghusl behind a curtain. Some people are giving this narration a wrong interpretation, claiming that she demonstrated ghusl without clothes. Please provide a detailed explanation of this ḥadīth.Answer
The religion of Allah, the Most Blessed and Exalted, is confined to the Qur’an and ḥadīth. It is obligatory upon us to obey Allah and His Messenger ﷺ. Obedience to Allah means accepting the Qur’an correctly, and obedience to the Messenger ﷺ means accepting his ḥadīth and Sunnah, living our lives according to his methodology, and adopting his sīrah and perfect example in our lives.Some people, in the name of the Qur’an, distort the authentic aḥādīth of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and attempt to create a contradiction between the Qur’an and Sunnah. Others invent false principles and rules in order to reject the aḥādīth found in the books of ḥadīth. The majority of such people are ignorant of the Arabic sciences and are incapable of reading even a single page of an Arabic book. Rather, some ignorant individuals cannot even recite the words of the Qur’an correctly.
We have personally encountered many such ignorant individuals who especially target Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī and Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim with criticism, yet they do not even possess the ability or courage to read a single line of these books. On one occasion, a man came to us objecting to a ḥadīth that had been mentioned in a question, bringing along some simple-minded people to mislead them. We placed the original Arabic copy of Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī before him and said, “Extract this ḥadīth from Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī.” By Allah, he could not extract it and instead asked us to do it ourselves. When we extracted the ḥadīth, we then asked him to translate it. He could not read even a single word and returned defeated, becoming an embodiment of the verse:
To this day, he has not returned.﴿فَبُهِتَ الَّذِي كَفَرَ﴾
“So the disbeliever was confounded.”
In short, a few misguided people and misguiders are busy distorting the meanings of the authentic aḥādīth of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in order to mislead the masses. May Allah guide them. The following statement of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ applies perfectly to them:
“Indeed, Allah does not take away knowledge by snatching it from the people, but He takes away knowledge by taking away the scholars. When no scholar remains, people will take ignorant leaders; they will be asked and will give verdicts without knowledge, so they will go astray and lead others astray.”إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَقْبِضُ الْعِلْمَ انْتِزَاعًا يَنْتَزِعُهُ مِنَ النَّاسِ، وَلَكِنْ يَقْبِضُ الْعِلْمَ بِقَبْضِ الْعُلَمَاءِ، فَإِذَا لَمْ يُبْقِ عَالِمًا اتَّخَذَ النَّاسُ رُءُوسًا جُهَّالًا، فَسُئِلُوا فَأَفْتَوْا بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ، فَضَلُّوا وَأَضَلُّوا
Reference: Sunan Ibn Mājah, Kitāb al-Sunnah, Bāb Iḥtisāb al-Ra’y wa al-Qiyās: 52
The Ḥadīth in Question
Regarding the ḥadīth mentioned in the question, some malicious elements, deniers of ḥadīth, and opponents spread extensive propaganda and distort its meaning, using it to attack the scholars of ḥadīth and the books of ḥadīth.First, the text of the ḥadīth from Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī is presented:
Abū Bakr bin Ḥafṣ رضي الله عنه said:
“I heard Abū Salamah say: ‘I and the brother of ʿĀ’ishah entered upon ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها. Her brother asked her about the ghusl of the Prophet ﷺ. She called for a vessel containing approximately one ṣāʿ of water, then performed ghusl and poured water over her head, while there was a curtain between us and her.’”سَمِعْتُ أَبَا سَلَمَةَ قَالَ: دَخَلْتُ أَنَا وَأَخُو عَائِشَةَ عَلَى عَائِشَةَ، فَسَأَلَهَا أَخُوهَا عَنْ غُسْلِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ، فَدَعَتْ بِإِنَاءٍ فِيهِ نَحْوٌ مِنْ صَاعٍ، فَاغْتَسَلَتْ وَأَفَاضَتْ عَلَى رَأْسِهَا، وَبَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَهَا حِجَابٌ
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Kitāb al-Ghusl, Bāb al-Ghusl bi al-Ṣāʿ wa Naḥwih: 251
Clarification of Misconceptions
Please consider the following points carefully:① The Questioners Were Maḥram Relatives
Both questioners were maḥram relatives, not non-maḥrams.Abū Salamah ʿAbdullāh bin ʿAbd al-Raḥmān bin ʿAwf رضي الله عنه was the foster nephew of Umm al-Mu’minīn ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها; she was his maternal aunt due to breastfeeding, as her sister Umm Kulthūm had nursed him.
Reference: Fatḥ al-Bārī: 1/365; Sharḥ Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim by al-Nawawī: 4/4
The second person was also her foster brother. In Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī the wording is “the brother of ʿĀ’ishah”, while in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim and other collections it is explicitly stated “from breastfeeding”.
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 320; Sunan al-Nasā’ī: 228; Musnad Abī ʿAwānah: 89
Imām al-Nawawī رحمه الله and a group of ḥadīth scholars state that he was ʿAbdullāh bin Yazīd, her foster brother.
In any case, both were foster relatives, and foster relationships carry the same rulings as blood relationships.
ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“Whatever becomes unlawful due to lineage becomes unlawful due to breastfeeding.”يَحْرُمُ مِنَ الرَّضَاعَةِ مَا يَحْرُمُ مِنَ الْوِلَادَةِ
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Kitāb al-Raḍāʿ: 1444; Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Kitāb al-Nikāḥ: 2009
Thus, neither of the questioners was a non-maḥram.
② The Purpose Was to Explain the Amount of Water
The purpose of the ḥadīth is to clarify the amount of water used for ghusl.Imām al-Bukhārī رحمه الله titled the chapter:
“Bāb al-Ghusl bi al-Ṣāʿ wa Naḥwih”
(Ghusl with a ṣāʿ or something close to it)
And in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, the chapter heading is:
“Bāb al-Qadr al-Mustaḥabb min al-Mā’ fī Ghusl al-Janābah”
(The recommended amount of water for ghusl after janābah)
The phrase “ghusl al-Nabī ﷺ” can also mean the water used for ghusl, as this usage occurs repeatedly in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī.
For example, from Maymūnah رضي الله عنها:
صَبَبْتُ لِلنَّبِيِّ ﷺ غُسْلًا
“I poured water for the Prophet ﷺ for ghusl.”
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Kitāb al-Ghusl: 259
And in another narration:
وَضَعْتُ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ غُسْلًا
“I placed water for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ for ghusl.”
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Kitāb al-Ghusl: 266
Thus, the meaning is that they asked about the quantity of water used for ghusl. In response, ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها called for a vessel containing about one ṣāʿ of water and demonstrated that this amount was sufficient.
Her intention was not to demonstrate the physical act of bathing.
She verbally described the method of ghusl, as narrated in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim:
“When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ intended to perform ghusl, he would begin with his right hand, pour water over it and wash it, then pour water over the area of impurity and wash it with his left hand. When he finished that, he would pour water over his head.”
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Kitāb al-Ḥayḍ: 321
And in Sunan al-Nasā’ī, Abū Salamah says:
“ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها described the ghusl of the Prophet ﷺ from janābah.”وَصَفَتْ عَائِشَةُ غُسْلَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ مِنَ الْجَنَابَةِ
Reference: Sunan al-Nasā’ī, Kitāb al-Ṭahārah: 247
This clearly shows that the objective was to explain the method and amount, not to physically expose anything.
③ The Presence of a Curtain (Ḥijāb)
The words “وَبَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَهَا حِجَابٌ” (there was a curtain between us and her) decisively prove that they did not see Umm al-Mu’minīn رضي الله عنها while she performed ghusl.If they were meant to see her, there would have been no purpose in the presence of a curtain. There is no authentic ḥadīth stating that they saw her bathing.
Those who derive such a meaning have no sound evidence.
Allah تعالى says:
“And when you ask them for something, ask them from behind a curtain.”﴿وَإِذَا سَأَلْتُمُوهُنَّ مَتَاعًا فَاسْأَلُوهُنَّ مِنْ وَرَاءِ حِجَابٍ﴾
Reference: Al-Aḥzāb: 53
If visibility remained after the curtain, then what would be the purpose of ḥijāb? This verse itself refutes such false interpretations.
Conclusion
In summary, the methodology of the malicious deniers of ḥadīth—who are in reality deniers of the Qur’an as well—is extremely dangerous and incorrect. It is not permissible for a Muslim to mock or distort the authentic aḥādīth of Allah and His Messenger ﷺ. Such people, due to their ridicule of authentic narrations, do not remain within Islam.May Allah grant guidance. Āmīn.
