This excerpt is taken from the book of Fazilat-ul-Sheikh Abdul Salam Rustami From Denial of Hadith to Denial of Quran.
Hadith 15: Companions applying the blessed saliva of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) on their faces and bodies
Reference: Sahih al-Bukhari, Conditions, Chapter on Conditions in Jihad and Reconciliation, Hadith: -2732,2731
For the early Muslims, this was against delicacy. The Hadith of the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah contains details that Urwah bin Mas'ud Thaqafi, who was an envoy of reconciliation from the polytheists, upon returning, narrated five things about the Companions رضي الله عنهم which showed the immense love and respect the Companions رضي الله عنهم had for the Prophet Muhammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم and put pressure on the polytheists. These five things are:
➊ When the Prophet Muhammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم spat, the Companions رضي الله عنهم would take it in their hands and wipe it on their face and body.
➋ When the Prophet Muhammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم gave a command, they would rush to obey it.
➌ When he صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم performed ablution, the Companions رضي الله عنهم would almost fight to get the water for ablution.
➍ When he صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم spoke, they would listen silently.
➎ Out of respect and reverence, they would not look at him directly for long.
Answer:
The hadith is absolutely authentic, but unfortunately, regarding the condition of the hadith deniers, a disbeliever considers the actions that are a form of reverence and respect for the Holy Prophet ﷺ as something improper. These people do not understand the status of love; in passionate love, the lover is overwhelmed by an even more emotional state. But the reality is that denying the hadith is nothing but clear enmity towards the Holy Prophet ﷺ; what relation do they have with the love of the Prophet?
