Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) came across me and I was Junub. He took my hand and I went along with him till he sat down I slipped away, went home and took a bath. When I came back, he was still sitting there. He then said to me, "O Abu Huraira! Where have you been?' I told him about it. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Subhan Allah! O Abu Huraira! A believer never becomes impure."
Hadith Text & Context
Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) came across me and I was Junub. He took my hand and I went along with him till he sat down I slipped away, went home and took a bath. When I came back, he was still sitting there. He then said to me, "O Abu Huraira! Where have you been?" I told him about it. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Subhan Allah! O Abu Huraira! A believer never becomes impure." (Sahih al-Bukhari 285)
Legal Ruling on Major Impurity
This hadith establishes that while a person in state of janabah (major ritual impurity) must perform ghusl before prayer, they are not considered spiritually impure or defiled in their essence. The physical state of impurity does not diminish the believer's spiritual status.
Spiritual Purity of Believers
The Prophet's exclamation "Subhan Allah!" expresses wonder at Abu Huraira's misunderstanding. A believer's heart remains pure even when their body requires ritual cleansing. This distinguishes Islamic purity laws from concepts of inherent defilement found in other traditions.
Practical Implications
While ghusl remains obligatory for specific acts of worship, believers may interact normally with others, handle the Quran (according to majority opinion), and remain in mosques (according to some schools) while in this state. The hadith emphasizes the distinction between ritual requirements and spiritual status.
Scholarly Commentary
Imam Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani explains in Fath al-Bari that the Prophet's statement means a believer's fundamental nature remains pure, unlike non-believers who are spiritually impure. The requirement for ghusl is a legal formality for specific acts of worship, not an indication of inherent impurity.