Purification

Abu Umama reported God’s messenger as saying, “Gabriel never came to me without ordering me to use the tooth-stick, with the result that I have been afraid of chafing the front of my mouth.” Ahmad transmitted it.

She reported God’s messenger as saying, “The prayer before which the tooth-stick is used is seventy times more excellent than that before which it is not used.” Baihaqi transmitted it in the Shu'ab al-iman.

I heard God's messenger say, “Were it not that I would distress my people, I would order them to use the tooth-stick before every prayer, and I would postpone the evening prayer till a third of the night had passed.”He said that Zaid b. Khalid used to attend the prayers in the mosque with his tooth-stick on his ear where a clerk carries a pen, and did not get up to pray without using it, after which he put it back in its place.Tirmidhi transmitted it, and also Abu Dawud, but he did not mention, “I would postpone the evening prayer till a third of the night had passed.” Tirmidhi said that this is a hasan sahih tradition.

Abu Huraira reported God's messenger as saying, “When one of you awakes from sleep he must not dip his hand in the vessel till he has washed it three times, for he does not know where his hand was during the night.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

‘Abdallah b. ‘Abbas said that God’s messenger performed each detail of his ablution once, doing no more than that. Bukhari transmitted it.

‘Uthman performed ablution in places where people sat and said, “Shall I not show you how God’s messenger performed ablution?” He then performed each detail thrice. Muslim transmitted it.

Al-Mustaurid b. Shaddad said that he saw God’s messenger rubbing his toes with his little finger when he performed ablution. Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

‘Uthman said that the Prophet used to make the water go through his beard. Tirmidhi and Darimi transmitted it.

I saw ‘Ali perform ablution. He washed the palms of his hands till he cleaned them, then rinsed his mouth three times, snuffed up water three times, washed his face three times and his forearms three times, wiped his head once, then washed his feet up to the ankles, after which he stood up and, taking the remainder of his ablution water, he drank it standing. Then he said, “I wanted to show you how God’s messenger performed ablution.” Tirmidhi and Nasa'i transmitted it.

‘Abdallah b. Zaid said that he saw God’s messenger rinse his mouth and snuff up water from one hand, doing that three times. Abu Dawud and Tirmidhi transmitted it.

‘Abdallah b. al-Mughaffal on hearing his son say, “O God, I ask Thee for the white palace on the right of paradise,” said, “Sonny, ask God for paradise and seek refuge in Him from hell, for I heard God’s Messenger say, ‘There will be some among this people who will go over the score in ablution and supplication.” Ahmad, Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

Mu'adh b. Jabal said that he saw God’s messenger wiping his face with the hem of his garment when he performed ablution. Tirmidhi transmitted it.

‘A'isha said that God’s messenger had a cloth with which he dried his limbs after ablution. Tirmidhi who transmitted it said, “This is a tradition which is not of value, and Abu Mu'adh the transmitter is considered by traditionists to be weak.”

‘Uthman said that God’s messenger performed each detail of ablution three times and then said, “This is how I perform ablution, how the prophets before me performed it, and how Abraham performed it.”Razin transmitted these two traditions, but in his commentary on Muslim Nawawi declared the second to be weak.

Anas said that God’s messenger used to perform ablution for every prayer, but that they made the ablution serve as long as they did nothing which broke the state of ceremonial purity. Darimi transmitted it.

‘Abdallah b. ‘Abbas said that God’s messenger drank some milk and rinsed his mouth saying, “It contains greasiness.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, “No ablution is necessary except when one makes a sound or breaks wind.” Ahmad and Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Mu'awiya b. Abu Sufyan reported the Prophet as saying, “The eyes are the leather strap of the anus, and when the eye sleeps the leather strap is loosened.” Darimi transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Abbas reported God’s messenger as saying, “Ablution is necessary for one who sleeps lying down, for when he lies down his joints are relaxed.” Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Abbas said that God's messenger ate a shoulder, and after wiping his hand with a cloth on which he was sitting, he got up and prayed. Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah transmitted it.