Book 3: Purification

Lubaba daughter of al-Harith said: When al-Husain b. ‘Ali was sitting in God’s messenger’s lap he passed water and I said, “Put on a garment and give me your lower garment to wash;" but he replied, “It is only the urine of a female which should be washed; the urine of a male should be sprinkled." Ahmad, Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah transmitted it. In a version by Abu Dawud and Nasa’i from Abus Samh he said, "It should be washed because of a girl’s urine and sprinkled because of a boy’s."

Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, "When any of you treads with his sandal on something unclean, earth should be used to purify it." Abu Dawud transmitted it and Ibn Majah has something similar.

Umm Salama said that a woman told her she had a long skirt and walked in filthy places, so she told her that God’s messenger had said, "What comes after it cleanses it." [i.e. cleaner roads after the filthy places have been passed.] Malik, Ahmad, Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud and Darimi transmitted it, the last two mentioning that the woman was an umm walad* belonging to Ibrahim b. ‘Abd ar-Rahman b. ‘Auf. *Lit. "mother of a boy". Used of a slavewoman who has borne a child to her master, and therefore gains her freedom when he dies.

Al-Miqdam b. Ma'dikarib said that God’s messenger prohibited wearing the skins of beasts of prey and using them on saddles. Abu Dawud and Nasa’i transmitted it.

Abul Malih b. Usama quoted his father as saying that the Prophet (ﷺ) prohibited the use of the skins of beasts of prey. Ahmad, Abu Dawud and Nasa’i transmitted it; and Tirmidhi and Darimi added that they may be used as rugs.

Abul Malih expressed his disapproval of payment for the skins of beasts of prey.* *The source of this tradition is not mentioned, but the editor of the Damascus edition of the Mishkat says Tirmidhi appended it in a note.

‘Abdallah b. ‘Ukaim said, “The letter of God’s messenger came to us telling us not to make use of the skin or sinew of an animal which had died a natural death.” Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, Nasa’i and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

‘A'isha said God’s messenger commanded that the skins of animals which had died a natural death should be made use of after they had been tanned. Malik and Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Maimuna said that some people passed the Prophet (ﷺ) dragging a sheep of theirs as big as an ass. God’s messenger asked them why they did not make use of its skin, and when they told him that it had died a natural death he said, “Water and leaves of the mimosa flava* purify it." *The Arabic word is qaraz. meaning the leaves of the mimosa flave (salam) These were used for tanning. Ahmad and Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Salma b. al-Muhabbiq said that on the expedition to Tabuk [In the year 9 A.H.] God’s messenger came to a household, and seeing a bucket hanging, asked for water. They told him that the animal had died a natural death, but he replied, “Its tanning is its purification.” Ahmad and Abu Dawud transmitted it.