Can we wipe the water with cloth or tissue paper after doing ablution.
Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,
As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa
Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)
One of our brothers/sisters has asked
this question:
Can we
wipe the water with cloth or tissue paper after doing ablution. Some say the
water will get dried by itself. Please clarify!
(There may be some grammatical and spelling
errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from
questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in
confidentiality.)
Answer:
Wipe after wudu ablution
In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask
for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever
He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that
there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that
Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.
There is indeed evidence in the established and authentic
Sunnah that the Messenger of Allah (saws) at times would not use a towel or
sheet to wipe himself dry after taking a bath or ablution, and at times he
(saws) would use a towel or sheet to wipe himself dry.
Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 1.259 Narrated by Maimuna
I placed water for the bath (ghusl) of the
Prophet (saws), and he (saws) poured water with his right hand on his left and
washed them. Then he (saws) washed his private parts and rubbed his hands on
the ground, washed them with water, rinsed his mouth and washed his nose by
putting water in it and blowing it out, washed his face and poured water on his
head. He (saws) withdrew from that place and washed his feet. A piece of
cloth (towel) was given to him but he did not use it.
Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 1.266 Narrated by Maimuna bint Al Harith
I placed water for the bath (ghusl) of
Allah's Messenger (saws) and put a screen. He poured water over his hands, and
washed them once or twice. Then he (saws) poured water with his right hand over
his left one and washed his private parts. He (saws) rubbed his hand over the
earth or the wall and washed it. He (saws) rinsed his mouth and washed his nose
by putting water in it and blowing it out. He (saws) washed his face, forearms
and head. He (saws) then poured water over his body and then withdrew from that
place and washed his feet. I
presented him a piece of cloth (towel) and he (saws) pointed with his hand
(that he does not want it), and did not take it.
If one has ever experienced the intense heat of summer in
the lands of Arabia, one would easily be able to comprehend the wisdom behind
the Messenger of Allah (saws) allowing himself the luxury of the coolness of
the water to remain on his body a little while longer after taking his bath or
ablution.
But the cold winters in the desert lands of
Thus the reason or wisdom behind the Messenger of Allah
(saws) not taking the towel offered by his wives seems more to do with bearing
the extremes of the weather, rather than a religious guidance.
The very fact that the wives of the Messenger of Allah
(saws) offered him a towel to dry himself after his bath is evidence of the
fact that at times, depending on the weather, the Messenger of Allah (saws) would
use a towel to dry himself after his bath, and at times he would abstain.
There is absolutely no restriction or condition in Shariah
regarding the usage of a towel, or sheet, or absorbent material to wipe oneself
dry after their bath or ablution; one may do so if one so wills or wishes, or
one may abstain if one so wills or wishes….it is entirely upto the individual.
Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to
Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only
Source of Strength.
Your brother and
well wisher in Islam,
Burhan
Wister