The Amount of Water for Ablution and Ghusl
Man Lā Yaḥḍuruh al-Faqīh|Volume 1|Book 1|Chapter 8
Man Lā Yaḥḍuruh al-Faqīh
Book 1, Chapter 8
The Amount of Water for Ablution and Ghusl
5 hadiths · 1 commentary
قَالَ أَبُو اَلْحَسَنِ مُوسَى بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: «لِلْغُسْلِ صَاعٌ مِنْ مَاءٍ وَ لِلْوُضُوءِ مُدٌّ مِنْ مَاءٍ وَ صَاعُ اَلنَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اَللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ خَمْسَةُ أَمْدَادٍ وَ اَلْمُدُّ وَزْنُ مِائَتَيْنِ وَ ثَمَانِينَ دِرْهَماً وَ اَلدِّرْهَمُ سِتَّةُ دَوَانِيقَ وَ اَلدَّانِقُ وَزْنُ سِتِّ حَبَّاتٍ وَ اَلْحَبَّةُ وَزْنُ حَبَّتَيْنِ مِنْ شَعِيرٍ مِنْ أَوْسَاطِ اَلْحَبِّ لاَ مِنْ صِغَارِهِ وَ لاَ مِنْ كِبَارِهِ.
Abu Al-Hasan Imam Musa ibn Jafar Al-Kadhim عليه السلام said: "For ghusl (ritual washing), a saa' of water is required, and for wudu (ablution), a mud of water is sufficient. The saa' of The Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم is five amdad (measures), and the mud weighs two hundred and eighty dirhams. One dirham is six danaq (small units), and one danaq weighs six grains. The grain should be from medium-quality barley, not from the small or large types”.
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Faqīh
وَقَالَ رَسُولُ اَللَّهِ صَلَّى اَللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ: «اَلْوُضُوءُ مُدٌّ وَ اَلْغُسْلُ صَاعٌ وَ سَيَأْتِي أَقْوَامٌ بَعْدِي يَسْتَقِلُّونَ ذَلِكَ فَأُولَئِكَ عَلَى خِلاَفِ سُنَّتِي وَ اَلثَّابِتُ عَلَى سُنَّتِي مَعِي فِي حَظِيرَةِ اَلْقُدْسِ.
The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم said: "Ablution (wudu) is a mud (a specific measure), and ghusl (ritual washing) is a saa' (a larger measure). There will come people after me who will underestimate these amounts, and those will be contrary to my Sunnah. The one who adheres to my Sunnah will be with me in the enclosure of holiness (Paradise)."
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Faqīh
وَ سُئِلَ أَبُو اَلْحَسَنِ اَلرِّضَا عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: عَنْ رَجُلٍ اِحْتَاجَ إِلَى اَلْوُضُوءِ لِلصَّلاَةِ وَ لَمْ يَقْدِرْ عَلَى اَلْمَاءِ فَوَجَدَ مَاءً بِقَدْرِ مَا يَتَوَضَّأُ بِهِ بِمِائَةِ دِرْهَمٍ هَلْ يَجِبُ عَلَيْهِ أَنْ يَشْتَرِيَهُ وَ يَتَوَضَّأَ بِهِ أَوْ يَتَيَمَّمَ فَقَالَ «بَلْ يَشْتَرِي قَدْ أَصَابَنِي مِثْلُ ذَلِكَ فَاشْتَرَيْتُ وَ تَوَضَّأْتُ وَ مَا يَسُوؤُنِي بِذَلِكَ مَالٌ كَثِيرٌ.
Abu Al-Hasan Imam Ali ibn Musa Ar-Ridha عليه السلام was asked about a man who needed to perform wudu for prayer but could not find water, except for a quantity of water worth a hundred dirhams. Should he buy it to perform wudu or should he perform tayammum (dry ablution)? Imam عليه السلام said: ""Rather, he should buy it. I have experienced a similar situation, and I bought it and performed wudu and I would not mind having that money”.
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Faqīh
وَقَالَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: «اِغْتَسَلَ رَسُولُ اَللَّهِ صَلَّى اَللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ هُوَ وَ زَوْجَتُهُ مِنْ خَمْسَةِ أَمْدَادٍ مِنْ إِنَاءٍ وَاحِدٍ» فَقَالَ لَهُ زُرَارَةُ كَيْفَ صَنَعَ فَقَالَ «بَدَأَ هُوَ فَضَرَبَ يَدَهُ فِي اَلْمَاءِ قَبْلَهَا فَأَنْقَى فَرْجَهُ ثُمَّ ضَرَبَتْ هِيَ فَأَنْقَتْ فَرْجَهَا ثُمَّ أَفَاضَ هُوَ وَ أَفَاضَتْ هِيَ عَلَى نَفْسِهَا حَتَّى فَرَغَا وَ كَانَ اَلَّذِي اِغْتَسَلَ بِهِ اَلنَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اَللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ ثَلاَثَةَ أَمْدَادٍ وَ اَلَّذِي اِغْتَسَلَتْ بِهِ مُدَّيْنِ وَ إِنَّمَا أَجْزَأَ عَنْهُمَا لِأَنَّهُمَا اِشْتَرَكَا فِيهِ جَمِيعاً وَ مَنِ اِنْفَرَدَ بِالْغُسْلِ وَحْدَهُ فَلاَ بُدَّ لَهُ مِنْ صَاعٍ..
Abu Ja'far Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir عليه السلام said: "The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم and his wife performed ghusl using five amdad from one container." Zurarah then asked how it was done. Imam عليه السلام said: "He started by immersing his hand in the water before hers and cleansed his private part. Then She did the same and cleansed her private part. After that, he poured water over himself, and She poured water over herself until they were finished. The amount that the Prophet used for ghusl was three amdad, while She used two muds. This was sufficient for both of them because they shared the same water. However, for someone who performs ghusl alone, they must use a saa'."
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Faqīh
وَقَالَ اَلصَّادِقُ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: «إِنَّ اَلرَّجُلَ لَيَعْبُدُ اَللَّهَ أَرْبَعِينَ سَنَةً وَ مَا يُطِيعُهُ فِي اَلْوُضُوءِ لِأَنَّهُ يَغْسِلُ مَا أَمَرَ اَللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ بِمَسْحِهِ.
Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq عليه السلام said: "A man may worship Allah سبحانه وتعالى for forty years but does not truly obey Him in wudu (ablution) because he washes what Allah سبحانه وتعالى, Mighty and Majestic, commanded him to wipe."
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Faqīh
Commentary #1