Chapter on Water and Its Rules, and What is Permissible and Impermissible for Purification

This narration is extremely rare (shadh) and highly anomalous, even if it is mentioned in books and foundational texts. Its source is Yunus from Abu al-Hasan عليه السلام, and no one else has narrated it. The consensus of the Shi'a community (‘assaba) is to abandon acting upon its apparent meaning. Such a narration, given its nature, is not acted upon. Even if it were accepted, it might mean that he intended by Wudu' a form of cleansing or enhancement (tahseen). As explained earlier, such actions can be termed Wudu'. No one may argue that the narration explicitly mentions using rose water for Wudu' for prayer, as this does not contradict what we have said. It is possible to use rose water for enhancement while also intending to enter into prayer, since using a pleasant scent while preparing to pray and converse with Allah سبحانه وتعالى is preferable to merely using it for personal enjoyment without considering Allah سبحانه وتعالى. This interpretation negates the misconception of the questioner. Furthermore, it is possible that by "rose water," the Imam عليه السلام meant water infused with rose petals, as this may also be called rose water (ma’ al-ward), even if it is not extracted from roses. In Arabic usage, anything that comes into contact with something else can acquire its name through association. For instance, they say "jar water" (ma’ al-hubb), "factory water" (ma’ al-masna‘), or "water of the vessel" (ma’ al-qirab), even though these associations are based on proximity rather than intrinsic nature. This interpretation invalidates the assumption made by those who misunderstood the narration.