61 - Issue: He said: "If he performs ablution thoroughly (isbagh) with less than that, it suffices him."

The meaning of isbagh is to cover all members with water such that it flows over them, for this is the ghusl (full washing), and we have been commanded to perform the ghusl. Ahmad said: It is indeed the washing, not the wiping. Therefore, if it is possible for him to wash with a washing [motion], even if it be a mudd or less than a mudd, it suffices him. This is the school of al-Shafi'i and the majority of scholars. It has been said: It does not suffice to use less than a sa' for ghusl and a mudd for wudu. This was narrated from Abu Hanifah, because it is narrated from Jabir that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "A mudd suffices for wudu, and a sa' for major ritual impurity (janabah)." (1) The stipulation with this amount indicates that it does not suffice with less than it. Our argument is that Allah the Exalted commanded the ghusl, and he has performed it, therefore it must suffice for him. It has been narrated from 'Aishah that she used to perform ghusl, she and the Prophet (peace be upon him), from a single vessel that held three mudds or close to that. Narrated by Muslim. (2) And from 'Abdullah ibn Zayd, that the Prophet (peace be upon him) performed wudu with two-thirds of a mudd. (3) Their hadith only indicates [their position] by its implication (mafhum), and they themselves do not accept that implication. Furthermore, it only indicates that on the condition that there is no benefit in the specification other than limiting the ruling to it, whereas here he only specified it because it was said in the context of the common occurrence (khuruj makhraj al-ghalib), as it is common that less than that does not suffice. Moreover, what we have mentioned is explicit (mantuq), and it is given precedence over implication by consensus. Al-Athram narrated from al-Qa'nabi (4), from Sulayman ibn Bilal (5), from 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Ata (6), that he heard Sa'id ibn al-Musayyab and a man from the people of Iraq questioning him about what suffices a person for the ghusl of janabah. Sa'id said: "I have a tawr (vessel) that holds two mudds of water or around that, and I perform ghusl with it, and it suffices me, and there remains some from it." The man said: "By Allah, I surely clear my nose and rinse my mouth with two mudds of water [and such]." (7) Sa'id ibn al-Musayyab said: "So what do you command me, if the devil is toying with you?" The man said to him: "If it does not suffice me, for I am, as you see, a large man." Sa'id ibn al-Musayyab said to him: "Three mudds." He said: "Three mudds is little." Sa'id said to him: "Then a sa'." And Sa'id said: "I have a rakwa (8) or a cup that holds only half a mudd of water or similar, then I urinate, then I perform wudu, and I have some left over from it." 'Abd al-Rahman said: "So I mentioned this hadith that I heard from Sa'id ibn al-Musayyab to Sulayman ibn Yasar (9), and Sulayman said: 'And such [amount] suffices me.'" 'Abd al-Rahman said: "So I mentioned that to Abu 'Ubaydah ibn 'Ammar ibn Yasir (10), and Abu 'Ubaydah said: 'And thus we heard from the companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)." Ibrahim al-Nakha'i said: "I perform wudu from a jar twice."

Section: And if he exceeds the mudd in wudu and the sa' in ghusl, it is permissible, for 'Aishah said: "I used to perform ghusl, I and the Prophet (peace be upon him), from a single vessel, from a cup called: al-faraq." Narrated by al-Bukhari. (11) The faraq is three sa's. And from Anas, he said: "The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) used to perform ghusl...