and then it was poured over the urine of the Bedouin. It is unanimously agreed upon (20), and this command necessitates obligation. Also, because it is a purification intended for prayer, it cannot be achieved with anything other than water, like purification from ritual impurity (hadath). The absolute nature of their hadith is qualified by our hadith, and water is specifically characterized by achieving one of the two types of purification, so it is the same for the other.
Among the evidences for this is the restriction of the attainment of purification to water, due to it being exclusively mentioned, thus it cannot be attained with any liquid other than it. This is the opinion of Malik, al-Shafi'i, Abu 'Ubayd, and Abu Yusuf (21).
It is narrated from 'Ali, may Allah be pleased with him—though it is not authentically established from him—that he saw no harm in performing wudu with nabidh (date-infusion), and this is the opinion of al-Hasan (22) and al-Awza'i (23).
'Ikrimah (24) said: "Nabidh is the wudu for one who does not find water."
Ishaq (25) said: "Nabidh, when sweet, is more beloved to me than tayammum (dry ablution), and combining both is more beloved to me."
It is narrated from Abu Hanifah that which is similar to the opinion of 'Ikrimah. It was also said regarding him that it is permissible to perform wudu with date-nabidh if it has been cooked.
(20) Reported by al-Bukhari, in: Chapter on pouring water over urine, from the Book of Wudu, and in: Chapter on the statement of the Prophet -may Allah bless him and grant him peace-: "Make things easy and do not make them difficult," from the Book of Etiquette. Sahih al-Bukhari 1/65, 8/37. And Muslim, in: Chapter on the obligation of washing urine and other impurities if they occur in the mosque, from the Book of Purification. Sahih Muslim 1/236, 237. It was also reported by Abu Dawud, in: Chapter on the earth that urine gets on, from the Book of Purification. Sunan Abi Dawud 1/90, 91. And al-Tirmidhi, in: Chapter on what has been said regarding urine that gets on the earth, from the Chapters of Purification. 'Aridat al-Ahwadhi 1/243, 244. And Imam Malik, in: Chapter on what has been said regarding urinating while standing and other than it, from the Book of Purification. Al-Muwatta 1/64, 65. And Imam Ahmad, in: Al-Musnad 2/239, 282, 3/110-111, 167. (21) Abu Yusuf Ya'qub bin Ibrahim bin Habib al-Ansari, a companion of Imam Abu Hanifah. The appointment of judges throughout the lands from the East to the West in his time was under his authority. He died in Baghdad in the year 182 AH. Al-Jawahir al-Mudiyya 3/611-613. (22) Abu Sa'id al-Hasan bin Yasar al-Basri, the scholar, the worshipper, the ascetic. He died in the year 110 AH. Siyar A'lam al-Nubala 4/563-588. (23) Abu 'Amr 'Abd al-Rahman bin 'Umar bin Yahmad al-Awza'i, the Imam of the people of the Levant and their jurist, and one of the ascetics and master writers. He died in the year 157 AH. Wafayat al-A'yan 3/127, 128; Al-'Ibar 1/227. (24) He is 'Ikrimah, the freed slave of Ibn 'Abbas, and his origin is from the Berbers. It is narrated that Ibn 'Abbas said to him: "Go and issue fatwas to the people." He died in the year 107 AH. Tabaqat al-Fuqaha by al-Shirazi, 70. (25) Abu Ya'qub Ishaq bin Ibrahim bin Makhlad al-Tamimi al-Marwazi, Ibn Rahwayh. He combined Hadith, Fiqh, memorization, truthfulness, piety, and asceticism. He died in the year 238 AH. Tabaqat al-Hanabila 1/109; Siyar A'lam al-Nubala 11/358-383.
