taking a towel after wudu' are 'Uthman, al-Hasan ibn 'Ali, Anas, and many of the people of knowledge. Jabir ibn 'Abd Allah forbade it, and 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Mahdi and a group of the people of knowledge disliked it, because Maymuna narrated (19) that the Prophet (may the peace and blessings of God be upon him) performed ghusl, so I brought him a towel, but he did not want it, and he began shaking the water off with his hand. Agreed upon (20). The first [opinion] is more correct, because the principle is permissibility, and the Prophet's (may the peace and blessings of God be upon him) leaving [of an action] does not indicate dislike (karaha), for the Prophet (may the peace and blessings of God be upon him) might leave a permissible act just as he might perform it. Abu Bakr narrated in "Al-Shafi" with his isnad, from 'Urwa, from 'Aisha, who said: "The Prophet (may the peace and blessings of God be upon him) had a cloth he would dry himself with after wudu'." Ahmad was asked about this hadith and said: "Munkar, munkar (rejected)." It was also narrated from Qays ibn Sa'd that the Prophet (may the peace and blessings of God be upon him) performed ghusl, then we brought him a sheet dyed with wars (21), and he wrapped himself in it (22). However, al-Tirmidhi said: "Nothing is authentic in this chapter" (23). It is not disliked to shake water off one's body with one's hands due to the hadith of Maymuna.
32 - Issue: He said: (And if he performs wudu' for a supererogatory prayer, he may perform an obligatory prayer).
I do not know of any disagreement regarding this issue; this is because a supererogatory prayer requires the removal of hadath (ritual impurity) just like an obligatory prayer. When the hadath is removed, the condition for prayer is fulfilled and the impediment is lifted, so the obligatory [prayer] is permitted for him. Likewise is everything that requires purification, such as touching the Mushaf and circumambulation (tawaf); if he performs wudu' for it, his hadath is removed, his purification is valid, and everything else that requires purification becomes permitted for him. We have already mentioned that in what has passed.
(19) In [MS] M: "She said". (20) It was only narrated by al-Bukhari, in: Chapter on shaking the hands after ghusl from janaba, from the Book of Ghusl. Sahih al-Bukhari 1/77. And al-Nasa'i, in: Chapter on washing the feet in a place other than the one where one performs ghusl, from the Book of Purification. Al-Mujtaba 1/113. And al-Darimi, in: Chapter on ghusl from janaba, from the Book of Purification. Sunan al-Darimi 1/191. (21) Meaning, dyed with wars, which is a plant similar to sesame. (22) Narrated by Ibn Majah, in: Chapter on the towel after wudu' and after ghusl. Sunan Ibn Majah 1/158. And Imam Ahmad, in: Al-Musnad 6/7. Both contain: "and he wrapped himself in it". (23) The text of al-Tirmidhi's statement: "'Aisha's hadith is not established, and nothing is authentic in this chapter." 'Aridat al-Ahwadhi 1/69.
