like a small amount of blood. Our evidence is the statement of the Prophet -may Allah bless him and grant him peace-: "If one of you goes to relieve himself, let him take three stones with him, for they will suffice for him." Narrated by Abu Dawud (3). And he said: "Let no one of you perform istinja' with fewer than three stones." Narrated by Muslim (4). In one version narrated by Muslim (5): "He forbade us from performing istinja' with fewer than three stones." He commanded [it], and a command implies obligation. He also said: "For they will suffice for him." The term "suffice" (ijza') is only used regarding that which is obligatory. He forbade limiting oneself to fewer than three, and a prohibition implies prohibition (tahrim). If it is prohibited to leave behind a portion of the impurity, then leaving behind all of it is more strictly prohibited. Ibn al-Mundhir said: It is established that the Messenger of Allah -may Allah bless him and grant him peace- said: "It is not sufficient for any of you to use fewer than three stones." He commanded the [specific] number in many reports. As for his statement: "There is no harm in it," he means in leaving the [act of using an] odd number, not in leaving the istijmar itself, because the act commanded in the report is the odd number, so the negation of harm refers back to it. As for the sufficiency of wiping in this regard, it is due to the hardship of washing, because of its frequent recurrence in the area of istinja'.
Chapter: He has the choice between performing istinja' with water or with stones, according to the view of the majority of scholars. It has been narrated from Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas and Ibn al-Zubayr that they both disapproved of performing istinja' with water. And he said:
= to blowing the nose (al-istinthar). Al-Mujtaba 1/38, 57. And Ibn Majah, in: "Chapter: Performing istinja' with stones," "Chapter: Seeking a place for urination and defecation," and "Chapter: Exaggerating in sniffing water and blowing the nose," from the Book of Purification. Sunan Ibn Majah 1/114, 115, 121, 142, 143. And al-Darimi, in: "Chapter: Veiling oneself when in need," and "Chapter: On sniffing water and performing istijmar," from the Book of Purification. Sunan al-Darimi 1/169, 178. And Imam Malik, in: "Chapter: The practice of wudu'," from the Book of Purification. Al-Muwatta' 1/19. And Imam Ahmad, in: Al-Musnad 2/236, 254, 277, 278, 308, 351, 356, 371, 387, 401, 463, 4/313, 339, 340. (3) In: "Chapter: Performing istinja' with stones," from the Book of Purification. Sunan Abi Dawud 1/10. Similarly, it was produced by al-Nasa'i, in: "Chapter: The sufficiency of purification with stones to the exclusion of others," from the Book of Purification. Al-Mujtaba 1/38. And al-Darimi, in: "Chapter: Purification (al-istitabah)," from the Book of Purification. Sunan al-Darimi 1/172. And Imam Ahmad, in: Al-Musnad 6/133. (4) In: "Chapter: Purification (al-istitabah)," from the Book of Purification. Sahih Muslim 1/223, 224. Similarly, it was produced by al-Nasa'i, in: "Chapter: The prohibition of performing istinja' with the right hand," from the Book of Purification. Al-Mujtaba 1/40. And Abu Dawud, in: "Chapter: The dislike of facing the qibla while relieving oneself," from the Book of Purification. Sunan Abi Dawud 1/2. And Ibn Majah, in: "Chapter: Performing istinja' with stones," from the Book of Purification. Sunan Ibn Majah 1/115. And Imam Ahmad, in: Al-Musnad 5/439. (5) Missing from the original [manuscript]. It is present in Muslim. See the previous citation. (6) In M: "taruj". A distortion.
