al-Daraqutni. Al-Hafiz said: “Its chain of transmission is sound; it has corroborating reports, and its principal wording is found in the two Sahihs.”

O Muslim! Perfecting your state of purity lightens the burden of worship, helps you carry it out fully, and assists you in performing every aspect that has been prescribed.

Imam Ahmad (d. 241 AH) relates—from an unnamed Companion of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him—that the Messenger of Allah once led them in the dawn prayer and recited Surat al-Rum. He became uncertain in the recitation, and when he finished he said, “The Quran is being confused for us. Some of the people who pray with us do not perform ablution properly. Whoever attends the prayer with us should perfect his ablution.”

Allah praised the people of Quba’ Mosque, saying: “Within it are men who love to purify themselves; and Allah loves those who purify themselves” (Qur’an 9:108). When they were asked about the nature of that purification they replied, “After using stones we follow them with water,” related by al-Bazzar.

At this point a clarification is necessary: some ordinary folk assume that istinja’ is a component of wudu, so whenever they wish to make wudu they begin with istinja’, even though they had already cleansed themselves after answering the call of nature. This is a mistake, for istinja’ is not part of the ablution itself; rather, it is one of its preconditions, as explained earlier, and its proper place is immediately after relieving oneself.