1902 — Ibn Abd al-Hamīd narrated to us: Muhammad ibn al-Muthannā narrated to us: Uthmān ibn Umar narrated to us: Yūnus narrated to us, from al-Zuhrī, from Ubayd Allah ibn Abd Allah ibn Utba, that Ammār ibn Yāsir used to relate that the dispensation concerning clean earth, which Allah—Glorious is His Majesty—⦗2415⦘ revealed, came on the night when Aisha—may Allah Most High have mercy on her—while accompanying the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—held the people back from departing until the middle of the night—or, “until the night grew bright”; the uncertainty is from Ibn Abd al-Hamīd—when the people had no water with them. Abū Bakr—may Allah be pleased with him—came to Aisha, became angry with her, and said, “You have held the people back when they have no water with which to perform ablution for prayer.”

Allah—Glorious is His Majesty—then revealed the dispensation for dry ablution: wiping oneself with clean earth. When it was revealed, Abū Bakr—may Allah be pleased with him—said, “My dear daughter, I had not realized that you were truly blessed.”

Ammār also used to relate that they struck the clean earth with their palms and wiped their faces once. They then struck it again and wiped their arms up to their shoulders.