78 – Anas  related: “Whenever the Messenger of Allah ﷺ entered the lavatory, a boy about my age and I would carry a small water-skin and a short spear for him, and he would cleanse himself with the water.” Agreed upon. (1)

Vocabulary of the ḥadīth
• ghulām: a male child from birth until puberty; plurals: aghlima, ghilma, ghilmān.
• naḥwī: one who is close to me in age.
• idāwa: a small leather water-skin.
• ʿanaza: a short staff tipped with iron—a small spear.
• fa-yastanjī: istinjāʾ, the removal of filth from the private parts with water or stones, the verb being derived from najw (excrement). Al-Miṣbāḥ states: “I performed istinjāʾ when I washed the place of defecation or wiped it with a stone or clod.” Istijmār, by contrast, is removing the filth with stones alone.

Lessons drawn from the ḥadīth

1. Anas ibn Mālik al-Anṣārī  was honored to serve the Prophet ﷺ for ten years.
2. The wording indicates that the Prophet ﷺ would conceal himself so that no one could see him; therefore, it is proper for anyone who wishes