108 – Jābir (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “I have been granted five things that no one before me was given: I have been supported with awe—so that the enemy is struck with terror a distance of one month’s march; the earth has been made for me a mosque and a means of purification, so whenever the time for prayer overtakes a man, let him pray …,” and he went on to complete the ḥadīth. ⦗1⦘

In the narration of Ḥudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) recorded by Muslim: “Its soil has been made a purifier for us when we do not find water.” ⦗2⦘

And in the report of ʿAlī recorded by Aḥmad: “Dust has been made a purifier for me.” ⦗3⦘

—

Vocabulary of the ḥadīth:
• “I was given”: a passive form, meaning “Allah the Exalted granted me.”
• “Five”: i.e., five distinct favors. More than five are authentically reported; al-Qurṭubī said there is no contradiction, for mentioning a number does not restrict the count.
• “Terror” (ar-ruʿb): fear and panic. One says, “The man was overcome by ruʿb,” or “I filled him with ruʿb,” meaning “I filled him with fear”; the noun is ruʿb.
• “A month’s journey”: the verb sāra–yasīru (“to travel”) may be intransitive or transitive; masīrah denotes travel by night or day.