to pray therein; whereas prayer is disliked in a place where Satan merely appeared—such as the place where they slept through the prayer.

As for the jurists who did not prohibit this, either these texts did not reach them through transmissions they deemed sufficiently reliable, or the texts did reach them but they did not recognize the underlying rationale. They therefore considered them contrary to legal analogy and interpreted them away.

Whoever attributes to the Rightly Guided Caliphs or the majority of the Companions a position contrary to these rulings, claiming that they did not perform ablution after eating camel meat, is mistaken in what he attributes to them. This misconception arose only because it was reported of them that “they did not perform ablution after eating anything touched by fire.” What was meant is simply that, in their view, eating something touched by fire was not itself a cause necessitating ablution. The Prophet’s—may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him—command to perform ablution after eating camel meat was not based on its having been touched by fire. Similarly, one may say, “So-and-so does not perform ablution after touching his penis,” even though he does perform ablution if pre-ejaculatory fluid is discharged from it.

[The Passage of a Black Dog, a Woman, or a Donkey Before Someone Praying]

A further point that completes this discussion is that it is authentically reported from the Prophet—may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him—in Sahīh Muslim and elsewhere, in the hadiths of Abū Dharr and Abū Hurayra—may Allah be pleased with them both—and it has also been related through others, that he said: “A black dog, a woman, and a donkey invalidate the prayer.” The Prophet—may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him—distinguished the black dog from red and white dogs by explaining that “the black one is a devil.” It is also authentically reported that he—may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him—said: “Last night, Satan suddenly came upon me to interrupt my prayer,