with the man’s leftover water either. This, however, is opposed by the ḥadīth of Maymūnah, which Muslim transmitted. Some scholars, as we noted earlier, have declared that report defective because one of its narrators said: “To the best of my assumption and knowledge, Abū al-Shaʿthāʾ related it to me.”

As for the opinion that allows neither spouse to purify with the other’s remainder and even forbids them to begin together, it is most likely that its proponent knew of no ḥadīth on the matter except the report of al-Ḥakam al-Ghifārī and then drew an analogy between men and women.

Those who prohibit only the leftover water of a woman who is junub or menstruating have, to my knowledge, no proof other than a statement reported from some of the early generations—apparently from Ibn ʿUmar.

Issue Six
Abū Ḥanīfah, in contrast to most of his own companions and the jurists of the various regions, permitted ablution while traveling with date-nabīdh, basing himself on the ḥadīth of Ibn ʿAbbās:

“ʿAbd Allāh ibn Masʿūd went out one night with the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—on the Night of the Jinn. The Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—asked him, ‘Do you have any water?’ He replied, ‘I have nabīdh in my waterskin.’ The Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—said, ‘Pour it out,’ and he performed ablution with it, saying, ‘A wholesome drink and a means of purification.’ ”

A similar report is narrated by Abū Rāfiʿ, the freedman of Ibn ʿUmar, from ʿAbd Allāh ibn Masʿūd, in which the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—says, “A fine fruit and pure water.”

They also claim this view is attributed to the Companions ʿAlī and Ibn ʿAbbās, with no Companion opposing them, so that in their eyes it amounted to consensus.

The ḥadīth specialists rejected this report and did not accept it, both because its transmitters are weak and because stronger chains relate that “Ibn Masʿūd was not with the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—on the Night of the Jinn.”

The majority repudiated the ḥadīth further by citing the Almighty’s words:

“…and if you do not find water, then perform tayammum with clean earth” (Q 4:43),

saying: no intermediate substance was placed here between water and earth. They also invoked the Prophet’s statement: “Clean earth is the ablution of the Muslim, even if he finds no water for ten years; but when he does find water, let him touch it to his skin.”

To this it could be answered that the ḥadīth in question actually calls the liquid “water,” and an additional detail does not necessarily amount to abrogation so as to collide with the Qur’an. Yet that reply conflicts with their own principle that any addition constitutes abrogation.