impurity, alongside ablution after kissing. A man may kiss and discharge pre-seminal fluid, kiss without discharging it, or discharge it without any physical contact. Thus, supposing that touching women does not require ablution, this would not negate the requirement of ablution after discharging pre-seminal fluid, and vice versa. This is clear.

Still weaker is the claim made by some that what is meant here is ablution in its linguistic sense: washing the hands, or the hands and mouth. This is false for several reasons.

First: In the speech of our Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, ablution has never meant anything other than the ablution performed for prayer. That other meaning occurs only in the language of the Jews, as in the report that Salmān said:

“O Messenger of Allah, the Torah states that washing before a meal is among the means of blessing the food.”

He replied:

“Washing before a meal and washing after it are among the means of blessing the food.”

The authenticity of this hadith has been disputed. If it is authentic, then he answered Salmān using the language in which Salmān had addressed him—the language of the people of the Torah. As for the language in which the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, addressed the people of the Quran, ablution has never been used in it except to mean the ablution familiar to Muslims.

Second: He distinguished between the two kinds of meat. Yet it is well known that washing grease from the hands and mouth is prescribed generally. Indeed, it is established that he rinsed his mouth after some milk