It is well known that much of the earth contains no cultivable soil. If dry ablution with sand were impermissible, this would contradict the hadith. This is the argument of those who permit dry ablution with sand but not other materials, or who also include saline ground, since some land is saline. Such differences in soil are like its differences in colour, as indicated by the Prophet’s words (may Allah Most High bless him and grant him peace):
“Allah created Adam from a handful that He took from all parts of the earth. His descendants therefore reflected that handful: among them are the black, the white, and those in between; the easygoing, the harsh, and those in between; and the wicked, the good, and those in between.”
Adam was created only from soil. Both good and poor soil—that which brings forth its vegetation by its Lord’s permission, and that which is poor and yields only scantily—may be used for dry ablution. Thus, it is clear that ‘good’ here means ritually pure. This is unlike rocks and trees, which are not of the same kind as soil and do not adhere to the hand. Arsenic and lime, by contrast, are minerals found in the earth, though they are not malleable as gold, silver, lead, and copper are.