praying in them would have been either forbidden, as in privies and latrines, or strongly disliked, since they would be places where filth and impurities were likely to be found. But to recommend praying in them and call them a blessing, while treating them as equivalent or nearly equivalent to privies, would be to combine two mutually contradictory positions. Far be it from the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, to do such a thing.

This is supported by the report that Abū Mūsā prayed where sheep rested, then pointed towards the open countryside and said:

“Here and there are alike.”

He was a Companion versed in religious law, knowledgeable about revelation and understanding its interpretation. He equated a place containing droppings with one free of them. How could this be reconciled with declaring those droppings impure? As for his prohibition of prayer where camels rest, this was not because of something peculiar to camels rather than cattle, sheep, gazelles, and horses. For if the reason were the impurity of urine, this would amount to distinguishing between things that are alike—which is certainly impossible.

The fourth proof—which is, in fact, the seventh:

The established and widely transmitted report:

“The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, circumambulated on his mount and brought it into the Sacred Mosque,”

which Allah has favored above every other place on earth. He made it kneel there until he had completed seven circuits. Likewise, he permitted Umm Salamah to circumambulate while riding. It is well known that animals do not possess the understanding needed to refrain from soiling the mosque, which we are commanded to purify for those who circumambulate, those who remain there in worship, and those who bow and prostrate. Thus, if their urine were impure, this would have meant exposing