it was only a small amount of blood. Indeed, this is evidently the case, and carrying a small amount of blood during prayer is excused.

(If it is objected, “But the fetal membranes are flesh from an animal slaughtered by polytheists, and that is impure by agreement,” we reply:

We do not concede that animals slaughtered by polytheists had already been prohibited at that time. Rather, it is probable—or certain—that they had not yet been prohibited. There is no report that the Companions who embraced Islam regarded the animals slaughtered by their people as impure. Likewise, there is no report that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, avoided anything other than what was slaughtered for idols. As for what his people slaughtered in their homes, he did not avoid it.

Had animals slaughtered by polytheists been prohibited in the earliest days of Islam, this would have imposed unbearable hardship on the few who embraced Islam. The overwhelming majority of the town’s inhabitants were polytheists, and those Muslims, being few, weak and poor, could only eat their food and bread and use their vessels for eating and drinking. Moreover, the presumption is that no prohibition existed at that time, so anyone claiming otherwise must provide evidence.

The seventh proof, which is the tenth:

It is authentically reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, forbade using bones and dung to cleanse oneself after relieving oneself, saying:

“They are provisions for your brothers among the jinn.”

In another wording, he said:

“They asked me for food for themselves and their animals, so I said, ‘You may have every bone over which Allah’s name has been mentioned: it will be restored with the fullest covering of flesh. Every dropping will be fodder for your animals.’”

The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: “So do not cleanse yourselves