will be raised on the Day of Resurrection with radiant faces, hands and feet from the traces of ablution, and the Messenger will recognize them by this distinguishing mark.” This indicates that no others share this distinction with them.

The report narrated by Ibn Mājah and others—that he performed ablution, washing each part once, twice and three times, and said:

“This is my ablution and the ablution of the prophets before me”—

is weak according to hadith scholars. Such a report cannot be used as evidence. Nor do the People of the Book possess any account of a prophet performing ablution as Muslims do. Bathing to remove major ritual impurity, however, was prescribed for them, but they had no dry ablution when water was unavailable. Among the distinctions granted to this community are dry ablution for both major and minor ritual impurity, and ablution with water.

If it is said, “Those prophets prostrated without ablution only because they were permitted to pray without ablution,” the reply is:

Allah has not related to us in the Quran that any of them prayed without ablution. We follow only those aspects of the prophets’ religious laws that Allah has related to us and that our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) has told us about. He related these things to us so that we might learn from them. He said:

“Those are the ones whom Allah has guided, so follow their guidance.”

Likewise, He mentioned that those who were given knowledge before it:

“When it is recited to them, they fall down on their faces in prostration,”

“And say, ‘Glory be to our Lord! Surely the promise of our Lord is bound to be fulfilled.’”

“And they fall down on their faces, weeping, and it increases them in humility.”