“Our freed clients are among us.” Its chain contains a weakness. Al-Manawi cited this from al-Haythami. He then alleged that the hadith in this wording does not concern the prohibition of zakat for freed clients, but rather concerns following their way, and showing respect and honor. Yet what the hadith indicates—that charitable alms are prohibited to the freed clients of the Prophet’s Household—is the well-known position in the Hanafi school, contrary to the view of Ibn al-Malik, one of its adherents. The eminent scholar Shaykh Ali al-Qari refuted him on this point in Mirqat al-Mafatih (2/448–449). Whoever wishes may refer to it.

1614 — “What do you think: if there were a flowing river at the entrance of one of your homes, in which he bathed five times a day, would any filth remain on him?” They replied, “Nothing.” He said: “Indeed, the prayers remove sins just as water removes filth.”

Recorded by Ahmad (1/71–72), Ibn Nasr in al-Salah (17/1), and al-Diya in al-Mukhtarah, nos. (298–299, in my edition), through al-Zuhri, who said: Salih ibn Abd Allah ibn Abi Farwah informed me that Amir ibn Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas informed him that he heard Aban ibn Uthman say: Uthman said: “I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say...” and he then cited it.

I say: Its narrators are trustworthy, apart from this Salih. Ibn Ma'in and Ibn Hibban declared him trustworthy, but they mentioned no narrator from him other than al-Zuhri. It was perhaps for this reason that Abu Ja'far al-Tabari said in al-Tahdhib: “He is not known among them as a transmitter.” Nevertheless, the hadith is authentic in any case, for it has a supporting report from the hadith of Abu Hurayrah, attributed to the Prophet, with similar wording.