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Hadith

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to take a ritual bath with one Sā‘ up to five Mudds, and he used to perform ablution with one Mudd

عَنْ أَنَسٍ رضي الله عنه قَالَ: كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَغْسِلُ، أَوْ كَانَ يَغْتَسِلُ، بِالصَّاعِ إِلَى خَمْسَةِ أَمْدَادٍ، وَيَتَوَضَّأُ بِالْمُدِّ.

Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to take a ritual bath with one Sā‘ up to five Mudds, and he used to perform ablution with one Mudd.

Agreed upon · hadeethenc:8387

Grading: Authentic (as published by the source; the grader is not named)

Explanation from the source
The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to take a bath for Janābah (sexual impurity) with one Sā‘ to five Mudds and perform ablution with one Mudd. A Sā‘ equals four Mudds, and a Mudd is the amount that would fill the palms of an average-sized person.
  • It is prescribed to use less water for ablution and ritual bathing and not to use it wastefully, even if water is abundant.
  • It is recommended to use little water for ablution and ritual baths - as needed. This is the guidance of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him).
  • The bottom line is to perform ablution and take a ritual bath thoroughly while observing the relevant Sunnahs and etiquettes, without extravagance or stinginess. One should take into account the time, the abundance or shortage of water, and so on.
  • Janābah: applies to anyone who has ejaculated or engaged in sexual intercourse. It was called as such because the one in a state of Janābah should keep away (Ijtināb) from prayer and other acts of worship until he is purified from it.
  • Sā‘: a well-known measure. It refers to the Prophetic Sā‘, which weighs 480 Miskals of good wheat, or 3 liters.
  • Mudd: a Shar‘i unit of measurement, which is the handful of a moderate person when he fills his hand with and extends it. Mudd is a quarter of a Sā‘, by consensus among the scholars, and it equals 750 milliliters.

Topics: Ablution

Source: HadeethEnc.com, published by HadeethEnc.com. Version API snapshot retrieved 2026-10-11 (the source publishes no version number) (retrieved 2026-10-11). Published by HadeethEnc.com. Shown unmodified; not reviewed by a scholar.