1/11. Chapter:
Sunan Abi Dawud 22 — Covering While Relieving Oneself
Avoiding (The Splatter) Of Urine
Hadith About Covering While Relieving Oneself
Sunan Abi Dawud : 22
Sunan Abi DawudHadith Number 22
حَدَّثَنَا مُسَدَّدٌ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَاحِدِ بْنُ زِيَادٍ، حَدَّثَنَا الأَعْمَشُ، عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ وَهْبٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ ابْنِ حَسَنَةَ، قَالَ انْطَلَقْتُ أَنَا وَعَمْرُو بْنُ الْعَاصِ، إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَخَرَجَ وَمَعَهُ دَرَقَةٌ ثُمَّ اسْتَتَرَ بِهَا ثُمَّ بَالَ فَقُلْنَا انْظُرُوا إِلَيْهِ يَبُولُ كَمَا تَبُولُ الْمَرْأَةُ . فَسَمِعَ ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ " أَلَمْ تَعْلَمُوا مَا لَقِيَ صَاحِبُ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ كَانُوا إِذَا أَصَابَهُمُ الْبَوْلُ قَطَعُوا مَا أَصَابَهُ الْبَوْلُ مِنْهُمْ فَنَهَاهُمْ فَعُذِّبَ فِي قَبْرِهِ " . قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ قَالَ مَنْصُورٌ عَنْ أَبِي وَائِلٍ عَنْ أَبِي مُوسَى فِي هَذَا الْحَدِيثِ قَالَ " جِلْدَ أَحَدِهِمْ " . وَقَالَ عَاصِمٌ عَنْ أَبِي وَائِلٍ عَنْ أَبِي مُوسَى عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " جَسَدَ أَحَدِهِمْ " .
AbdurRahman ibn Hasanah Narrated from:
I and Amr ibn al-'As went to the Prophet (ﷺ). He came out with a leather shield (in his hand). He covered himself with it and urinated. Then we said: Look at him. He is urinating as a woman does. The Prophet (ﷺ), heard this and said: Do you not know what befell a person from amongst Banu Isra'il (the children of Israel)? When urine fell on them, they would cut off the place where the urine fell; but he (that person) forbade them (to do so), and was punished in his grave.Abu Dawud said: One version of Abu Musa has the wording: "he cut off his skin". Another version of Abu Musa goes: "he cut off (part of) his body."
Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 22In-book reference : Book 1, Hadith 22English translation : Book 1, Hadith 22
Summary of Sunan Abi Dawud Hadith 22
This hadith about covering while relieving oneself gives a clear picture of modesty and purity. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم came out with a leather shield, covered himself with it, and urinated. Some people made a comment, saying he was urinating as a woman does. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم answered by reminding them of what happened to a man from Banu Isra’il, where strict handling of urine had become extreme, and a person who stopped them was punished in his grave. The hadith keeps two points together: covering oneself is proper manners, and speech about the Prophet’s action should be careful. It also points to the seriousness of urine impurity without turning the matter into harshness beyond what the text says.
What we learn from this hadith
- Covering oneself while relieving is a part of modest conduct.
- People should avoid careless comments about prophetic actions.
- Purification should be taken seriously without turning it into needless hardship.
