1/42. Chapter:
Sunan Abi Dawud 83 — Sea Water Is Pure
Wudu' With Sea Water
Hadith About Sea Water Being Pure for Wudu
Sunan Abi Dawud : 83
Sunan Abi DawudHadith Number 83
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ، عَنْ مَالِكٍ، عَنْ صَفْوَانَ بْنِ سُلَيْمٍ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ سَلَمَةَ، - مِنْ آلِ ابْنِ الأَزْرَقِ - أَنَّ الْمُغِيرَةَ بْنَ أَبِي بُرْدَةَ، - وَهُوَ مِنْ بَنِي عَبْدِ الدَّارِ - أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّهُ، سَمِعَ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ، يَقُولُ سَأَلَ رَجُلٌ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّا نَرْكَبُ الْبَحْرَ وَنَحْمِلُ مَعَنَا الْقَلِيلَ مِنَ الْمَاءِ فَإِنْ تَوَضَّأْنَا بِهِ عَطِشْنَا أَفَنَتَوَضَّأُ بِمَاءِ الْبَحْرِ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " هُوَ الطَّهُورُ مَاؤُهُ الْحِلُّ مَيْتَتُهُ " .
AbuHurayrah Narrated from:
A man asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ): Messenger of Allah, we travel on the sea and take a small quantity of water with us. If we use this for ablution, we would suffer from thirst. Can we perform ablution with sea water? The Messenger (ﷺ) replied: Its water is pure and what dies in it is lawful food.
Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 83In-book reference : Book 1, Hadith 83English translation : Book 1, Hadith 83
Summary of Sunan Abi Dawud Hadith 83
This famous hadith about sea water answers a real travel problem. A man told the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) that they travelled by sea and carried only a small amount of water. If they used that water for ablution, they would become thirsty. He asked whether they could perform wudu with sea water. The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) replied that its water is pure and what dies in it is lawful food. The answer is short but very practical. It connects sea water, ablution, purity, and lawful food in one clear teaching. It also shows that Islamic guidance considers real needs, like thirst during travel.
What we learn from this hadith
- Sea water is described in the hadith as pure.
- A traveller may face a real need to save drinking water.
- The Prophet’s answer also states that what dies in the sea is lawful food.
