1/38. Chapter:
Sunan Ibn Majah 386 — Seawater for Ablution
Ablution with seawater
Wudu with Seawater Hadith and Its Clear Lesson
Sunan Ibn Majah : 386
Sunan Ibn MajahHadith Number 386
حَدَّثَنَا هِشَامُ بْنُ عَمَّارٍ، حَدَّثَنَا مَالِكُ بْنُ أَنَسٍ، حَدَّثَنِي صَفْوَانُ بْنُ سُلَيْمٍ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ سَلَمَةَ، - هُوَ مِنْ آلِ ابْنِ الأَزْرَقِ - أَنَّ الْمُغِيرَةَ بْنَ أَبِي بُرْدَةَ، - وَهُوَ مِنْ بَنِي عَبْدِ الدَّارِ - حَدَّثَهُ أَنَّهُ، سَمِعَ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ، يَقُولُ جَاءَ رَجُلٌ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّا نَرْكَبُ الْبَحْرَ وَنَحْمِلُ مَعَنَا الْقَلِيلَ مِنَ الْمَاءِ فَإِنْ تَوَضَّأْنَا بِهِ عَطِشْنَا أَفَنَتَوَضَّأُ مِنْ مَاءِ الْبَحْرِ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ " هُوَ الطَّهُورُ مَاؤُهُ الْحِلُّ مَيْتَتُهُ " .
Mughirah bin Abu Burdah Narrated from:
It was narrated that Mughirah bin Abu Burdah, who was from the tribe of Banu 'Abdud-Dar, said that: He heard Abu Hurairah say: "A man came to the Messenger of Allah and said: "O Messenger of Allah, we travel by sea and carry a small amount of water with us. If we use it for ablution, we will become thirsty. Can we perform ablution with seawater?' The Messenger of Allah said: 'Its water is a means of purification, ad its dead meat is permissible. (i.e. the fish found dead in the sea).'"
Reference : Sunan Ibn Majah 386In-book reference : Book 1, Hadith 120English translation : Vol. 1, Book 1, Hadith 386
Summary of Sunan Ibn Majah Hadith 386
This wudu with seawater hadith answers a real travel concern. A man told the Messenger of Allah that they traveled by sea and carried only a small amount of water. If they used that water for ablution, they would become thirsty. So he asked whether they could perform ablution with seawater. The Prophet gave a clear answer: its water is a means of purification, and its dead meat is permissible. The hadith directly connects seawater with wudu and purification. It also mentions the sea’s dead meat in the same reply, with the translation explaining fish found dead in the sea. The main lesson is ease in purification when people are at sea and need to save drinking water.
What we learn from this hadith
- Seawater is described as a means of purification in the hadith.
- The question came from travelers who had little drinking water.
- The Prophet’s answer addressed both ablution and sea dead meat.
