2/26. Chapter:
Sahih Muslim 278d — Washing Hands After Sleep
It is disliked for the person who wants to perform wudu’, and others, to put his hand in the vessel (containing water) before washing it three times, if he is not sure whether something impure is on his hands or not
Hadith About Washing Hands After Waking From Sleep
Sahih Muslim : 278d
Sahih MuslimHadith Number 278d
وَحَدَّثَنِي سَلَمَةُ بْنُ شَبِيبٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ أَعْيَنَ، حَدَّثَنَا مَعْقِلٌ، عَنْ أَبِي الزُّبَيْرِ، عَنْ جَابِرٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّهُ أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " إِذَا اسْتَيْقَظَ أَحَدُكُمْ فَلْيُفْرِغْ عَلَى يَدِهِ ثَلاَثَ مَرَّاتٍ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُدْخِلَ يَدَهُ فِي إِنَائِهِ فَإِنَّهُ لاَ يَدْرِي فِيمَ بَاتَتْ يَدُهُ " .
Abu Hurairah Narrated from:
The Apostle of Allah (ﷺ) said: When anyone amongst you wakes up from sleep, he should wash his hands three times before putting it in the utensil, for he does not know where his hand was during the night.
Reference : Sahih Muslim 278dIn-book reference : Book 2, Hadith 112USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 2, Hadith 544
Summary of Sahih Muslim Hadith 278d
This hadith gives a clear habit of cleanliness after sleep. Abu Huraira reports that the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم said that when one of you wakes up, he should wash his hands three times before putting his hand into a utensil. The reason given in the text is simple: a person does not know where his hand was during the night. This makes the hadith about washing hands after sleep easy to understand and easy to apply. It links daily hygiene with careful use of shared or personal vessels. The wording does not speak about other matters. It focuses on washing the hands before placing them into the utensil, especially after waking from sleep.
What we learn from this hadith
- Wash the hands three times after waking before putting them into a utensil.
- A person may not know where the hand was during sleep, so care is needed.
- Cleanliness can begin with small daily actions after waking.
