Prophet’s Excretions: Pure or Impure? New

Were the Excretions of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ Pure? Examining Evidence on Urine, Feces, and Blood

Question: Were the excretions of the Prophet ﷺ pure? Did the Companions drink the urine and blood of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ?

Answer:

All praise is due to Allah:

A while ago in Pakistan, during some protests, a few so-called Mullahs, in pursuit of cheap fame, told many lies. One of these blatant lies was that—may Allah protect us—the esteemed Companions used to drink the urine of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Astaghfirullah (I seek forgiveness from Allah)…!! This is a great slander against such pure personalities as the Companions, the companions of the most clean and pure Prophet of Mercy in the universe.

First, let’s examine whether the excretions of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ were pure.

Here, we will mention the evidence that proves his excretions (urine and feces) were impure.

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Evidence That the Prophet’s ﷺ Excretions Were Impure

Evidence No. 1

Being a descendant of Adam, the Prophet ﷺ was a human (bashar) just like us. He ate and drank, urinated and defecated, slept and woke, walked, and worked. In terms of being human, he was like us. It is a separate matter that his rank and status are higher than all other prophets. After Allah, if there is any name more virtuous in the universe, it is his ﷺ. However, he also possessed human frailties just as we do.

Allah mentions this in the Quran:

قُلْ إِنَّمَا أَنَا بَشَرٌ مِثْلُكُمْ

(Al-Kahf/110)

Translation: "Say, [O Muhammad], 'I am only a man like you.'"

The Prophet ﷺ also stated this himself. Abdullah ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet ﷺ said:

إنما أنا بشرٌ مثلُكم، أنسى كما تنسوْن، فإذا نَسِيتُ فذكروني

(Sahih al-Bukhari: 401)

Translation: “I am only a human like you; I forget as you forget. So if I forget, remind me.”

The phrase “بشرمثلکم” (basharun mithlukum – a man like you) in the Quranic verse and the Hadith is noteworthy. The intent here is to show that Muhammad ﷺ was not only a human but a human just like us. The Hadith mentions a significant human frailty, forgetfulness, about which the Prophet’s ﷺ intent was to convey that forgetting is a human weakness, and since he too was a human like us, he also forgot. He instructed that when this happens, we should remind him.

Besides this, many other texts mention his other human attributes, which are not necessary to detail here.

Keeping this aspect in mind, it is proven that just as the excretions (urine and feces) of a common person are impure, so were the excretions of the Prophet ﷺ. In addition to this perspective, many other proofs strengthen this point, and some evidence explicitly states the impurity of his excretions.

A Point of Clarification:

One thing to keep in mind here is that while the Prophet ﷺ was a human like us, he was also different from us in some human attributes that were specific to him. For example, consider this Hadith.

Anas (may Allah be pleased with him), who served the Prophet ﷺ for ten years, narrates:

وما مسِستُ خزًّا قطُّ ولا حَريرًا ولا شيئًا كانَ أليَنَ مِن كفِّ رَسولِ اللَّهِ صلَّى اللَّهُ علَيهِ وسلَّمَ ، ولا شمِمتُ مِسكًا قطُّ ولا عِطرًا كانَ أطيَبَ مِن عَرَقِ رسولِ اللَّهِ صلَّى اللَّهُ علَيهِ وسلَّمَ

(Sahih al-Tirmidhi: 2015)

Translation: “I never touched any brocade or silk that was softer than the palm of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, nor did I ever smell any musk or perfume that was more fragrant than the sweat of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.”

This Hadith shows that the Prophet’s ﷺ palm was softer than silk and his sweat was more fragrant than musk. This Hadith makes his specialty clear in these two matters. So, where a specialty is mentioned for him with authentic proof, it will be specific to him. Otherwise, in general human characteristics and attributes, he ﷺ was just like us. Yes, a miracle is a different matter, and his rank and status are also a different matter, as is his life as a Prophet. The discussion here is purely from the perspective of being a human, and urination and defecation are related to humanity or human attributes, which are the same for all human beings.

Evidence No. 2

Allah Almighty addresses the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ in the Quran, saying:

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ ​

يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُدَّثِّرُ ﴿١﴾ قُمْ فَأَنذِرْ ﴿٢﴾ وَرَبَّكَ فَكَبِّرْ ﴿٣﴾ وَثِيَابَكَ فَطَهِّرْ ﴿٤﴾ وَالرُّجْزَ فَاهْجُرْ ﴿٥﴾

"O you who covers himself [with a garment], (1) Arise and warn, (2) And your Lord glorify, (3) And your clothing purify, (4) And uncleanliness avoid." (Surah Al-Muddaththir, Verse 5)

In this verse, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is clearly commanded to stay away from filth and keep his clothes clean. Because the disbelievers did not maintain cleanliness and did not perform istinja (cleansing after urination/defecation) properly, Allah commanded him to adopt purity.

Evidence No. 3

Allah says:

أو جاء أحد منكم من الغائط ۔

[An-Nisa: 43]

Translation: "…or one of you comes from the place of relieving himself."

Meaning, when you come after urinating or defecating, do not pray until you become pure and perform ablution (wudu). Because urine and feces nullify purity. This command includes the Prophet ﷺ along with all people, that when he ﷺ came from urinating or defecating, he should perform wudu. The Prophet ﷺ came as a role model for us; his words and actions are evidence for us. If every word and action of his were specific to him, he would not be a role model for us. Yes, he had some specific traits, for which there is evidence of their specialty, which is a separate issue.

Evidence No. 4

Observe the explicit evidence of the impurity of his urine and feces. The Mother of the Believers, Sayyidah Aisha Siddiqah (may Allah be pleased with her), says:

«كَانَتْ يَدُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ الْيُمْنَى لِطُهُورِهِ وَطَعَامِهِ، وَكَانَتْ يَدُهُ الْيُسْرَى لِخَلَائِهِ، وَمَا كَانَ مِنْ أَذًى»

The right hand of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was for his purification and his food, and his left hand was for the toilet and for what was dirty. (Sunan Abi Dawood: 33)

Note carefully that Aisha (RA) herself is stating that the Prophet’s ﷺ right hand was for eating and drinking, and his left hand was for the toilet and filth. Was it for the filth of other people? No, undoubtedly, it was for the purification of his own body.

Evidence No. 5

The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was urinating when a man passed by and greeted him with salam, but the Prophet ﷺ did not reply to his greeting. Abu Dawood says: It is narrated from Ibn Umar and others that the Prophet ﷺ performed tayammum (dry ablution) and then replied to the man’s greeting.

(Sunan Abu Dawood, Hadith No. 16)

In the next narration, the words are that after urinating, he performed ablution, then (replied to the greeting and) apologized to me, saying, “I disliked mentioning the name of Allah without being in a state of purity.” The narrator is in doubt whether he said «على طهر» or «على طهارة».

(Sunan Abu Dawood, Hadith No. 17, Isnad Sahih)

This means the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ did not respond to the greeting while urinating and said, “I dislike mentioning Allah’s name in a state of impurity,” which clearly shows that his urine was also impure.

Evidence No. 6

Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) says that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ entered a garden, and with him was a boy carrying a water pot. He was the youngest among us. He placed it near a lotus tree. The Prophet ﷺ relieved himself, then came to us after performing istinja with water.

(Sunan Abu Dawood, Hadith No. 43, Sahih)

Evidence No. 7

Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that when the Prophet ﷺ went to relieve himself, I would bring him water in a vessel or a waterskin, and he would purify himself. Abu Dawood says: In the narration of Waki’, it is mentioned: “Then he ﷺ would rub his hand on the ground. Then I would bring another vessel of water to him, and he would perform ablution with it.”

(Sunan Abu Dawood, Hadith No. 45, Sahih)

Evidence No. 8

Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) was following the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, carrying a vessel for his ablution and for relieving himself, when the Prophet ﷺ asked, “Who is this?” He was told, “I am Abu Hurairah.” The Prophet ﷺ said, “Find some stones for me to cleanse myself with, and do not bring a bone or dung.” So I brought some stones, carrying them in the corner of my garment, and placed them near him ﷺ and then I went away from there.

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith No. 3860)

This Hadith explicitly mentions that the Companion, Hazrat Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him), was carrying water in a vessel for the Prophet’s ﷺ call of nature. The Prophet ﷺ asked him for stones for istinja. If his urine and feces were pure, there would have been no need for istinja. This clearly shows that the Prophet’s urine and feces were also impure.

These ahadith clarify that the Prophet’s ﷺ feces and urine were not pure. That is why Aisha (RA) said that his left hand was for cleaning filth, i.e., urine and feces. He would perform istinja with water or stones and then, to further purify his hands after istinja, he would rub them on the ground to remove the impurity. If the feces were not impure, what was the need for him to perform istinja, wash his hands, or rub them on the ground? What greater proof could there be to establish that the Prophet’s ﷺ urine and feces were impure just like those of ordinary people?

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Examining the Narrations Used to Claim Purity

Now we mention the evidence because of which this accusation is leveled against the Companions.

First Narration:

In Mustadrak al-Hakim, Tabarani, etc., the incident of Umm Ayman (may Allah be pleased with her) drinking urine is mentioned.

عن أُمِّ أَيْمَنَ قالت : قام رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم مِنَ اللَّيْلِ إلى فَخَّارَةٍ في جَانِبِ الْبَيْتِ فَبَالَ فيها ، فَقُمْتُ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ وأنا عَطْشَانَةُ فَشَرِبْتُ ما فيها وأنا لا أَشْعُرُ فلما أَصْبَحَ النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال : ( يا أُمَّ أَيْمَنَ قَوْمِي فَأَهْرِيقِي ما في تِلْكَ الْفَخَّارَةِ ) قلت : قد وَالله شَرِبْتُ ما فيها ، قالت : فَضَحِكَ رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم حتى بَدَتْ نَوَاجِذُهُ ثُمَّ قال ( أما إنك لا تَتَّجِعِينَ بَطْنَكِ أبدًا )

Translation: It is narrated from Umm Ayman that she said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ got up one night and urinated in an earthenware pot in the corner of the house. I got up during the night feeling very thirsty and drank what was in it, and I was unaware. In the morning, the Prophet ﷺ said: “O Umm Ayman, get up and pour out what is in that pot.” I said, “By Allah, I have drunk what was in it.” She said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ smiled until his molar teeth became visible, then he said, “Behold! Indeed, you will never again suffer a stomach ailment.”

(Sources include Al-Mustadrak ‘ala al-Sahihayn by al-Hakim, Hilyat al-Awliya’ by Abu Nu’aym al-Isbahani, etc.)

Critique:

Its chain of narration (isnad) is weak (da’if). One of its narrators, Abd al-Malik al-Nakha’i, is abandoned (matruk). (Taqrib al-Tahdhib by Ibn Hajar: 8337). The link of Abu Malik al-Nakha’i is missing in the chain of Abu Ya’la. This is indicated by the fact that Ya’la ibn ‘Ata is among the teachers of Abu Malik al-Nakha’i, and Abu Malik al-Nakha’i is among the students of Ya’la ibn ‘Ata, while Husayn ibn Harb is not among the students of Ya’la ibn ‘Ata. The identification and reliability of two narrators in this chain, Muslim ibn Qutaybah and al-Husayn ibn Harb, are required.

Another indication of this is that Hafiz al-Suyuti writes:

و أخرج أ بو یعلٰی والحاکم والدار قطنی و أبو نعیم عن أم أیمن۔

“Abu Ya’la, al-Hakim, al-Daraqutni, and Abu Nu’aym have narrated it from Umm Ayman.” (Al-Khasais al-Kubra: 2/252)

Hafiz al-Suyuti is suggesting that this is a single chain that revolves around Abu Malik al-Nakha’i, who is matruk. Furthermore, the sama’ (hearing) of al-Walid ibn Abd al-Rahman from Umm Ayman is also required. Apart from Abu Ya’la, in all other chains, there is also a disconnection (inqita’) between Nabih al-‘Anzi and Umm Ayman.

Second Narration (A variation of the first):

In one narration, the words are:

فما مرضت قطّ حتّی کانت مرضھا الذی ماتت فیہ ۔

“So after that, the woman never fell ill until the illness in which she died.” (Al-Talkhis al-Habir by Ibn Hajar: 1/32)

Its chain is severely disconnected (munqati’) and deceptive (mudallas). In it, Abd al-Razzaq and Imam Ibn Jurayj are both mudallis (narrators who practice tadlis), and the informant is unknown and anonymous (majhul).

The summary is that the chain of Abu Ya’la and the chain of al-Daraqutni are the same, as has been stated with reference to al-Suyuti, and its chain revolves around Abu Malik ‘Abd al-Malik ibn Husayn al-Nakha’i, who is matruk. And the identification and reliability of Salam ibn Qutaybah and Hasan ibn Harb are required. And this link is missing in the chain of Abu Ya’la. And even if we accept it as Husayn instead of Hasan, their identification is still required. And this narration is weak even then.

Let’s also look at the words of al-Daraqutni:

“فقال یرویه ابومالک النخعی واسمه عبدالملک بن حسین واختلف عنه فرواه شهاب عن ابی مالک عن الاسود بن قیس عن نبیح العنزی عن ام ایمن.

وخالفه سلم بن قتیبه وقرۃ بن سلیمان فرویاه عن ابی مالک عن یعلی بن عطاء عن الولید بن عبدالرحمن عن ام ایمن.وابو مالک ضعیف والاضطراب فیه من جهته.”(العلل للدارقطنی ج ۱۵ ص ۴۱۵, ح ۴۱۰۶.)

He says it is narrated by Abu Malik al-Nakha’i, whose name is ‘Abd al-Malik ibn Husayn, and there is disagreement regarding him… Abu Malik is weak, and the confusion (idtirab) in it comes from him.

Another flaw (‘illah) in this narration is that the proof of Nabih ibn ‘Abdullah al-‘Anzi’s meeting with Umm Ayman is questionable. Ibn Hajar writes:

“لم یلق ام ایمن.” “He did not meet Umm Ayman.” (Al-Talkhis al-Habir, Vol. 1, p. 31.)

However, in Al-Isabah, he considered their meeting to be the stronger opinion. But along with this, he also quoted from Ibn al-Sakan that the Umm Ayman who was the freed slave of the Prophet ﷺ is different. And she passed away six months after the Prophet’s ﷺ demise. Whereas there is another Umm Ayman, the freed slave of Umm Habibah, who passed away later. When this possibility exists, the sama’ of Nabih from Umm Ayman is doubtful.

Remember that al-Daraqutni has already declared this narration to be confused (mudtarib). And also remember that the sama’ from Umm Ayman is not proven, and the narration in Hilyah (Vol. 2) is also weak due to being disconnected.

Even if this narration is accepted as authentic, it does not prove that Umm Ayman drank it considering it to be pure, as the words in this narration are:

”فشربت ما فیها وانا لا اشعر” “I drank what was in it while I was unaware.”

And in another place, the words are “فغلطت فشربتها” (“I made a mistake and drank it”), which is clear evidence that Umm Ayman drank it unconsciously, not because she considered it pure. It was drunk by mistake, and if someone does something by mistake, it cannot be used as proof of its permissibility. And for this very reason, it will be considered a mistake; therefore, a mistaken act is not evidence of purity.

As for the statement, “Your stomach will not ache,” it was because, as a reward for her service to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, Allah made it a cure for her. Sometimes, an impure thing can become a cure, but this cannot be evidence of its purity.

Third Narration:

It is narrated from Umaymah (may Allah be pleased with her):

“The Prophet ﷺ had a wooden bowl in which he would urinate, then it would be placed under the bed. A woman named Barrah came. She had come from Abyssinia with Sayyidatina Umm Habibah (may Allah be pleased with her). (She felt thirsty and) she drank from that bowl. Sayyidatina Zaynab (may Allah be pleased with her) asked her about it, and she said, ‘I drank it.’ The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ‘You have secured protection from the Fire,’ or he said, ‘made a shield,’ or something similar.”

(Al-Ahad wal-Mathani by Ibn Abi ‘Asim: 3342, its chain is hasan; Al-Isti’ab fi Ma’rifat al-Ashab by Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr: 4/251, its chain is hasan; Al-Mu’jam al-Kabir by al-Tabarani: 24/189; Al-Sunan al-Kubra by al-Bayhaqi: 7/67, its chain is sahih)

It is clear from the hadith that this act was committed by the maidservant by mistake. For committing an undesirable act by mistake, the aversion and distress she later felt earned her freedom from Hellfire from Allah Almighty, because no hardship or suffering of a believer is devoid of virtue.

Fourth Narration:

Salma, the wife of Abu Rafi’, drank the leftover water from the Prophet’s ﷺ bath. He ﷺ said to her:

حرّم اللہ بدنک علی النّار۔

“May Allah make your body forbidden to the Fire.” (Majma’ al-Zawa’id: 8/483)

This narration is also very weak (da’if jiddan). Allamah al-Haythami says that its chain includes a narrator named Ma’mar ibn Muhammad, who is a liar (kadhdhab). (Majma’, Vol. 8, p. 270). And Ibn Hajar has also called it weak in Al-Talkhis. (See Talkhis, Vol. 1, p. 32.)

Hafiz al-Haythami (may Allah have mercy on him) says:

و رواہ الطبرانی فی الأوسط ، و فیہ معمر بن محمّد ، و ھو کذّاب ۔

“Al-Tabarani narrated it in Al-Awsat, and in it is Ma’mar ibn Muhammad, and he is a liar.” (Majma’ al-Zawa’id: 8/270)

Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) writes:

و فی السند الضعف ۔

“There is weakness in its chain.” (Al-Talkhis by Ibn Hajar: 1/32)

Fifth Narration:

An argument is also made from a fabricated narration that the excretions of the Prophet ﷺ are pure. It is narrated from Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her):

أنَّ رسولَ اللهِ صلَّى اللهُ عليهِ وسلَّمَ كان إذا دخلَ الخلاءَ ثُمَّ خرجَ : دخلْتُ فلا أرى أثرَ شيءٍ ، إلَّا أَنِّي أَجِدُ رِيْحَ الطِّيبِ ، فذكرْتُ ذلكَ لهُ فقال : أما علِمْتَ أنَّا معشرَ الأنبياءِ نَبَتَتْ أَجْسامُنا على أَجْسادِ أهلِ الجنةِ ، فما خرجَ مِنَّا ابْتَلَعَتْهُ الأرضُ۔

Translation: When the Prophet ﷺ would enter the lavatory and then come out, I would enter and see no trace of anything, except that I would find the scent of perfume. I mentioned this to him, and he said, “Do you not know that we, the community of Prophets, our bodies are formed upon the bodies of the people of Paradise, so whatever comes out of us, the earth swallows it.”

Ibn ‘Adi mentioned this narration in Al-Kamil fi al-Du’afa’ and said that it contains Husayn ibn ‘Alwan, whose hadiths are generally fabricated, and he is a fabricator of hadiths. Ibn Hibban also called it fabricated. Besides them, many other hadith scholars have severely criticized this hadith and its narrator, Husayn.

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Addressing Doubts

First Doubt:

Some people create the doubt that it is among the miracles of the Prophet ﷺ that his excretions are pure, and the istinja he performed after urinating and defecating was merely to teach the Ummah.

This is a claim without evidence, and no claim is proven without evidence. If this claim is accepted without evidence, then anything can be said in the religion. It could also be claimed that he did not need to urinate or defecate at all and that he only went to the lavatory to teach the Ummah.

Our question is, you say that many companions drank the Prophet’s urine, and now you say he didn’t urinate at all?

Second Doubt:

Some people say that there is a difference of opinion among scholars regarding whether the Prophet’s ﷺ excretions are pure or impure. Some have said they are pure, for example, Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him). There are several reasons for this.

• Firstly: Some scholars have mentioned the jurisprudential school of thought of the jurists, rather than stating their own preferred position after giving preference.
• Secondly: The issue of purity or impurity depends on the authenticity or lack thereof of the narrations related to the excretions. Those who considered any narration about the excretions to be authentic believe his ﷺ excretions are pure, whereas you have learned here that no narration in this regard meets the standard of proof.
• Thirdly: The sayings of scholars are not evidence against the texts (nusus). When we know that the Prophet ﷺ performed istinja after urinating and defecating, this is clear evidence that his ﷺ excretions (urine and feces) were impure.

The summary of the discussion is that the excretions (urine and feces) of the Prophet ﷺ are impure. This is the chosen view, and it does not diminish the status of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ in any way.

There is no Shar’i (legal) evidence for the purity of the excretions of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. However, Mr. Zakariyya, a Tablighi Deobandi scholar, writes:

“The excretions of the Prophet, feces, urine, etc., are all pure.” (Tablighi Nisab by Zakariyya: 185)

In refutation of this baseless and exaggerated claim, listen to the words of Mr. Ashraf Ali Thanawi, a Deobandi scholar. He says: “The claim of purity is without evidence.” (Bawadir al-Nawadir by Thanawi: 393)

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Regarding Drinking Blood:

In some ahadith, it is mentioned that the Companions drank the blood of the Prophet ﷺ. It is argued from this that the Prophet’s excretions are pure. Firstly, to argue from this evidence that his ﷺ urine and feces are also pure is completely incorrect, because the evidence of blood would be limited to blood.

And secondly, all the narrations in this regard are weak.

Saudi Mufti Sheikh Muhammad Saalih al-Munajjid has detailed the grading and ruling of all these narrations, which is also available on Multaqa Ahl al-Hadith. The drinking of blood is mentioned from about five people, and all five narrations are weak.

• From Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr (may Allah be pleased with them). In this narration, a narrator, Hunayd ibn Qasim ibn Abd al-Rahman, being unknown (majhul), makes the narration weak.
• From Safinah (may Allah be pleased with him). In this narration, a narrator, Burayh, being weak, makes this narration weak.
• From Salim Abu Hind al-Hajjam (may Allah be pleased with him). In this narration, the narrator Abu al-Hajjaf being criticized makes this narration weak.
• From a Qurayshi slave. In it, a narrator, Nafi’ Abu Hurmuz, is a liar (kadhdhab).
• From Malik ibn Sinan (may Allah be pleased with him). This narration is also weak because it is mursal (a narration where a Successor narrates directly from the Prophet, skipping the Companion).

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Conclusion

Therefore, it is proven that the Companions drinking the blood or urine of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is not established, and his ﷺ excretions were not pure.

May Allah guide us all and grant us the ability to walk on the straight path. Ameen.

(And Allah the Almighty knows best what is correct.)

Reference: https://alfurqan.info/problems/580