Sunan Abi Dawud: Book 1, Hadith 353
‘Amr b. Abi ‘Amr and ‘Ikrimah reported: Some people of Iraq came and said: Ibn ‘Abbas, do you regard taking a bath on Friday as obligatory ? He said: No, it is only a means of cleanliness, and is better for one who washes oneself. Anyone who does not take a bath, it is not essential for him. I inform you how the bath (on Friday) commenced. The people were poor and used to wear woolen clothes, and would carry loads on their backs. Their mosque was small and its rood was lowered down. It was a sort of trellis of vine. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) once came out on a hot day and the people perspired profusely in the woolen clothes so much so that foul smell emitted from them and it caused trouble to each other. When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) found the foul smell, he said: O people, when this day (Friday) comes, you should take bath and every one should anoint the best oil and perfume one has. Ibn ‘Abbas then said: Then Allah, the Exalted, provided wealth (to the people) and they wore clothes other than the woolen, and were spared from work, and their mosque became vast. The foul smell that caused trouble to them became non-existent.
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْعَزِيزِ، – يَعْنِي ابْنَ مُحَمَّدٍ – عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ أَبِي عَمْرٍو، عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَ، أَنَّ أُنَاسًا، مِنْ أَهْلِ الْعِرَاقِ جَاءُوا فَقَالُوا يَا ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ أَتَرَى الْغُسْلَ يَوْمَ الْجُمُعَةِ وَاجِبًا قَالَ لاَ وَلَكِنَّهُ أَطْهَرُ وَخَيْرٌ لِمَنِ اغْتَسَلَ وَمَنْ لَمْ يَغْتَسِلْ فَلَيْسَ عَلَيْهِ بِوَاجِبٍ وَسَأُخْبِرُكُمْ كَيْفَ بَدْءُ الْغُسْلِ كَانَ النَّاسُ مَجْهُودِينَ يَلْبَسُونَ الصُّوفَ وَيَعْمَلُونَ عَلَى ظُهُورِهِمْ وَكَانَ مَسْجِدُهُمْ ضَيِّقًا مُقَارِبَ السَّقْفِ إِنَّمَا هُوَ عَرِيشٌ فَخَرَجَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِي يَوْمٍ حَارٍّ وَعَرِقَ النَّاسُ فِي ذَلِكَ الصُّوفِ حَتَّى ثَارَتْ مِنْهُمْ رِيَاحٌ آذَى بِذَلِكَ بَعْضُهُمْ بَعْضًا فَلَمَّا وَجَدَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم تِلْكَ الرِّيحَ قَالَ
“ أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِذَا كَانَ هَذَا الْيَوْمُ فَاغْتَسِلُوا وَلْيَمَسَّ أَحَدُكُمْ أَفْضَلَ مَا يَجِدُ مِنْ دُهْنِهِ وَطِيبِهِ ” . قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ ثُمَّ جَاءَ اللَّهُ بِالْخَيْرِ وَلَبِسُوا غَيْرَ الصُّوفِ وَكُفُوا الْعَمَلَ وَوُسِّعَ مَسْجِدُهُمْ وَذَهَبَ بَعْضُ الَّذِي كَانَ يُؤْذِي بَعْضُهُمْ بَعْضًا مِنَ الْعَرَقِ .
Sunan Abi Dawud: Book 1, Hadith 353
The above hadith is from the Sunan Abi Dawud collection of hadiths. Emerging from the vibrant intellectual culture of the 9th century, Sunan Abi Dawud was compiled by Abu Dawud al-Sijistani during a golden age of Islamic scholarship. This period was characterized by a concerted, scholarly effort to journey across the Muslim world, gather narrations, and preserve the authentic teachings of the Prophet for future generations. His work, which became one of the six canonical collections, successfully gathered over 4,800 hadiths covering all aspects of law, worship, and social conduct. The critical methodology he employed in selecting and annotating these narrations secured its enduring status as a highly authoritative and indispensable reference.
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For more Hadith in Book 1: Purification (Kitab Al-Taharah)