‘Ali reported that a man came to the Prophet and said, “I washed because of sexual defilement, then prayed the dawn prayer but noticed a spot about the size of a nail which had not been touched by the water.” God’s messenger replied, “If you had rubbed your hand over it, it would have been enough for you.”
Ubayy b. Ka'b said that “Water is necessary only when there is an emission” was a licence granted in the early days of Islam, but that afterwards it was renounced.
وَعَن عبد الله بن عمر قَالَ كَانَتِ الصَّلَاةُ خَمْسِينَ وَالْغُسْلُ مِنَ الْجَنَابَةِ سبع مرار وَغسل الْبَوْل من الثَّوْب سبع مرار فَلَمْ يَزَلْ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يُسْأَلُ حَتَّى جعلت الصَّلَاة خمْسا وَالْغسْل من الْجَنَابَة مرّة وَغسل الْبَوْل من الثَّوْب مرّة. رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُد
Ibn ‘Umar said that the original requirement was fifty times of prayer, seven washings to remove sexual defilement, and seven washings when urine fell on a garment. God’s messenger therefore kept on making requests till five times of prayer were appointed, one washing for sexual defilement, and one washing of a garment because of urine.
Ya'la told of God's messenger seeing a man washing in a public place, so he mounted the pulpit, and when he had praised and extolled God he said, “God is characterised by modesty and concealment and loves modesty and concealment, so when any of you washes he should conceal himself.” Abu Dawud and Nasa’i transmitted it, but in Nasa’i's version he said, “God is characterised by concealment, so when any of you intends to wash, he should hide behind something.”
