Muwatta 79

Malik opens the chapter "on wiping over the leather socks" with the hadith of al-Mughira ibn Shu'ba on the Prophet ﷺ's ablution during the Expedition of Tabuk. He transmits it from Ibn Shihab from Abbad ibn Ziyad ¹.

The Prophet went out to relieve himself during the Expedition of Tabuk, and al-Mughira went with him carrying water. When he came back, al-Mughira poured the water over him, and he washed his face. Then he wished to take his hands out of the sleeves of his robe, but could not because they were tight, so he took them out from under the robe. He washed his hands, wiped his head, and wiped over his leather socks. Then he came and found Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf leading the people, who had already prayed one rak'a with them. He prayed with them the rak'a that remained, and the people were startled by this. When he finished his prayer he said: "You have done well" ^{2 3}.

The editor explains that Malik said in his isnad "Abbad ibn Ziyad was of the descendants of al-Mughira ibn Shu'ba." Mus'ab ibn Abdallah al-Zubayri counted this as a serious error, and the correct form is: from Abbad ibn Ziyad, from a man of the descendants of al-Mughira. Ibn Abd al-Barr described it as a mistake that no one else shared. The editor notes that Yahya ibn Yahya added "from his father al-Mughira", which no other transmitter of the Muwatta said, although Abd al-Rahman ibn Mahdi and Sa'd ibn Abd al-Hamid followed him in it. He quotes Ibn Abd al-Barr that Malik's isnad here "is not sound", and that his report is a cut-off (maqtu'), because Abbad did not see al-Mughira nor hear from him. Ibn Shihab transmits it from Abbad from Urwa or Hamza, the sons of al-Mughira, from their father (al-Tamhid 11/120–121). He notes that the hadith is in the two Sahihs by way of Urwa ibn al-Mughira from his father, and traces Malik's version in al-Nasa'i (1/62), Ahmad (4/247), and al-Jawhari. ^{2 3}

The hadith is a foundation among Sunnis on wiping over leather socks in ablution. It also gives a picture of congregational prayer on a journey, when one of the Companions leads the people; see Tabuk. ³