Is using only water sufficient for ritual cleansing after passing urine or feces?
Chapter on Cleaning oneself (Istitabah) and Impurity (Hadath)
Al-Mughni
Book of Purification
Primary text
If ritual cleansing is done with water, earth is not needed; water alone suffices, according to Ahmad. No authentic narration indicates the Prophet (peace be upon him) used earth along with water for cleansing, nor did he command it.
Supporting text
Regarding the number of washes with water, there is a difference in the narrations from Ahmad: one narration states that the minimum sufficient amount of water is seven times, while another mentions that three washes suffice for the buttocks, but three washes for other parts of the body are not sufficient. Another narration indicates that the requirement is purification (*inqā'*), as there is no authenticated specific number prescribed by the Prophet (peace be upon him) for water cleansing, and purification, meaning the removal of the substance and its residue, is required in all narrations.