Arabic (Original)
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ عَنْ أَيُّوبَ عَنْ أَبِي قِلَابَةَ عَنْ رَجُلٍ مِنْ بَنِي قُشَيْرٍ قَالَ كُنْتُ أَعْزُبُ عَنْ الْمَاءِ فَتُصِيبُنِي الْجَنَابَةُ فَلَا أَجِدُ الْمَاءَ فَأَتَيَمَّمُ فَوَقَعَ فِي نَفْسِي مِنْ ذَلِكَ فَأَتَيْتُ أَبَا ذَرٍّ فِي مَنْزِلِهِ فَلَمْ أَجِدْهُ فَأَتَيْتُ الْمَسْجِدَ وَقَدْ وُصِفَتْ لِي هَيْئَتُهُ فَإِذَا هُوَ يُصَلِّي فَعَرَفْتُهُ بِالنَّعْتِ فَسَلَّمْتُ فَلَمْ يَرُدَّ عَلَيَّ حَتَّى انْصَرَفَ ثُمَّ رَدَّ عَلَيَّ فَقُلْتُ أَنْتَ أَبُو ذَرٍّ قَالَ إِنَّ أَهْلِي يَزْعُمُونَ ذَاكَ فَقُلْتُ مَا كَانَ أَحَدٌ مِنْ النَّاسِ أَحَبَّ إِلَيَّ رُؤْيَتُهُ مِنْكَ فَقَالَ قَدْ رَأَيْتَنِي فَقُلْتُ إِنِّي كُنْتُ أَعْزُبُ عَنْ الْمَاءِ فَتُصِيبُنِي الْجَنَابَةُ فَلَبِثْتُ أَيَّامًا أَتَيَمَّمُ فَوَقَعَ فِي نَفْسِي مِنْ ذَلِكَ أَوْ أُشْكِلَ عَلَيَّ فَقَالَ أَتَعْرِفُ أَبَا ذَرٍّ كُنْتُ بِالْمَدِينَةِ فَاجْتَوَيْتُهَا فَأَمَرَ لِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِغُنَيْمَةٍ فَخَرَجْتُ فِيهَا فَأَصَابَتْنِي جَنَابَةٌ فَتَيَمَّمْتُ بِالصَّعِيدِ فَصَلَّيْتُ أَيَّامًا فَوَقَعَ فِي نَفْسِي مِنْ ذَلِكَ حَتَّى ظَنَنْتُ أَنِّي هَالِكٌ فَأَمَرْتُ بِنَاقَةٍ لِي أَوْ قَعُودٍ فَشُدَّ عَلَيْهَا ثُمَّ رَكِبْتُ قَالَ حَتَّى قَدِمْتُ الْمَدِينَةَ فَوَجَدْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي ظِلِّ الْمَسْجِدِ فِي نَفَرٍ مِنْ أَصْحَابِهِ فَسَلَّمْتُ عَلَيْهِ فَرَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ وَقَالَ سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ أَبُو ذَرٍّ فَقُلْتُ نَعَمْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنِّي أَصَابَتْنِي جَنَابَةٌ فَتَيَمَّمْتُ أَيَّامًا فَوَقَعَ فِي نَفْسِي مِنْ ذَلِكَ حَتَّى ظَنَنْتُ أَنِّي هَالِكٌ فَدَعَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لِي بِمَاءٍ فَجَاءَتْ بِهِ أَمَةٌ سَوْدَاءُ فِي عُسٍّ يَتَخَضْخَضُ فَاسْتَتَرْتُ بِالرَّاحِلَةِ وَأَمَرَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ رَجُلًا فَسَتَرَنِي فَاغْتَسَلْتُ ثُمَّ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَا أَبَا ذَرٍّ إِنَّ الصَّعِيدَ الطَّيِّبَ طَهُورٌ مَا لَمْ تَجِدْ الْمَاءَ وَلَوْ فِي عَشْرِ حِجَجٍ فَإِذَا قَدَرْتَ عَلَى الْمَاءِ فَأَمِسَّهُ بَشَرَتَكَ.
English Translation
Muhammad ibn Ja'far narrated to us: Shu'bah narrated to us, from Ayyub, from Abu Qilabah, from a man of Banu Qushayr, who said: I used to be far from water and ritual impurity would befall me, and I could not find water, so I would perform tayammum (dry ablution), and this troubled me. So I went to Abu Dharr's house but did not find him there. I went to the mosque, his appearance having been described to me, and there he was, praying; I recognized him from the description. I greeted him with salam, but he did not return the greeting until he finished, then he returned it. I said: "Are you Abu Dharr?" He said: "My family claim that." I said: "There is no one whose meeting I desired more than yours." He said: "You have now seen me." I said: I used to be far from water and ritual impurity would befall me, and I remained days performing tayammum, and this troubled me, or it was unclear to me [what to do]. He said: "Do you know Abu Dharr? I was in Medina and found its climate unwholesome, so the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, ordered a small flock of sheep for me, and I went out among them. Ritual impurity befell me, so I performed tayammum with clean earth and prayed for days, and this troubled me until I thought I was doomed. So I ordered my she-camel or riding beast to be saddled, then I rode." He said: "Until I arrived in Medina, and found the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, in the shade of the mosque among a group of his Companions. I greeted him, and he raised his head and said: 'Glory be to Allah! Abu Dharr?' I said: 'Yes, O Messenger of Allah, ritual impurity befell me, and I performed tayammum for days, and this troubled me until I thought I was doomed.' So the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, called for water for me, and a black slave-girl brought it in a large bowl, sloshing about, so I hid myself behind the mount. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, ordered a man to shield me, so I washed. Then the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: 'O Abu Dharr, clean earth is a means of purification as long as you do not find water, even for ten years; but when you are able to find water, then apply it to your skin.'"