Summary:

• Muhammad only learned to use water for cleaning in the last year of his life.
• For 62 years (including 22 years of “revelation”), he cleaned with stones, even when water was available.
• The idea of washing with water did not come from Allah, but from Jews whom Muhammad and his companions observed.

Think about it: during those 22 years, dozens of detailed rules about relieving oneself were revealed (use 3 stones to clean, don’t face Qibla while revealing, don’t use the right hand, don’t use dung or bones). Yet not once did Allah mention the most logical rule: "Use water if it is available."

• A truly wise God would have said from the start: “Clean with water when possible; use stones only if water is unavailable.”
• Instead, Allah never corrected the primitive method. Muhammad died without ever making water obligatory, leaving most companions still using only stones.
• It was only Aisha, after his death, who timidly encouraged Muslims to use water.

This is not divine wisdom. It is human error. For 22 years, Muslims practiced an unhygienic method while the “All-Knowing” God stayed silent.

Ironically, Islamists today mock the West for using toilet paper. Yet in India, China, and East Asia, people had been using water for thousands of years, long before Muhammad learned it from his Jewish neighbors.

(1) Hadiths that prove that Allah initially revealed the unhygienic ruling of STONES (despite availability of water)

The following Hadiths show, when the rulings about relieving oneself were revealed, then Allah first made the unhygienic ruling of using 3 stones. 

Sahih Muslim 262b, Jami` at-Tirmidhi 16, and Sunan an-Nasa'i 49:

Salman (who was a companion of Muhammad) said that (one among) the polytheists remarked: I see that your friend even teaches you about the excrement. He replied; Yes, he has in fact forbidden us that anyone amongst us should cleanse himself with his right hand, or face the Qibla. He has forbidden the use of dung or bone for it, and he has also instructed us not to use less than three pebbles (for this purpose).

This Hadith proves that these Multiple Rulings about defecation had already been revealed in Mecca, when a polytheist gave these remarks about them. So, the questions are:

1. Why didn't Allah reveal the use of water along with those other rulings? 
2. Why did Allah make Muhammad and Muslims using the unhygienic way of 3 stones for the entire 13-years-long Meccan period? 

And this unhygienic practice of using 3 stones continued in Medina too:

Sunan an-Nasa'i 44:

It was narrated from 'Aishah that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "When any one of you goes to the Gha'it (toilet to defecate), let him take with him three stones and clean himself with them, for that will suffice him."

Sahih Bukhari, 156:

Narrated `Abdullah: The Prophet (ﷺ) went out to answer the call of nature and asked me to bring three stones. I found two stones and searched for the third but could not find it. So took a dried piece of dung and brought it to him. He took the two stones and threw away the dung and said, "This is a filthy thing."

(2) Muhammad learnt the method of using water from humans (Jews)

The following verses were revealed about the companions of Muhammad, who used to pray in the Mosque of Quba. Those companions were praised for their purification. 

Quran 9:107-108: 

And [there are] those [hypocrites] who took for themselves a mosque (i.e. the mosque of Masjid al-Dirar مسجد الضرار) for causing harm and disbelief and division among the believers and as a station for whoever had warred against Allah and His Messenger before ... (While) another mosque  (i.e. Masjid Quba مَسْجِد قُبَاء) founded on righteousness from the first day is more worthy for you to stand in. Within it are men who love to purify themselves; and Allah loves those who purify themselves.

Ibn Kathir recorded the following traditions under the commentary of this verse, which tell that Muhammad learnt the use of water from his companions, who ultimately learnt it from their neighbouring Jews (link):

وقال أبو داود حدثنا محمد بن العلاء، حدثنا معاوية بن هشام عن يونس بن الحارث عن إبراهيم بن أبي ميمونة عن أبي صالح عن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال " نزلت هذه الآية في أهل قباء { فِيهِ رِجَالٌ يُحِبُّونَ أَن يَتَطَهَّرُواْ } - قال - كانوا يستنجون بالماء، فنزلت فيهم هذه الآية " ورواه الترمذي وابن ماجه من حديث يونس بن الحارث، وهو ضعيف، وقال الترمذي غريب من هذا الوجه، وقال الطبراني حدثنا الحسن بن علي المعمري، حدثنا محمد بن حميد الرازي، حدثنا سلمة بن الفضل عن محمد بن إسحاق عن الأعمش عن مجاهد عن ابن عباس قال لما نزلت هذه الآية { فِيهِ رِجَالٌ يُحِبُّونَ أَن يَتَطَهَّرُواْ } بعث رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم إلى عويم بن ساعدة، فقال " ما هذا الطهور الذي أثنى الله عليكم؟ " فقال يا رسول الله ما خرج منا رجل ولا امرأة من الغائط، إلا وغسل فرجه، أو قال مقعدته، فقال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم " هو هذا " وقال الإمام أحمد حدثنا حسين بن محمد، حدثنا أبو أويس، حدثنا شرحبيل عن عويم بن ساعدة الأنصاري أنه حدثه أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم أتاهم في مسجد قباء، فقال " إن الله تعالى قد أحسن عليكم الثناء في الطهور في قصة مسجدكم، فما هذا الطهور الذي تطهرون به؟ " فقالوا والله يا رسول الله ما نعلم شيئاً، إلا أنه كان لنا جيران من اليهود، فكانوا يغسلون أدبارهم من الغائط، فغسلنا كما غسلوا، ورواه ابن خزيمة في صحيحه، وقال هشيم عن عبد الحميد المدني عن إبراهيم بن إسماعيل الأنصاري أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال لعويم بن ساعدة " ما هذا الذي أثنى الله عليكم { فِيهِ رِجَالٌ يُحِبُّونَ أَن يَتَطَهَّرُواْ } ، الآية " قالوا يا رسول الله إنا نغسل الأدبار بالماء، وقال ابن جرير حدثني محمد بن عمارة الأسدي، حدثنا محمد بن سعد عن إبراهيم بن محمد عن شرحبيل بن سعد قال سمعت خزيمة بن ثابت يقول نزلت هذه الآية { فِيهِ رِجَالٌ يُحِبُّونَ أَن يَتَطَهَّرُواْ وَٱللَّهُ يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُطَّهِّرِينَ } قال كانوا يغسلون أدبارهم من الغائط. حديث آخر قال الإمام أحمد بن حنبل حدثنا يحيى بن آدم، حدثنا مالك، يعني ابن مغول، سمعت سياراً أبا الحكم عن شهر بن حوشب عن محمد بن عبد الله بن سلام قال لما قدم رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يعني قباء، فقال " إن الله عز وجل قد أثنى عليكم في الطهور خيراً، أفلا تخبروني؟ " يعني قوله { فِيهِ رِجَالٌ يُحِبُّونَ أَن يَتَطَهَّرُواْ } فقالوا يا رسول الله إنا نجده مكتوباً علينا في التوراة الاستنجاء بالماء.

Abu Dawud narrated: ... the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "This verse was revealed concerning the people of Quba (Mosque): {In it are men who love to purify themselves} — he said, they used water to cleanse themselves, and this verse was revealed about them." ...

Al-Tabarani narrated: .. "When this verse {In it are men who love to purify themselves} was revealed, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) sent for 'Uwaym bin Sa'idah and asked, 'What is this purification that Allah has praised you for?' 'Uwaym said, 'O Messenger of Allah, none of us, whether man or woman, would relieve themselves without washing their private parts (with water).' The Prophet (peace be upon him) then said, 'That is it.'"

Imam Ahmad narrated: ... the Prophet (peace be upon him) came to them in the Mosque of Quba and said, "Indeed, Allah has praised you for your purification in connection with your mosque. What is the purification that you practice?" They replied, "By Allah, O Messenger of Allah, we know nothing except that we had Jewish neighbors, and they used to wash their private parts after defecation, so we did the same." This was also narrated by Ibn Khuzaymah in his Sahih.

Hisham narrated from Abdul Hamid Al-Madani from Ibrahim bin Isma'il Al-Ansari that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said to 'Uwaym bin Sa'idah: "What is this that Allah has praised you for: {In it are men who love to purify themselves}?" They said, "O Messenger of Allah, we wash our private parts with water."

Ibn Jarir narrated: ... 'This verse was revealed: {In it are men who love to purify themselves, and Allah loves those who purify themselves} — they used to wash their private parts (with water) after defecation.'"

Another narration: Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal reported: Yahya bin Adam narrated to us, Malik bin Mughul narrated: I heard Sayyar Abu Al-Hakam narrating from Shahr bin Hawshab from Muhammad bin Abdullah bin Salam, who said: "When the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) arrived at Quba, he said: 'Indeed, Allah has praised you for your purification. Would you not tell me?' referring to the verse {In it are men who love to purify themselves}. They replied, 'O Messenger of Allah, we find it written in the Torah to clean ourselves with water after defecation.'"

It is important to note that.

• The incident of Masjid al-Dirar took place in the 9th year of Hijri, after the Expedition of Tabuk.
• Moreover, the verse in question is found in Surah al-Tawbah, which was also revealed in the 9th Hijri year, just one year before the death of Prophet Muhammad. 

Thus, this proves that Muhammad was not using water till 9th hijri year, just one year before his death. 

(3) After Muhammad’s Death

One would expect that after finally “discovering” water in the last year of his life, Muhammad would declare a clear ruling:

• If water is available, it is "obligatory" to use water after relieving.

• And stones are allowed only in emergencies, when no water is available.

But shockingly, no such command ever came from Allah or Muhammad. Yes, although Muhammad liked using water, but he never commanded his companions to do it too. 

The result? Even after his death, many of Muhammad's Companions were still unaware of using water. They kept on using stones as if nothing had changed. The “All-Wise” revelation had left them in complete darkness on something as basic as hygiene.

It was only Aisha, who tried to spread the practice of using water among companions, after the death of Muhammad. 

Jami` at-Tirmidhi 19: 
Aisha said: “Encourage your husbands to clean themselves with water, for I am too shy to tell them, and Allah’s Messenger used to do that.”  
Grade: Sahih (Darussalam)

Thus, it is proof that many companions were totally unaware of using water even after the death of Muhammad, and they kept using stones. However, if Muhammad/Allah had indeed commanded them to use water as an obligation (فرض)، or even as desired/preferable (مستحب Mustahab), then it was impossible that they would have been unaware of it, as they were relieving themselves daily. 

Think about this. The Prophet of Islam claimed to bring a “complete religion” that perfected human life. Yet, the supposedly perfect guidance on hygiene had to be spread by a widow after Muhammad's death. If Allah truly cared about purity, why was the Ummah left with such confusion after Muhammad’s death?

Even later, when some Muslim jurists argued that using water is “preferable,” it was too little, too late. Their rulings were not part of Qur’an or Sunnah or Sharia, but just human opinions. The fact remains: Islamic Sharia never elevated water above stones.

Meanwhile, half the world, i.e. in India, China, and beyond, they had already been using water for thousands of years. They did not need prophets or revelations. They simply followed common sense, culture, and hygiene.

This is the embarrassing truth that what many civilizations had understood as basic hygiene, Allah failed to deliver that guidance properly even after 22 years.

What This Reveals About Revelation Itself

• True wisdom doesn’t come in 22 years late, hidden, and second-hand.

At this point, the question becomes unavoidable:

If Allah is truly All-Wise and All-Knowing, how could He delay a basic hygiene rule for 22 years, never clarify it properly, and let His followers live and die without knowing it?

The answer is simple that there was no divine guidance. What we see here is a very human process of trial, error, and borrowed ideas. Muhammad observed what others did, adopted it late in his life and that too second hand, and left the Ummah without making them aware of it properly.

This is not the mark of a perfect religion from an All-Wise Creator. It is the mark of a man learning things and making things up as he went along.

In the end, this case exposes the deeper reality: Islam is not divine revelation. It is a human drama, which is full of mistakes, delays, and borrowed second hand wisdom.

Objection 1: 

An Islamist wrote: 

It is futile to debate the branches when there's disagreement about the very existence of the tree. We, as Muslims, believe in Allah's existence and in Prophet Muhammad as the true prophet. This leads us to the conviction that they are infallible, and anything we don't understand is simply a WISDOM beyond our comprehension.

Our Response:

The problem with Islam is that the “tree” itself is never visible. Allah does not appear, angels do not manifest, and miracles are absent. Instead, Islam asks us to judge the “tree” by examining its “branches.”

But when we inspect these branches closely and see clear errors, contradictions, or lack of wisdom, Muslims insist that we ignore these flaws and trust blindly in the unseen “tree trunk.” Criticism of obvious mistakes is discouraged, and any questioning is dismissed as failure to appreciate divine wisdom.

Objection 2:

An Islamist argued:

There are narrations from Abu Hurayrah and Anas which supposedly prove that the Prophet was already using water for cleansing, long before the incident of Quba mosque in the 9th Hijri year. 

Our Response:

This is misleading. Neither narration gives any timeline at all. They merely state that Muhammad used water، but they do not say when. To claim it was “before” Quba is nothing more than wishful thinking.

Sunan Abi Dawud 45:
Narrated Abu Hurayrah: When the Prophet went to the privy, I brought him water in a small vessel or a skin, and he cleansed himself.

Important points:

• This narration gives no indication of its timing.
• Abu Hurayrah only converted three years before Muhammad’s death. He had no knowledge of earlier events.
• Even more, Abu Hurayrah himself narrated the hadith of Quba, which explicitly says Muhammad became aware of this practice only through the people of Quba, which happened after the 9th Hijri year.

Sunan Abi Dawud 44:
Narrated Abu Hurayrah: The Prophet said: The verse was revealed about the people of Quba: “In it are men who love to purify themselves” (Qur’an 9:108). Abu Hurayrah said: They used to cleanse themselves with water after easing. So the verse was revealed about them. (Grade: Sahih)

This alone proves that Muhammad only learned of the practice after the revelation of this verse. Anything else is speculation.

The narration of Anas is no different:

Sunan Abi Dawud 43:
Narrated Anas b. Malik: The Messenger of Allah entered a garden. A boy followed him with a jug of water. He placed it by a lote-tree. The Prophet relieved himself, then returned after cleansing with water.

This report, too, says nothing about the date. In the light of the Quba incident, the most reasonable conclusion is that this happened later, not earlier.

And the final nail in the coffin is Aisha’s own testimony after Muhammad’s death:

Jami` at-Tirmidhi 19:
Aisha said: “Encourage your husbands to clean themselves with water, for I am too shy to tell them directly. Allah’s Messenger used to do this.”

This single statement exposes the whole truth: even after Muhammad’s death, the majority of companions were completely unaware of using water and continued to clean with stones. Imagine something they did every single day, yet they supposedly had no idea about a “divine” command? If this was truly a command from Allah, or even a recommended Sunnah, such ignorance among his closest followers would have been impossible.

The conclusion is inescapable: Muhammad only adopted this practice late in his life, after learning it from others. And the fact that his own companions remained unaware proves it was never an obligation from God, but merely another borrowed human custom.

PS:

• Islamic rule of using stones raises several concerns. Stones, being hard and abrasive, can cause discomfort or even injury to the sensitive skin of these areas. Additionally, stones may carry harmful bacteria or contaminants, even if they appear dry or clean on the surface, increasing the risk of infections.