It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was asked about sea water, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Sea water is pure (and purifying)." This hadith is sahih (authentic) on the condition of Imam Muslim, and its supporting reports are many, but the two Shaykhs did not record it.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that a man asked the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him): "O Messenger of Allah, we travel by sea and carry a little water with us; if we use it for ablution, we will go thirsty. May we perform ablution with sea water?" The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Its water is pure and its dead (animals) are lawful." Imam Malik narrated it, and other narrators have also corroborated him in it.

A similar report (to the previous hadith) concerning sea water is narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) through Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him).

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that some people who travelled by sea came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: "O Messenger of Allah, we travel on the sea and take some water with us; if we use it for ablution, we will go thirsty. Is it proper for us to perform ablution with sea water?" The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Its water is pure and its dead (animals) are lawful."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him): One day we were sitting with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) when a fisherman came and said: "O Messenger of Allah, we go out to sea for fishing, and one of us takes a water vessel with him, hoping to catch something soon. Sometimes he does find it so, and sometimes he does not find any catch until he reaches a place at sea he never thought he would reach. There he may have a wet dream or need to perform ablution. Now if he performs the ritual bath (ghusl) or ablution with this (drinking) water, he fears perishing from thirst. So in your view, may we take the ritual bath or perform ablution with sea water?" The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Take the ritual bath from it and perform ablution with it, for its water is pure and its dead (animals) are lawful." Imam Muslim used al-Julah Abu Kathir as evidence.

Al-Mughirah bin Abi Burdah narrated from a man of Banu Mudlij, from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), a similar report concerning sea water.

Al-Mughirah bin Abdullah narrated from his father, from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), a similar report. Sulayman bin Bilal, narrating from Yahya bin Sa'id, mentioned it as "Abdullah bin al-Mughirah, from his father".

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that some people came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: "We fish at sea and we have fresh water with us, and sometimes we fear going thirsty. Is it proper to perform ablution with the salty sea water?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Yes, perform ablution with it." Imam Bukhari mentioned Yazid bin Muhammad al-Qurashi in his book "al-Tarikh", and al-Layth bin Abi Burdah narrated from him.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was asked about sea water: "May we perform ablution with it?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Its water is purifying and its dead (animals) are lawful."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was asked about performing ablution with sea water, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Its water is purifying and its dead (animals) are lawful." Imam al-Hakim says: Among the corroborations (mutaba'at) of Imam Malik bin Anas in the routes of this hadith, I have narrated from three narrators who do not meet the condition of this book: Abd al-Rahman bin Ishaq, Ishaq bin Ibrahim al-Muzani and Abdullah bin Muhammad al-Qudami. What prompted me to do so is that the scholar should know that these corroborations and supporting reports belong to this foundational hadith with which Imam Malik opened his book "al-Muwatta", and which the jurists of Islam have circulated from his time to ours; and that a hadith like this is not to be declared defective on account of Sa'id bin Salamah and al-Mughirah bin Abi Burdah being unknown, since through these corroborations the label of being unknown has been removed from them both. This hadith has also been narrated from Ali bin Abi Talib, Ibn Abbas, Jabir bin Abdullah, Abdullah bin Amr and Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with them).