Abu Hurayrah quotes the Prophet (peace be upon him) as saying: “When any of you performs ablution, he should put some water into his nose and blow. When you clean yourself after stools, make it an odd number of times.
When you wake up, wash your hand before putting it into the water, for you do not know where your hand was during your sleep.” (Related by Al-Bukhari) The Prophet is here teaching us to maintain a high standard of cleanliness. He advises us to try to wash thoroughly what people often do not bother to wash, such as the inside of their noses.
Ablution before prayer is an exercise in physical cleanliness, but it is also symbolic of spiritual cleanliness which is perfected by the prayer that follows.
When he tells us to take some water into the nose and blow, it is not merely to clean what may be inside the nose, but he wants us also to feel that cleanliness is the mark of Islamic prayer.
Hence the insistence on purity in both the physical and mental senses. He thus mentions cleanliness after going to stools.
It is well-known that the best way to remove the impurity is to use a solid object, such as toilet paper, and to follow that by washing with water. Sometimes, water is not available. Hence, the Prophet advises us that in such a situation, when we are sure that the impurity is removed from our bodies, and the place is clean, to use an additional piece of solid object to make absolutely sure.
Schools of thought differ as to whether it is necessary to use three solid objects. They all insist that the place should become absolutely clean first. If three are not enough, then using a fourth or a fifth is necessary.
But when cleanliness is achieved, then using another piece of toilet paper is desirable.
Although the removal of impurity is achieved only by washing with water, it is permissible to use only toilet paper or some other solid object, when water is unavailable. It is sufficient to permit prayer, even though the impurity might have not been totally removed.
The third point the Prophet mentions in this Hadith is washing one’s hand before putting it into the water, when one has just woken up.
This is again a question of ensuring proper cleanliness when one is taking water from a container. As we are unaware what we do or touch when we are asleep, it is necessary to wash one’s hand before putting it into the water.
Of course, when we are using water from a tab, washing our hands is the first thing we do, but the point the Hadith makes relates to the situation when we need to take water out of a jug or a barrel. We should mention that this is recommended, not obligatory. Yet everything the Prophet recommends is useful.
In matters of cleanliness, his recommendations are always hygienic. It is absolutely true that he taught us only what is good and beneficial. May God reward him richly for that.