fresh water is a burden to us. we used to mix some of it for the donkey but he became ill from it and rebelled against us because of it. after that we began to give him pure fresh water to drink. the sheep and i often used to wash ourselves with fresh water for fear that it would affect our skins as it affected the donkeys stomach. so that pure fresh water would go to waste. then a door of reform was opened for me in it so i went to that ablution place made a hole in one corner of it filled it with water and smoothed it until it became like a hollowedout rock and directed the stream toward it. now when we wash ourselves the water becomes pure with nothing mixed with it. were it not for worship the skin of one who has defec ted would be more deserving of stinking than the skin of one who has ritual impurity. the amounts of perfume for skins are the same and the water remains the same. the donkey is also not disgusted by the water of ritual impurity and there is no blame on us in giving it to drink from it. it does not matter to us that a book has forbidden it nor a sunnah has prohibited it for we have gained this a few days ago and we have relieved ourselves and our money of the burden.
العذب علينا مؤونة ١ . فكنا نمزج منه للحمار فاعتل منه، وانتفض علينا من أجله؛ فصرنا، بعد ذلك، نسقيه العذب صرفا. وكنت أنا والنعجة ٢ كثيرا ما نغتسل بالعذب مخافة أن يعتري جلودنا منه مثل ما اعترى جوف الحمار. فكان ذلك الماء العذب الصافي يذهب باطلا. ثم انفتح لي فيه باب من الإصلاح، فعمدت الى ذلك المتوضأ، فجعلت في ناحية منه حفرة، وصهرجتها ٣ ، وملستها، حتى صارت كأنها صخرة منقورة، وصوبت اليها المسيل، فنحن الآن إذا اغتسلنا صار الماء اليها صافيا، لم يخالطه شيء. ولولا التعبد لكان جلد المتغوط ٤ أحق بالنتن، من جلد الجنب ٥ ، فمقادير طيب الجلود واحدة، والماء على حاله. والحمار أيضا لا تقزز ٦ له من ماء الجنابة، وليس علينا حرج في سقيه منه. وما علينا أن كتابا حرمه، ولا سنة نهت عنه، فربحنا هذه منذ أيام. وأسقطنا مؤونة عن النفس والمال.