Sunan of Abu Dawood Book 1, Hadith 229

حَدَّثَنَا حَفْصُ بْنُ عُمَرَ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ مُرَّةَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ سَلِمَةَ، قَالَ دَخَلْتُ عَلَى عَلِيٍّ - رضى الله عنه - أَنَا وَرَجُلاَنِ رَجُلٌ مِنَّا وَرَجُلٌ مِنْ بَنِي أَسَدٍ - أَحْسِبُ فَبَعَثَهُمَا عَلِيٌّ - رضى الله عنه - وَجْهًا وَقَالَ إِنَّكُمَا عِلْجَانِ فَعَالِجَا عَنْ دِينِكُمَا ‏.‏ ثُمَّ قَامَ فَدَخَلَ الْمَخْرَجَ ثُمَّ خَرَجَ فَدَعَا بِمَاءٍ فَأَخَذَ مِنْهُ حَفْنَةً فَتَمَسَّحَ بِهَا ثُمَّ جَعَلَ يَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ فَأَنْكَرُوا ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم كَانَ يَخْرُجُ مِنَ الْخَلاَءِ فَيُقْرِئُنَا الْقُرْآنَ وَيَأْكُلُ مَعَنَا اللَّحْمَ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ يَحْجُبُهُ - أَوْ قَالَ يَحْجُزُهُ - عَنِ الْقُرْآنِ شَىْءٌ لَيْسَ الْجَنَابَةَ ‏.‏

Narrated Ali ibn AbuTalib: Abdullah ibn Salamah said: I, accompanied by other two persons, one from us and the other from Banu Asad, called upon Ali. He sent them to a certain territory (on some mission) saying: You are sturdy and vigorous people; hence display your power for religion. He then stood and entered the toilet. He then came out and called for water and took a handful of it. Then he wiped (his hands) with it and began to recite the Qur'an. They were surprised at this (action). Thereupon he said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came out from the privy and taught us the Qur'an and took meat with us. Nothing prevented him; or the narrator said: Nothing prevented him from (reciting) the Qur'an except sexual defilement