It was narrated that `Abdullah bin Salimah said:

I entered upon `Ali bin Abi Talib along with two other men, one man from among my people and another from Banu Asad - I think and he sent us on an errand and said: You are strong people, so use your strength to serve your religion. Then he went to the outhouse and relieved himself. Then he came out and took a handful of water and washed himself with it. Then he started reciting Qur`an. Then it was as if he realised that we found that strange, so he said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to relieve himself, then come out and recite Qur`an and eat meat with us. Nothing came between him and the Qur`an except janabah.

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ مُرَّةَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ سَلَمَةَ، قَالَ دَخَلْتُ عَلَى عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ أَنَا وَرَجُلَانِ، رَجُلٌ مِنْ قَوْمِي وَرَجُلٌ مِنْ بَنِي أَسَدٍ أَحْسِبُ فَبَعَثَهُمَا وَجْهًا وَقَالَ أَمَا إِنَّكُمَا عِلْجَانِ فَعَالِجَا عَنْ دِينِكُمَا ثُمَّ دَخَلَ الْمَخْرَجَ فَقَضَى حَاجَتَهُ ثُمَّ خَرَجَ فَأَخَذَ حَفْنَةً مِنْ مَاءٍ فَتَمَسَّحَ بِهَا ثُمَّ جَعَلَ يَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ قَالَ فَكَأَنَّهُ رَآنَا أَنْكَرْنَا ذَلِكَ ثُمَّ قَالَ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقْضِي حَاجَتَهُ ثُمَّ يَخْرُجُ فَيَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ وَيَأْكُلُ مَعَنَا اللَّحْمَ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ يَحْجُبُهُ عَنْ الْقُرْآنِ شَيْءٌ لَيْسَ الْجَنَابَةَ‏.‏