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.