Is the following narration authentic?
Sayyiduna ‘Umar, Sayyiduna Ibn Masud, Sayyiduna Abu Darda, Sayyiduna Ali (radiyallahu ‘anhum), and others would warm themselves with the body heat of their wives after bathing.
Answer
In the desert lands of Arabia, the cold in winter does get severe. This was their method of quickly regaining warmth after a bath in such severe conditions, which is perfectly logical.
May Allah Ta’ala be pleased with all of them and accept their sacrifices.
The practices mentioned in your question are recorded in different narrations.
Refer: Musannaf ‘Abdur Razzaq, Hadith: 1065-1070 , Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah, Hadith: 829-838, Al-Mu’jamul Kabir, Hadith: 9194-9195 and Majma’uz Zawaid, vol.1 pg.275.
Most of the chains for these narrations have a degree of weakness. However, collectively they definitely establish this practice in general.
In fact, one narration in Sunan Tirmidhi and Sunan Ibn Majah also mention this as a practice of Nabi (sallallahu’alayhi wasallam).
(Sunan Tirmidhi, Hadith: 123, Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadith: 580 and Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah, Hadith: 842 with a weak chain, which gains support from the narrations above)
Imam Tirmidhi (rahimahullah) has written that this was a widely acceptable practice among the Sahabah (radiyallahu ‘anhum) and the Tabi’un (rahimahumullah) as well as the senior Jurists of Islam.
And Allah Ta’ala Knows best,
Answered by: Moulana Muhammad Abasoomar
Checked by: Moulana Haroon Abasoomar