A question he asked instead of a statement
He waited for them to answer it themselves.
أَرَأَيْتُمْ لَوْ أَنَّ نَهَرًا بِبَابِ أَحَدِكُمْ، يَغْتَسِلُ فِيهِ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ خَمْسًا، مَا تَقُولُ ذَلِكَ يُبْقِي مِنْ دَرَنِهِ
A-raʾaytum law anna naharan bi-bābi aḥadikum yaghtasilu fīhi kulla yawmin khamsan, mā taqūlu dhālika yubqī min daranih
“Tell me, if there were a river at the door of one of you and he washed in it five times a day, would that leave any of his dirt behind?”
Where this comes from
They said: it would not leave any dirt at all. He said: that is the likeness of the five prayers. Allah wipes out wrong actions with them.
The full narration
Narrated Abu Huraira:I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) saying, "If there was a river at the door of anyone of you and he took a bath in it five times a day would you notice any dirt on him?" They said, "Not a trace of dirt would be left." The Prophet (ﷺ) added, "That is the example of the five prayers with which Allah blots out (annuls) evil deeds
Source
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī · 528
- Agreed upon as authentic (al-Bukhārī / Muslim)