The ruling they used to give when they said, "Water is required only because of water," was a concession granted in the earliest days of Islam. Afterwards we were commanded to perform the full washing.
حدثنا محمد بن بكر أخبرنا ابن جريج قال قال ابن شهاب قال سهل بن سعد وكان قد بلغ خمس عشرة سنة حين توفي النبي ﷺ وسمع منه أخبرني أبي بن كعب وذكر نحوه