Water; Its Purity and Impurity

So when you find water and are unsure of its impurity, you may perform ablution from it and drink. However, if you find something (within it) that contaminates it, do not perform ablution or drink from it unless in a state of necessity. In that case, you may drink from it but not perform ablution, but instead perform Tayammum unless the water is abundant, in which case it is permissible to both perform ablution and drink from it - regardless of whether something has fallen into it or not, as long as the smell of the water has not changed. If it has changed, do not drink from it or perform ablution with it. Measure of one Kurr is three spans long, three spans wide, and three spans deep. It is weighing one thousand two hundred Ratl in Madina terms.

There is no harm in performing ablution, washing after major impurity (ghusl), or using rose water for cleansing. However, do not use water heated by the sun for ablution, washing after major impurity, or kneading dough, as it is said to cause leprosy. There is no harm in performing ablution with hot water. Water is only corrupted (rendered impure) by substances that have a flowing soul (i.e., those that bleed). Any object that falls into water and does not have blood may still be used for ablution and other uses, regardless of whether it died in the water or not. If you have two containers and something that makes water impure falls into one of them, but you do not know which, pour out both and perform tayammum (dry ablution). If water from two drainpipes flows down, one with urine and the other with pure water, and they mix and get on your clothes, there is no harm.

If a beast, donkey, mule, sheep, cow, or camel drinks from water, there is no harm in using it and performing ablution with it. However, if a lizard falls into a vessel of water, the water should be poured out. If a dog licks the vessel or drinks from it, the water should be poured out, and the vessel washed three times: once with earth and twice with water, then dried. As for stagnant water with an unpleasant odor, it is best to avoid it, unless no other water is available. There is no harm in performing ablution with water from which a cat has drunk, and there is no harm in drinking it.

It is not permissible to perform ablution with the leftover water of a Jew, a Christian, someone born out of wedlock, a polytheist, or anyone who opposes Islam. Even more prohibited is the leftover water of a nasibi (one hostile to the family of the Prophet). The water of a public bath is treated like flowing water if it has a continuous source.

If a snake enters a water container and then exits, pour out three handfuls of the water and use the rest; a small or large amount of water is treated the same. There is also no harm in drawing water with a rope made from pig hair.

It is permissible to perform ablution with the leftover water of someone in a state of major impurity (junub) or a menstruating woman, if no other water is available. If a man performs ablution or washing with impure water or washes his clothes with it, he must repeat the ablution, washing, prayer, and the washing of the clothes, as well as any vessel into which the water was poured. If someone enters a public bath without a clean scoop and his hands are impure, he may dip his hand in the water while saying, "In the name of Allah سبحانه وتعالى." This aligns with what Allah سبحانه وتعالى, the Mighty and Exalted, says: "And He has not placed upon you in the religion any hardship" (Surah Al Hajj 22:78). Similarly, if a person in a state of major impurity (junub) reaches a small amount of water on the road without a clean container to draw it and has impure hands, he should do the same.

If a Muslim and a dhimmi (non-Muslim under protection) are together in a public bath, the Muslim should wash from the pool before the dhimmi. It is not permissible to purify with leftover water of the public bath, as it includes the washings of Jews, Zoroastrians, Christians, and those who harbor enmity toward the family of Muhammad عليه السلام, the last of whom are the worst of them.

There is also no harm in performing ablution with used water. When The Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم performed ablution, people would take the leftover water from his ablution to perform their own. If a person performs ablution in a clean vessel, there is no harm in someone else using that water for ablution. However, water used to wash clothes, to wash after major impurity (ghusl), or to remove impurities should not be used for ablution.

Any animal whose meat is lawful to eat does not render water impure by drinking from it, so ablution and drinking from it are permitted. Ablution with water from which a hawk, falcon, or eagle has drunk is also permissible, provided there is no visible blood on its beak. If blood is seen on its beak, do not use the water for ablution or drinking. If a person has a nosebleed, and a few small drops of blood fall into their container without visibly affecting the water, ablution from it is allowed. However, if the blood is clearly noticeable in the water, it is not permissible to use it for ablution. If a chicken, bird, or similar animal steps on dung and then enters water, ablution with that water is not allowed unless it is a large quantity (kurr). If a dead mouse, rat, or small bird falls into a water container and decays, it is not permitted to drink from or use that water for ablution. If the animal has not decayed, there is no harm in drinking from or using the water for ablution; simply remove the dead animal if it is still fresh. This applies to containers like jars, water pitchers, or skins. If a mouse or similar animal falls into a well and dies, and bread is kneaded with that well’s water, it is permissible to eat the bread if it has been baked in fire.

If a mouse falls into a container of solidified fat, oil, or honey, remove the mouse along with some of the surrounding substance, and the rest can be used and eaten. The same applies if a mouse falls into flour or similar substances. However, if a mouse falls into liquid oil, it is permissible to use that oil as a fuel for lighting. If a mouse falls into a container of oil but is removed before it dies, it is permissible to use that oil for anointing or to sell it to a Muslim.

If a mouse or dog has eaten or sniffed a piece of bread, set aside the part that was sniffed or eaten and consume the rest. There is no harm in performing ablution with water from reservoirs in which urine has been introduced if the color of the water overpowers the urine. However, if the urine overpowers the water, it should not be used for ablution. It is not permissible to perform ablution with milk, as ablution should be done with water or clean earth (tayammum). It is permissible to perform ablution with nabidh (a drink), as The Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم performed ablution with it. This was water in which a few dates were soaked, leaving a clear liquid on top. If the dates change the color of the water, it should not be used for ablution. The type of nabidh allowed for ablution and drinking is one in which dates are soaked in the morning and drunk in the evening, or soaked in the evening and drunk in the morning. If a person performs ghusl (ritual washing) in a low area and fears that water will flow back into the area from which they are washing, they should pour one handful of water in front of them, one to their right, one to their left, and one behind them, then proceed with the washing. If water splashes onto a person’s clothes or body from the water used for cleansing (istinja), there is no harm (for ablution). If water splashes from one’s hand into a container or spills onto the ground and then falls into the container, there is no harm. The same applies during ghusl from major impurity. If a dead animal falls into flowing water, there is no harm in performing ablution from the side of the water that is free of the dead animal.

If one becomes ritually impure (junub) while traveling and only has snow, it is permissible to perform ghusl with it, as well as ablution by rubbing it on the skin. It is also permissible for a person in a state of major impurity to scoop water from a container with his hand. If he performs ghusl and water splashes from the ground into a container, or runs from his body into a container, there is no harm in it. It is also permissible for a man and woman to perform ghusl from the same container, but She should use his leftover water, and he should not use hers. The most significant impurity that may fall into a well is a human who dies in it, requiring seventy buckets of water to be drawn. The smallest is a small bird, requiring one bucket. For other cases, the amount depends on the item: If a mouse falls in and does not decay, draw one bucket; if decayed, draw seven (and discard). If a donkey falls in, draw a kurr (large quantity) of water (and discard). If a dog falls in, draw thirty to forty buckets (and discard). If a cat falls in, draw seven buckets (and discard). If a chicken or pigeon falls in, draw seven buckets (and discard). If a camel, cow, or wine is poured in, the entire well’s water must be drawn out (and discard). If a few drops of blood fall in, a few buckets are sufficient (and discard). If a man urinates in the well, forty buckets should be drawn (and discard). If a child who has eaten solid food urinates, draw three buckets; if an infant, draw one bucket (and discard). If a basket of fresh or dry feces or manure falls in, there is no harm in using the well for ablution, provided no contents spilled into the water. If feces fall in directly, draw ten buckets ; if it dissolves, draw forty to fifty buckets needs to be drawn from it. If a well is near a cesspit, the distance should be five arm-lengths if the ground is solid, or seven if it is soft.

If something falls into a well and changes the smell of the water, all the water must be drawn out. If the amount is large and difficult to draw, it is obligatory to hire four men to draw from it in turns from morning until evening. As for water from sulfur springs, The Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم forbade using it for medicinal purposes but did not prohibit ablution with it. These are the hot waters found in the mountains that have a sulfur smell.

If wine or nabidh (fermented drink) falls into dough, it becomes impure and spoiled. However, it is permissible to sell it to Jews and Christians after informing them of the impurity. The same rule applies to fuqqa‘ (a type of fermented drink).

If a lizard falls into a well, three buckets should be drawn from it. If a man slaughters a bird, such as a chicken or a pigeon, and its blood falls into a well, a few buckets should be drawn from the well (and discarded).

And if a lizard falls into milk, the milk becomes forbidden for consumption, as it is said that it contains poison. If a sheep or a similar animal falls into a well, nine to ten buckets should be drawn (and discarded).

It is not permissible for a man to urinate in stagnant water. However, there is no harm in urinating in flowing water, though it is advised to be cautious of potential harm from the devil. It is also narrated that urinating in stagnant water causes forgetfulness.