Chapter on Purifying Water From Impurities

Tahdhīb al-Aḥkām|Volume 1|Book 1|Chapter 11

Tahdhīb al-Aḥkām

Book 1, Chapter 11

Chapter on Purifying Water From Impurities

Commentary #20

قوله عليه السلام: لا بأس ببول كل ما يؤكل لحمه عام ولا يختص الثياب دون المياه يجب أن يكون جاريا على عمومه على كل حال. ثم قال أيده الله تعالى( والاناء إذا وقع فيه نجاسة أو خالطه وجب اهراق ما فيه من الماء وغسله). فالوجه فيه ان الماء إذا كان في إناء وحلته النجاسة بها لانه أقل من الكر، وقد بينا ان ما نقص عنه ينجس بما يلاقيه من النجاسة، ثم ذكر حكم ولوغ الكلب في الاناء وقد مضى الكلام عليه مستوفى. ثم قال أيده الله تعالى( ومن أراد الطهارة بشئ مما ذكرناه فلا يتطهر به ولا يقربه وليتيمم لصلاته فإذا وجد ماءا طاهرا تطهر به من حدثه الذي كان تيمم له واستقبل ما يجب عليه من الصلاة وليس عليه اعادة شئ مما صلى بتيممه على ما قدمناه). فقد مضى شرح ذلك في باب التيمم وفيه كفاية إن شاء الله تعالى. قال الشيخ أيده الله تعالى ولا بأس أن يشرب المضطر من المياه النجسة بمخالطة الميتة لها والدم وما أشبه ذلك ولا يجوز شربها مع الاختيار وليس الشرب منها مع الاضطرار كالتطهر بها لان التطهر قربة إلى الله تعالى والتقرب إليه لا يكون بالنجاسات، ولان المتوضي والمغتسل من الاحداث يقصد بذلك التطهر من النجاسة ولا تقع الطهارة بالنجس من الاشياء ولان المحدث يجد في اباحة الصلاة بدلا من الماء ولا يجد المضطر بالعطش في اقامة رمقه بدلا من الماء غيره ولو وجد ذلك لم يجز له شرب ما كان نجسا من المياه. يدل على استباحة شرب هذه المياه في حال الاضطرار ان الله تعالى اباح كل محرم عند ضرورة الا ترى انه اباح اكل الميتة حيث قال تعالى( حرمت عليكم الميتة والدم ولحم الخنزير وما اهل به لغير الله فمن اضطر غير باغ ولا عاد فلا اثم عليه) فبين أنه لا اثم على متناول هذه المحظورات عند الضرورة وليس كذلك الوضوء لان عند عدم الماء الطاهر انتقل فرضه إلى التيمم بالتراب فلا يجوز أن يستعمل الماء النجس مع ان فرضه في الطهارة في استعمال غيره. قال الشيخ أيده الله تعالى( ولو أن إنسانا كان معه إناءان فوقع في أحدهما ما ينجسه ولم يعلم في أيهما هو يحرم عليه الطهور منهما جميعا ووجب عليه اهراقهما والوضوء بماء من سواهما فان لم يجد غير ما اهرقه من الماء تيمم وصلى ولم يكن له استعمال ما اهرقه منهما وحكم ما زاد على الانائين في العدد إذا تيقن ان في أحدها على غير تعيين حكم الانائين سواء). فقد مضى فيما تقدم ما يدل عليه من الاعتبار والخبر، ويدل عليه أيضا.

Imam statement, "there is no harm in the urine of any animal whose meat is permissible to eat", is general and not restricted to clothes only. It applies universally in all cases. Then the Shaykh (Al-Mufid), may Allah support him, said: "If a container is contaminated by impurity or comes into contact with it, the water in it must be poured out, and the container must be washed." The reason for this is that if water is in a container and impurity affects it, it becomes impure because it is less than a kurr. We have already clarified that any amount less than a kurr becomes impure upon contact with impurity. Then the Shaykh mentioned the ruling on a dog lapping water from a container, and this has already been explained in detail earlier. The Shaykh (Al-Mufid), may Allah support him, further said: "Whoever intends to purify himself using any of the substances we have mentioned should neither purify himself with it nor approach it. Instead, he should perform tayammum for his prayer. When he finds pure water, he should purify himself from the impurity for which he performed tayammum and then resume the obligatory prayers. He is not required to repeat any of the prayers he previously performed with tayammum, as we have already stated." This explanation has already been covered in the section on Tayammum, and it is sufficient, if Allah wills. The Shaykh (Al-Mufid), may Allah support him, said: "There is no harm for a person in dire necessity to drink water that has become impure due to contact with a dead animal, blood, or similar impurities. However, it is not permissible to drink it when there is no necessity. Drinking it under necessity is not the same as using it for purification, because purification is an act of seeking closeness to Allah , and one cannot seek closeness to Him through impurities. Moreover, the one performing ablution (wudu) or ritual bathing (ghusl) does so with the intention of purifying himself from impurity, and purification cannot be achieved with impure substances. Furthermore, someone who lacks water is permitted to pray using Tayammum as a substitute, but someone facing extreme thirst has no substitute for water to preserve his life. If such an alternative existed, it would not be permissible for him to drink impure water." The justification for permitting drinking these impure waters in cases of necessity is based on Allah’s allowance of forbidden items in cases of necessity. Do you not see that Allah has permitted eating dead animals in such situations? As Allah , the Exalted, says: "Forbidden to you is dead meat, blood, the flesh of swine, and that which has been dedicated to other than Allah . But whoever is forced by necessity, without willful disobedience nor transgressing limits, there is no sin upon him." (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:173) This verse clarifies that there is no sin in consuming these prohibited items in cases of necessity. However, this does not apply to wudu (ablution), because if pure water is unavailable, the obligation shifts to Tayammum using soil. Therefore, using impure water is not permissible for purification when there is an alternative for fulfilling the obligation. The Shaykh (Al-Mufid), may Allah support him, further said: "If a person has two containers, and impurity falls into one of them, but he does not know which one is impure, he is prohibited from using either for purification. He must pour out both and seek other water for wudu. If no other water is available, he should perform Tayammum and pray. It is not permissible for him to use the water from these containers. This ruling also applies if there are more than two containers, and he is certain that one of them is impure but cannot determine which one. The ruling for multiple containers is the same as for the two containers." The justification for this ruling has already been mentioned earlier, based on reasoning and narrations. This ruling is further supported by related evidence.