THE KINDS OF WATER FOR PURIFICATION in ISLAM

 THE DAILY ISLAMIC REMINDERS. Yaum al-khamis. 1st day of Jumaadal Aakhir.. (Thursday 14th January 2021).

*BismilLah*

Water is broken down into categories: Mutlaq water, used water, water mixed with pure elements, and water mixed with impure elements. Mutlaq Water is that which is considered inherently pure, and therefore may be used to purify oneself.  The types include:

a. Rain, Snow etc b. Sea Water: Abū Hurairah ra, states:

“It’s water is pure and it’s dead (animals) are lawful” (related by “the five” and Al-Bukhāri calls it sahīh). c. Zamzam Water.

Used Water is that which is left over after one does Wudhu or Ghusl. This water may be used to purify oneself. The Messenger of ALLAH sallallahu alaihi wasallam wiped his head with the water remaining on his hands from wudhu’.”(Ahmad & Abū Dawūd narrated). 

Water Mixed with Pure Elements includes water that has been mixed with substances that are considered inherently pure. Examples of pure substances are dough, flowers, leaves, saffron, soap and others. Such water is considered pure so long as the mixture is small enough that you can still call it water. If the substance becomes so overwhelming that the mixture is no longer called water, then it cannot be used to purify oneself.

Water Mixed with Impure Elements includes water that is mixed with impure substances (najasah) that is mentioned later. This water is split into two categories: The impure substance alters the taste, color, or odor of the water.  This water is not to be used for purification. Ibn al-Mundhir and Ibn al-Mulaqqin state that there is consensus on this matter.

The Impure substance does not alter the taste, color, or odor of the water.  This water is allowed for purification. A Hadīth narrated by Abū Hurairah states: When a Bedouin urinated in the masjid the Prophet PBUH said, “Leave him and pour a bucket of water or a container of water over his urine.  You have been raised to be easy on the people, not to be hard on them.”

It appears that this was used as evidence because it was sufficient for the companions to pour water over the urine, thereby making the ground pure and appropriate for Salāh. Had the mixture been considered impure then the ground would not be appropriate for Salāh. Thus, the water was a large enough amount that none of its characteristics were changed and it was considered pure after mixing with the urine. To be continued tomorrow in ShaaALLAH.  *_May ALLAH increase us in beneficial knowledge_*. Aameen.