In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
The Senior Scholars Project in Kuwait is pleased,
in cooperation with the Foundation of Sheikh 'Abd al-'Aziz Ibn Baz,
may Allah have mercy on him,
to present to you
the Juristic Selections
on Issues of Acts of Worship and Transactions,
from the fatwas of the eminent scholar and Imam,
'Abd al-'Aziz Ibn 'Abdullah Ibn Baz,
may Allah have mercy on him,
compiled and arranged by Sheikh
Khalid Ibn Sa'ud Ibn 'Amir al-'Ajmi.
The Book of Purification.
Chapter on Liquids.
The eminent scholar Imam Ibn Baz, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
Absolute water is divided into two categories:
purifying and impure.
The hadith: "Indeed, water is pure, nothing makes it impure,"
was reported by Imam Ahmad, Abu Dawud,
and al-Nasa'i with an authentic chain of transmission.
The default state for all water is purity,
except that which is known to have become impure.
Whatever falls into water, such as beverage liquids, fallen leaves, or the like,
does not render it impure
and does not strip it of its purifying quality,
as long as the name of water still applies to it.
If the name of the water changes into another substance due to what has mixed with it,
such as milk, coffee, tea, and the like,
it ceases to be called water in an unqualified sense,
and it is no longer termed simply water;
however, it remains intrinsically pure despite this mixture,
and it does not become impure thereby.
Restricted water,
such as rose water, grape juice, or pomegranate juice,
is termed pure,
but it is not termed purifying,
and purification from ritual impurities and filth cannot be achieved with it.
Water that is less than two large jars (qullatayn)
does not become impure unless its characteristics change,
just like water that has reached two large jars.
A Point of Benefit:
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, mentioned the two large jars
only to indicate that amounts less than that require verification, scrutiny, and careful attention;
it is not because it becomes impure in an absolute sense.
A very small quantity of water is usually affected by impurity;
thus, it should be poured out and avoided,
even if no visible trace of the impurity appears in it,
as it is likely corrupted thereby
and it is not permissible to use it.
A pond of water muddied with silt and some vegetation
is permissible to perform ablution with,
to bathe with,
and to drink from,
because the name of water still applies to it,
and it remains purifying thereby;
the soil and vegetation that fall into it do not strip it of its purifying status.
If the pool is protected from impurities
and has merely changed due to remaining stagnant for a long time,
that causes no harm.
Water gathered in a vessel from the limbs of a person performing ablution or ritual bathing
is considered pure.
Scholars have differed regarding its purifying capacity:
is it purifying, such that ablution and bathing may be performed with it,
or is it merely pure,
like restricted water,
such as pomegranate juice, grape juice, and the like?
The more correct view is that it is purifying,
due to the generality of the saying of the Prophet, peace be upon him:
"Indeed, water is pure, nothing makes it impure,"
and nothing is excluded from that
except water whose color, taste, or odor has changed due to an impurity;
for if it changes because of that,
it becomes impure by consensus.
However, refraining from performing ablution with such used water
is preferable and more prudent,
in order to avoid juristic disagreement
and because of whatever dirt might have fallen into it from the ablution or bathing.
What is meant by ablution (wudu')
is washing the limbs of ablution, starting with the face and what follows it.
The scholars are in unanimous agreement that water,
if its taste, color, or odor changes due to an impurity,
is impure.
There is no harm in drinking from water
from which livestock have drunk, such as camels, cattle, or sheep,
because they are good and lawful.
Likewise, if donkeys and mules drink from it,
they do not render the water harmful,
and the water remains purifying.
Predatory animals,
such as leopards, lions, and wolves:
if they drink from water,
then if it is a small amount, it should be discarded,
just as in the case of a dog's leftover;
but if it is a large body of water,
such as reservoirs and places with abundant water,
their drinking from it does not harm it.
It is not permissible to perform ablution with petroleum (oil),
because it is not water in the Islamic legal sense,
nor is it called water,
and it is not encompassed by that definition.
Water that undergoes a change due to pure substances
or medications that are put into it
to prevent harm to people,
while the designation of water still remains intact,
causes no harm,
even if some slight change occurs because of that.
A slight change caused by a pure substance,
such as soap or the like,
does not harm its purifying status.
Performing ablution with water that has the odor of gas,
or other odors that are not impure,
does not harm its purity.
Performing ritual bathing or ablution with water altered by rust
does not harm its purity.
The Juristic Selections.