D. PURIFICATION
D1 Water Quality
1.1 There are seven kinds of water with which cleanliness, Tahara, can correctly
be achieved. They are:
i) Rain water
ii) Sea water
iii) River water
iv) Well water
v) Melting ice
vi) Hail
vii) Spring
1.2 These seven kinds of water are categorised in a further five groups, in accordance with the quality of the water. They are:
i) Purifying water- which itself is clean and is able to cleanse other
things. The types of water in this category are ordinary water which
has not come in contact with something else.
ii) Legally clean water- which cleanses other things but is disliked to be used especially if type 1 water is available. This type of water is from which for example, another animal has drunk from, e.g., a cat.
iii) Pure water- this water is legally clean, but is not permitted to be used to cleanse others. It is water which has already been used to
remove the state of minor impurity, Hadath, or the water already
used for a meritorious ablution, Wudhu. This type of water is
considered already used, merely by its separation from the body of
the user
iv) Impure water- which is unclean water. Some examples of this type of water are:
- Stagnant water with unclean matter in it.
- Water amount less than 216 litres that becomes contaminated
with filth, even if the three properties of water quality are not
lost, i.e., colour, taste and odour.
- Running or water more than 216 litres from which one of the
defining characteristics have changed.
v) Doubtful water- which is water when one is not certain of its purity.
Water from which a mule or donkey, for example drinks from, is
doubtful water.
1.3 A small quantity of water, i.e., less than 216 litres, from which an animal has
drunk, is classified into four kinds. This type of water is referred to as “Su’r” and are:
i) Clean- from which a person, baaligh or not, a horse or any other
animal whose meat is lawful to eat, has drunk from. Cleansing oneself from such water is legal, yet disliked.
ii) Unclean- is unclean water from which unlawful animals have drunk from, e.g., dog, pig, etc.
iii) Disliked- is similar to clean water above, but when purifying water is
available. This water includes those from which domesticated fowls,
pet cats drank from.
iv) Doubtful- from which a mule or donkey has drunk. In the absence of any other water, one must use this water to perform Wudhu, but also perform dry ablution, Tayammum.
1.4 It is not permissible to achieve Tahara from:
i) Water of a fruit or tree, even if it flows freely;
ii) Water used for cooking by which the water’s predominance is changed
into an admixture and its viscosity is altered;
iii) Water less than 216 litres that has been used to remove filth, even if
of a child;
iv) Water less than 216 litres that has been used to remove filth, even if the defining properties of water remains unchanged.
1.5 It is permissible to achieve Tahara from:
i) Water which has a physical predominance by intermingling, not
admixture, e.g., saw dust floating on water, saffron in water or leaves
in water;
ii) Water which has fragrance or oil added in it, but where the water is the predominant element;
iii) Milk intermingling into water where it has not much smell, or no bad smell;
iv) Vinegar intermingling into water;
v) Water less than 216 litres, already used, into which pure water is
added such that the result is more than 216 litres.
1.6 Water less than 216 litres maintains its purity if the user makes intention for Wudhu or Ghusl, prior to inserting his hands into the water for the purpose of the ritual.
1.7 Water more than 216 litres maintains its purifying quality even after being used, as long as the defining quality of the water remains unchanged.
1.8 If water more than 216 litres changes its defining quality such that the original defect is lost, the water becomes purifying again. This could be achieved by adding more water until the qualities change where there is no more odour, colour and taste.
D2. Use of Utensils and Clothes Mixed with Unclean Ones
1.1 Purification is permissible from any type of clean container, except gold or silver.
1.2 Purification is permissible from containers made from any natural gem, e.g., pearl, ruby, etc.
1.3 It is offensive to use the containers of a non-muslim if you are not sure of the cleanliness of the container itself.
1.4 If containers containing water is mostly clean, and mixed with unclean ones, a person must select the cleanest one after serious consideration, that which one considers to be clean. If the containers are mostly unclean, one should not consider much, and refrain from using any of them.
1.5 In the case of pieces of clothes mixed together, a person must consider which one thinks is the clean one, and that is acceptable. One must be certain in his mind of the choice made. The other piece of cloth, even if it is the correctly clean one, must be considered unclean, and purified. If one finds impurity on the selected clothes, e.g., sperm, after performing any obligatory prayer, one must repeat those prayers.
1.6 If two upright persons contradict in the quality of the water as purifying or not, it shall be considered that the water is permissible for purification.
D3. Unclean Matter in a Well
1.1 If any unclean matter has fallen into a small well which has not more than 216
litres of water, the well must be drained, e.g., blood, wine, urine.
1.2 Small amounts of dung or bird faeces is excepted from 1.1 above.
1.3 Regardless of the amount of water in the well, if a pig falls in and even though escapes out, the well must be drained.
1.4 If a dog, human, horse or goat has died in it, the well must be drained.
1.5 If any animal dies in the well, regardless of size, and rots such that it spreads filth to the entire well water, the well must be drained.
1.6 If the emptying of the well is impossible, two hundred medium- sized buckets of water must be removed as a guide, by observing the quality of the water.
1.7 The well does not become unclean by the presence of dung of a hoofed animal, e.g., cattle. The well, however is considered impure if the user can notice the admixture spread in the water or that it is considered to be of a substantial quantity, of if no bucket of water can be drawn without being free from dung.
1.8 Existence of live frogs, fish and the like does not result in the well water to be unclean. Nor does it become unclean if a lawful animal, or human falls in but escapes without adding visible filth into it. If the saliva of an animal falls into the well, a decision of an upright person must be sought by visually checking the water, and by assessing the validity of theanimal as a lawful animal.
Subject: Purification 
