Shariah rulings about water

Water is one of the essentialities of life.  Life without water can’t be imagined.  Let’s see some rulings of the Shariah about water.

 

What to do if water falls into the container of water while bathing?

 

If a person who is in a state of ritual impurity has removed the Actual Filth (Najasat Haqiqi) from his/her body, then those drops of water which touch his/her body are called Used Water (Maa Musta’amal).  The ruling about such water is that it itself is pure but cannot purify anything.   For this reason, a bath with only Used Water is not correct.  If Used Water is mixed with Pure Water (Maa Khalis), then bathing and Wudhu with such water is permissible; provided Used Water is not more than Pure Water.

 

Obviously, the drops of water which fall into the to-be-used water are less than Pure Water.  For this reason, if drops of Used Water fall into the vessel of Pure Water, bathing or Wudhu with that water is permissible, as those drops of water that not Dirty (Najas).  If the person has Actual Dirtiness on his/her body that has not been removed yet, and while bathing, those drops of water mix with Pure Water, then bathing or Wudhu with such water is impermissible.  As given in Durre Mukhtar Vol. I The Book of Taharah , Pg. No.  134.

 

Translation:  As long as Pure Water is more than half of the water, then purification with that water is permissible.  Otherwise it is impermissible.

 

What to do if a child puts his/hand in a vessel of water?

 

If a child puts his hand in water, then it will be seen whether there was any filth on the hand or not.  If it is certain that the hand was clean, then performing Wudhu with it is permissible in light of the Shariah.  If it is not known with any certainty whether the hand was clean or not, then it is Commendable (Mustahab), that Wudhu should be performed with some other water.  Still, if Wudhu is performed with the same water in which the child had put his hand, it will be valid.  As given Fatawa A’alamgiri, Kitab Ut Taharah.

 

Can we sell water?

 

Air and water is the basic necessity of every living creature.  As Allah Most High says in Surah Nisa:

 

But whoever will do that through transgression and injustice, We shall soon throw him into the Fire (of Hell) and that is very easy for Allah.  Surah Nisa (4:92)

 

A human being can remain alive without food for a couple of days, but cannot stay alive without water.  For this reason, the Shariah has kept the water of lakes, rivers, streams, wells, etc. permissible for everybody.  Nobody has the right to stop it and this cannot be the property of any one person.  However, when water from these sources is transferred into containers of any kind, then it is considered the property of a single human.  That person has the right to give it free or to sell it.  As per the Shariah, it buying and selling is allowed.  If the water is not collected in any form like containers, etc. and is in say a well, then stopping people from using it is not allowed.  As given in Jame’ Tirmidhi:

 

Translation:  It has been narrated on the authority of Hadhrat Abu Hurairah (May Allah be well pleased with him) that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said: Surplus water should not be stopped.  As given in Durre Mukhtaar, Vol. 4, Pg No. 123.

 

Also, in mineral water plants, water is treated with chemicals etc. to make it purer and as such water plant business is permissible and allowed.

 

What if a dog puts its muzzle in a 1000 tank of water?

 

A dog’s saliva is unclean.  If the dog touches a vessel with its muzzle, then the water of the vessel is rendered unclean and if this unclean water gets to be mixed with clean water, which is neither running water nor in a 10 x 10 enclosure, then even the pure water is made impure.

 

When the dog had put its muzzle in a bucket of water and the unclean water of that bucket had been mixed with the pure water of a water tank, then the pure water is also made impure and unclean.  It cannot be used for washing clothes, Wudhu, bath, etc.  There is no way to purify this water.  In this situation, the water tank should be cleaned, washed 3 times with pure water and emptied each time.  After washing it 3 times, the water tank will become clean.  Now water can be stored in it and used for all purposes.  The bucket also has to be cleaned in the same way.  As given in Al Hidayah, Kitab Ut Taharah.

 

 

 

What to do if rat falls in well?

 

If the well is less than 10 X 10, and a dead rat falls into it or falls into it and dies then the whole well will become dirty.  After removing the rat, 20 to 30 pails of water should be emptied from the well.

 

On the other hand, if the tail of the rat is cut completely, then for the well to become unclean, the death of the rat is not necessary.  Only if such a rat falls into the well, the well will become unclean.  This is because some kind of unclean matter coming from the wound (blood, pus, etc.) is inevitable.  In this situation, to clean the well, the whole well has to be emptied.  If water keeps coming in, then removing 200 to 300 pails of water is enough.

 

As Allama Akmaluddin Mahmood Bin Muhammad writes in Al Ghinaya Sharhil Hidayah.

 

What if a single drop of blood falls in a pot of water?

 

The water of the pot is Ma'a Qaleel (Lit. less water).  If a drop of blood or any other such impurity falls into it, then the water is rendered unclean.  Now the question as to whether it can be used for anything or not?

 

The Jurists (Fuqaha) have described in detail the guidelines regarding this.  If because of the impurity that has fallen in it, the color, taste and odor have changed, then it cannot be used for anything else and if these 3 attributes of water have not changed, then still it is unclean and cannot be used for bathing, Wudhu or for purifying any unclean thing, but it can be used for animals, for plastering of walls, etc., but it cannot be used for plastering of walls of a mosque.  As given in Fatawa A’alamgiri, Kitab Ut Taharah.