Pure and Mixed Water and the laws governing it

- Water is either pure or mixed. Mixed water (Ma 'ul mudhaf) means the water which is obtained from something like melon juice, or rose water, or that water in which something else is mixed, (for example, so much dust is mixed in it that it may no longer be called water).

- Any water other than mixed water is called pure water (Ma'ul mutlaq), and they are of five types:

(1) Kurr Water, (2) Under-Kurr Water, (QALEEL) (3) Running Water, (JAREE) (4) Rain water, (5) Water of a Well

Kurr water

- Water, which fills a container whose length, breadth and depth are three and half spans each, is equal to a Kurr. Based on this, the volume of water will be 42.875 cubic span, though 36 cubic span is enough. To determine KURR by weight is not free from Ishkal.

- If essential Najasat like urine, blood, or anything which has become najis, like a najis cloth, falls in Kurr Water and if the water acquires the smell, colour, or taste of that najasat, it becomes najis; but if it does not, then it is not najis.

- If the smell, colour, or taste of Kurr water changes owing to something else, which is not najis, it does not become najis.

- If an essential najasat like blood etc. reaches water which is more than a Kurr, and changes the smell, colour, or taste of a part of it, if the unchanged part is less than a Kurr, the entire water becomes najis. But if the unchanged part is one Kurr or more, then only that part which has changed will be najis.

- If water of a spring is connected to Kurr, the water of the spring will make najis water pure. But if it falls on the najis water drop by drop, it will not make it Pure, except when something is placed over the spring, so that before the drops are formed, it connects the najis water. Better still, if the water of the spring is totally merged with the najis water.

- If a najis object is washed under a tap which is connected with Kurr, and if water which flows from that object remains connected with Kurr, and does not contain the smell, colour, or taste of the najasat or essential najasat, that water will be Pure.

- If a part of Kurr water freezes to ice, leaving a quantity which is not equal to a Kurr, and then najasat reaches it, it will become najis, and water obtained from the melting ice also will be najis.

- If the quantity of water was equal to a Kurr and later on, if someone doubts whether it has reduced to less than a Kurr, it will be treated to be equal to a Kurr, i.e. it will make a najis object Pure, and will not become najis if najasat reaches it. And if water was less than a Kurr, and one suspects that it may have become equal to a Kurr, it will be treated as under-Kurr water.

- There are two ways of establishing that the quantity of water is equal to a Kurr:

(1) A person should be sure about it himself,

(2) Two men who are just, should say so.

Water that is less than Kurr

- Water that is less than Kurr means water which does not spring forth from the earth, and its quantity is less than a Kurr.

- If under-Kurr water is poured on something which is najis, or if a najis thing contacts it, it becomes najis. But, if such water is poured with force on a najis object, only that part which contacts it will be najis, and the water which has not reach ed the najis object, will be Pure.

- Under-Kurr water which is poured over a najis object to remove the essential najasat will be najis, as it flows after the contact. Similarly, the under-Kurr water which is poured over a najis thing to wash it after the essential najasat has been removed, will be najis, as an obligatory precaution.

- The water with which the outlets of urine and stool are washed, does not make anything najis, subject to the following five conditions:

- It does not have the smell, colour or taste of najasat.

- Extra najasat has not reached it from outside.

- Any other najasat like blood, has not come out with urine or stool.

- Particles of stool do not appear in the water.

- More than usual najasat has not spread around the outlet.

Running Water

- Running water is that water which springs forth from the earth and then flows, like the water of a spring or a canal. The flowing or running water, even if it is less than Kurr, does not become najis upon contact with any najasat, unless its smell, color, or taste changes due to that najasat.

- If najasat reaches the running water, only that part of the water will be najis whose smell, colour, or taste changes on account of it, and that end which is connected with the spring will be Pure even if it may be less than a Kurr. Similarly, the water on the other side of the canal will be Pure, if it is equal to a Kurr, or if it is connected with the water near the spring through unchanged water. If not, then it would be najis.

- A spring which does not run or flow, but replaces water every time water is drawn from it, will not be treated as running water. That means if najasat reaches it, and if it is less than Kurr, it will become najis.

- If water at the bank of a canal is stationary, but is connected with running water, it will not be considered as running water.

- If a spring is active in winter, but remains dormant in summer, it will be treated as running water only when it is active.

- If the water in a pool or tank of a public bath (Hammam) is less than a Kurr, but is connected with a store of water which when added to it becomes equal to a Kurr, it does not become najis by meeting najasat if its smell, colour, or taste does not change.

- If water from the pipes fitted in bathrooms and buildings, pouring through taps and showers, is connected to a tank holding water equal to a Kurr, it will be treated as Kurr water.

- Any water which flows but does not gush from a source, will become najis on contacting najasat, if it is less than Kurr. But if water flows with force and najasat touches it at the end part below, the upper end will not become najis.

Rain Water

- A najis thing becomes Pure if rain water falls on it once, provided that it does not contain an essential najasat, except in the cases of clothes and body which have become najis because of urine, for they become Pure after being washed twice, as per precaution. And in objects like carpets and dress, it is not necessary to wring or squeeze. By rain is meant a sufficient downpour, and not scanty shower or droplets.

- If rain water falls on Najisul Ayn and splashes elsewhere, and if the essential najasat is not found in the water, nor does it acquire the smell, colour, or taste of the najasat, then that water is Pure. So, if it rains on blood and then splashes, and particles of blood are seen in the water, or it acquires the smell, colour, or taste of blood, it is najis.

- If there is Najisul Ayn on the roof of a building, and water flows down from the roof after contacting the najis object, it will be deemed Pure as long as the rain continues. But if it continues to flow down the same way after contacting the najis object, after the rain has stopped, the water coming will be najis.

- The najis earth or ground on which rain falls upon becomes Pure, and if it begins flowing on the ground, and while it is still raining it reaches a najis place under the roof, it makes that place Pure as well.

- If rain water falls on najis dust or sand, soaking it thoroughly, it becomes Pure.

- If rain water collects at a place, even if its quantity is less than a Kurr, and a najis thing is washed in it while it is raining, it becomes Pure provided that, it does not assume the smell, colour, or taste of that najasat.

- If it rains on a pure carpet which is spread over a najis ground, and if the water seeps onto the najis ground while rain continues, the carpet does not become najis. In fact, the ground also will become Pure.

Well Water

- The water of a well which springs forth from the earth, (although its quantity may be less than a Kurr) does not become najis owing to something najis falling in it, unless its colour, smell, or taste changes. However, it is recommended that, in the event of certain najasat falling in it, a quantity of water should be drawn from the well. Details about this quantity are given in the relevant books.

- If a najasat falls into well water and changes its smell, colour, or taste, it will become Pure as soon as the change in its smell etc. vanishes. But it is better to wait till it is mixed with the fresh water springing from the earth.

- If rain water is collected in a hole, and its quantity is less than a Kurr, it will become najis if najasat reaches it after the rain has stopped.

Rules Regarding Waters

- Mixed water, whose meaning has been explained in the beginning of this Article, does not make any najis thing Pure, and its use is not allowed for Ghusl or Wudhu.

- Mixed water, however large its quantity may be, becomes najis when even a small particle of najasat falls into it. But, if it falls on a najis thing from above, with some force, the part which touches the najasat will become najis, and the part which does not touch it, will remain Pure. For example, if rose water is sprinkled on a najis hand from a sprinkler, the part which reaches the hand will be najis and the part which does not reach the hand, will remain Pure.

- When najis mixed water is mixed with Kurr or running water, in a manner that it can no longer be called mixed water, it becomes Pure.

- Water which was originally pure and it is not known whether it has turned into mixed water, will be treated as pure, i.e. it will make najis thing Pure and it will also be in order to perform Wudhu and Ghusl with it. But if it was originally mixed water, and it is not known whether it has turned into pure water, it will be treated as mixed water, i.e. it will not make najis objects Pure, and it cannot be used for Wudhu or Ghusl.

- Water about which it is not known whether it is pure or mixed, and it is also not known whether originally it was pure or mixed, will not make najis things Pure, and it is also not permissible to perform Wudhu or Ghusl with it. Also, it becomes najis when a najasat reaches it, even if it is equal to a Kurr or more.

- When an essential najasat like blood and urine reaches water, and changes its smell, colour, or taste, it becomes najis even if it is Kurr or running water. Similarly, if the smell, colour, or taste of the water changes owing to a najasat which is outside it -for example, if a carcass, which is lying by the side of the water, causes a change in smell, the water will be deemed najis, as an obligatory precaution.

- If water which has become najis due to Najisul Ayn like blood or urine, which changed its smell, colour, or taste, joins Kurr-water or running water, or if rain water falls on it, or is blown over it by the winds, or rain water falls on it through the drain pipe while it is raining, the water will become Pure if the change vanishes. However, rain water, or Kurr water, or running water should get mixed with it.

- If a najis object is made Pure in Kurr or running water, the water which falls from the object after it has become Pure, is Pure.

- Water, which was originally Pure, and it is not known whether it has become najis, will be deemed Pure; and water, which was originally najis, and it is not known whether it has become Pure, is najis.

- The leftover of a dog, a pig and a kafir, other than the people of the Book, is najis, and as a recommended precaution, the leftover of the people of the Book is also najis, and it is haraam to consume it. However, the leftover of the animals, whose meat is haraam, is Pure, and with the exception of cat, it is Makrooh to eat or drink the leftover of a such animals.