The types of water, and which can be used for purification

Not all water can be used for wudu and ghusl. Water has different types, and each type has its own rule.

Types of water
Type	Examples	Can it be used for wudu and ghusl?
Ordinary (mutlaq) water	Rain, river, spring, well, melted snow, dew: plain water	Yes, and it also washes away impurity
Flowing water	A river or stream	Yes: a little bit of impurity falling in it does not stop this, unless it changes the taste, smell or colour
A big amount of still water	A large pond or tank, about 10 yards by 10 yards or bigger	Yes, treated the same as flowing water
A small amount of still water	A bucket, jug or small puddle	Yes, but it goes impure the moment even a drop of something impure falls in, even if you can't see, smell or taste any change
Restricted water	Rose water, watermelon juice, coconut water	No, but it can still be used to clean something that is impure
Used water	Water that has already dripped off you during wudu or ghusl	No, though it is not itself impure

Water is of two kinds: mutlaq (absolute) and muqayyad (restricted). Mutlaq water divides further into jari (flowing) and raqid (still); raqid divides further into kathir (large quantity) and qalil (small quantity).

The types of water
Type	Definition	Ruling
Mutlaq (absolute)	What is ordinarily called "water": rainwater, river, stream, canal, pond, spring, well water, melted snow, hail, and dew	Pure; valid for wudu and ghusl; also purifies impure things
- Jari (flowing)	Water that flows and can carry an object such as grass along with it	Does not become impure from a falling impurity unless its taste, smell or colour actually changes
- Raqid, kathir (large quantity)	Still water covering an area of 10 yards by 10 yards or more	Treated the same as flowing water: impure only once its properties change
- Raqid, qalil (small quantity)	Still water smaller than 10 by 10 yards	Becomes impure the moment even a drop of impurity (alcohol, urine, blood, a trace of faeces) falls in, even without any visible, detectable change
Muqayyad (restricted)	Water no longer called "water" on its own (rose water, kewra water, watermelon juice, coconut water)	Not valid for wudu or ghusl, though it can be used to purify something impure
Mustaʿmal (used)	Water already used to remove minor impurity, or in a washing done for reward, once it has dripped off the body with no visible impurity remaining on it	Pure in itself, but cannot be used for wudu or ghusl; drinking it or using it in food is discouraged

Sunnahthe Prophet’s way

Mutlaq water does not become impure or invalid for wudu and ghusl merely because it has stood in a container and changed colour, smell or taste on its own. It only stops being valid if its consistency changes so much that it no longer counts as "water" at all.

Note

For large-quantity water, only the depth matters: when both hands scoop water, the ground should not become visible and the water should not turn murky. If an imperceptible impurity such as alcohol or urine falls in, wudu and ghusl remain valid from any side of the water; if the impurity is visible, such as faeces or a dead animal, it is recommended to make wudu and ghusl at least four yards from the point of impurity. Where a pool has large-quantity water above and a lesser quantity below, wudu and ghusl stay valid as long as the water does not fall below the large-quantity threshold. If impure water enters a large pool and the water begins to flow, it becomes pure. Moving algae does not prevent wudu and ghusl from it; algae that does not move does. An unpleasant smell without visible impurity, or a mere suspicion that impurity has fallen in, does not affect validity.

Water divides into muṭlaq (absolute) and muqayyad (restricted). Muṭlaq subdivides into jārī (flowing) and rāqid (still); rāqid subdivides further into kathīr (large quantity) and qalīl (small quantity).

The classification of water
Type	Definition	Ruling
Muṭlaq	Whatever is ordinarily termed "water" without qualification: rainwater, river, stream, canal, pond, spring, well water, melted snow, hail, dew	Ṭāhir (pure) and muṭahhir (purifying); valid for wuḍūʾ and ghusl and for removing najāsah from other things
- Jārī	Water in flow, capable of carrying an object such as grass along with it	Unaffected by a falling impurity unless taste, smell or colour actually changes; reverts to pure once the change subsides
- Rāqid, kathīr	Still water covering an area of 10 yards by 10 yards or more, per the later scholars' benchmark	Ruled as jārī water: impure only once its properties change
- Rāqid, qalīl	Still water below the kathīr threshold	Rendered impure by even a single drop of impurity, whether or not any change is perceptible
Muqayyad	Water no longer called "water" without qualification (rose water, kewra water, watermelon juice, coconut water)	Not valid for wuḍūʾ or ghusl; may still be used to remove najāsah from an impure object
Mustaʿmal	Water already used to lift ḥadath aṣghar, or in a washing performed for reward, once dripped from the body with no visible najāsah on it	Ṭāhir but not muṭahhir: pure in itself, but wuḍūʾ or ghusl with it is not valid; drinking it or cooking with it is makrūh

Sunnahthe Prophet’s way

Muṭlaq water is not rendered impure, nor invalidated for wuḍūʾ and ghusl, by a change of colour, smell or taste arising from standing or from storage. It is disqualified only when its consistency changes to the point that the name "water" no longer applies to it.

Note

For kathīr water, depth alone is decisive: when both hands scoop the water, the ground beneath must not become visible nor the water become turbid. An imperceptible impurity such as alcohol or urine falling into it leaves wuḍūʾ and ghusl valid from any side of the body of water; a visible impurity, such as faeces or a carcass, makes it merely mustaḥabb to perform wuḍūʾ and ghusl at least four yards from the point of contamination. A pool or spring with kathīr water above and a lesser quantity below remains valid for use as long as the volume does not fall below the kathīr threshold; once it does, wuḍūʾ and ghusl from it are no longer valid. Impure water entering a pool is purified once the pool's water begins to flow. Algae that moves when the water is stirred does not bar wuḍūʾ and ghusl; algae that stays motionless does. An unpleasant odour without visible impurity, or a mere suspicion that impurity has entered, does not affect validity.

The types of water, and which can be used for purification

Terms on this page

Related