What makes a well impure, and how to purify it

Rulings of Water

1. Water that falls from the sky, from springs, rivers, ponds, lakes, or wells is considered pure. (Both Wudu and Ghusl can be performed with this water.)
2. Flowing water, or water in a pond, spring, etc., which is 10 yards by 10 yards, does not become impure due to the fall of impurity or the death of an animal unless the taste, smell, or color of the water changes due to the impurity. If any of these change, the water becomes impure.
3. Stagnant water that is smaller than 10 yards by 10 yards (e.g., a small spring or well) becomes impure even if a small amount of impurity, such as alcohol, urine, blood, or a single drop of impure water, falls into it. The water becomes impure, even if its taste, smell, or color does not change.
4. If a clean item, like dirt, tree leaves, or flowers, falls into water, causing a change in the water’s three qualities (taste, smell, color), or if the water becomes foul-smelling due to being stagnant for a long time, the water is still considered pure. (This applies whether the water is stagnant or from a spring or well). However, if the water becomes thicker or more viscous, it is still pure but cannot be used for Wudu or Ghusl.
5. If one drop of alcohol, urine, blood, or impure water falls into a well, or a small amount of feces, manure, or urine, or if an impure rope, bucket, or utensil falls in, or if a dead animal (which does not live in water) falls in and decays or bursts, or if a person, child, goat, or any animal falls in and dies (whether it decomposes or not), or if an unclean animal (whether dead or alive) falls in, the entire water of the well becomes impure.
6. If a small animal like a cat or pigeon (or any animal of similar or smaller size but larger than a goat) falls into the well and dies, or if it is already dead but not decomposed, the well will become pure again by removing 40 to 60 buckets of water. If a mouse or a similarly small animal (or two mice) dies, removing 20 to 30 buckets of water will purify the well.
7. To purify the well, first remove the item that caused the contamination, then remove the required amount of water as mentioned (the specified number of buckets).
8. If all the water in the well becomes impure, it is necessary to remove all the water. If this is not possible, removing 200 to 300 buckets of water will purify the well.
9. If any animal, other than an impure animal, falls into the well and then emerges alive, the well will not become impure. This is provided the animal's body is not contaminated and its mouth did not touch the water. If its body is impure, the water will become impure. If its mouth touches the water, then the status of its saliva (pure or impure) will determine the water's purity. If the saliva is pure, the water is pure; if the saliva is impure or questionable, the water will be impure or questionable.

Rulings Of Water Note

Even if well water is small in quantity, it becomes pure again after impurity is removed, so it follows different rules.

Rulings of Wells 35. General Rule

1. The water in a well is considered pure as long as nothing falls into it that would make it impure.
2. Items that cause well water to become impure are of two types: some that make the entire water impure and others that do not affect the purity.

Rulings of Wells 36. Items That Make All Well Water Impure

1. Any impurity, whether small or large, light or heavy (like a drop of alcohol, urine, blood, a small amount of feces, or any other impure substance).
2. Large animals (such as a goat or a human) falling into the well and dying, even if their bodies are intact and not swollen or decomposed.
3. Animals with flowing blood (like birds or mice) or medium-sized animals like chickens that fall into the well and either become swollen and decomposed, or are already in that state when they fall.
4. A deceased non-Muslim falling into the well, whether before or after washing.
5. A deceased Muslim falling into the well before receiving a ritual bath.
6. A pig falling into the well, even if it doesn’t die.
7. Any animal whose saliva is impure or doubtful (like a dog), if it falls in with its mouth submerged.
8. Water from an impure well entering a pure well (for example, if a bucket from an impure well is lowered into a pure well, and even a drop of impure water falls in, it makes the entire pure well impure).

Rulings of Wells 37. Items That Do Not Make All Well Water Impure and Their Rule

1. If a mouse or bird (or any animal of similar or slightly larger size but smaller than a cat) falls into the well and dies without swelling or decomposing, the entire well does not become impure. In this case, it’s enough to remove 20 to 30 buckets of water to purify the well (20 buckets being obligatory and 30 being preferable).
2. If a cat or pigeon (or an animal of similar or slightly larger size but smaller than a goat) falls into the well and dies without swelling or decomposing, the whole well does not become impure. Here, 40 to 60 buckets should be removed (40 being obligatory and 60 preferable).
3. If water from such a well falls into a pure well, the same amount of water must be removed from the pure well as is required for the affected well in point (1 or 2) above.

Rulings of Wells Note

These rules apply only to wells and do not extend to other small bodies of water. So, if water in a container becomes impure, it must be discarded entirely without any purification by partial removal.

Rulings of Wells 38. Method of Purifying a Well

1. First, remove the object that caused the well to become impure. Until this object is removed, the well cannot be purified, regardless of how much water is drawn out. However, if the object is something that cannot be removed (like a piece of impure wood or cloth), then simply drawing out the specified amount of water will purify the well.
2. In cases where the entire well water has become impure, the way to purify the well is to completely empty it until it cannot even half-fill a bucket. After this, the well will be considered pure.
3. For wells that cannot be completely emptied, it’s recommended to draw out 200 to 300 buckets (200 being obligatory and 300 preferable).
4. In cases where the entire water does not become impure, drawing out 20 to 40 or 40 to 60 buckets will purify the well.
5. If the amount of water in the well is less than the obligatory quantity to be drawn out (for example, if 40 buckets are required, but there is only enough for 20), then drawing out all available water will suffice for purification.
6. If an impure well becomes completely dry, it will also become pure, as long as no signs of impurity remain.

Rulings of Wells 39. Bucket Size

1. For each well, the standard bucket is the one commonly used to draw its water.
2. If there is no specific bucket, then a bucket that holds approximately one "sa’" (a specific traditional measure) is acceptable.
3. The bucket does not need to be completely full to count; if more than half is filled, it is considered a full bucket.
4. If an object is large enough to hold the equivalent of a bucket of water, drawing it out once is sufficient.

Rulings of Wells 40. Duration of Well Impurity

If a well becomes impure due to a falling impure object or animal, its impurity is counted from the time it fell. If the exact time of the fall is unknown and the animal has not swelled or decomposed, then impurity is assumed from one day and night prior. If the animal is swollen, impurity is assumed from three days and nights prior. Any prayers performed with ablution or bathing from this water during these times should be repeated. Additionally, any items that were washed with this water should be rewashed.

Rulings of Wells 41. Things That Do Not Make a Well Impure

1. Aquatic animals (like fish, frogs, or aquatic insects) or animals that do not have flowing blood (like flies, mosquitoes, and scorpions) do not make the well impure if they fall in, whether alive or dead. The well remains pure even if they swell or decompose.
2. Small droppings of animals like camels or goats, or bird droppings (except for chickens and ducks) like those of crows, hawks, and bats, do not make the well impure.
3. The well remains pure if the dry bones, nails, or hair of any animal (other than a pig) fall into it, even if these are from a dead animal, provided there is no meat or fat attached to the bones.
4. If there is a dirty water puddle or drain near the well, the well remains pure as long as this dirty water does not visibly affect the well’s water.
5. A small part of a human body, like a piece of skin smaller than a fingernail, does not make the well impure if it falls in.
6. A Muslim’s body after it has been bathed for burial, or a baby who was born alive but then passed away after crying, does not make the well impure if they accidentally fall in after having been washed.
7. If a person falls into the well but comes out alive, or if someone dives in to retrieve a bucket, the well does not become impure, provided there is no visible impurity on their body or clothes.
8. If any animal other than a pig falls into the well and then comes out alive, the well remains pure, provided there is no impurity on the animal’s body and its mouth did not touch the water. If its mouth did touch the water, then the purity of the well water depends on whether the animal’s saliva is considered pure or impure: if pure, the water remains pure; if impure or doubtful, the water takes on the same ruling.