Book of Purification

In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Compassionate. Book of Purification. Allah Most High says: “O you who believe, when you rise for prayer, wash your faces and your hands up to the elbows, wipe your heads, and [wash] your feet up to the ankles.”

The obligatory elements of purification are washing the three limbs and wiping the head. The elbows and ankles are included in the washing. The obligatory amount in wiping the head is the area of the forelock, based on the report of al-Mughīrah ibn Shuʿbah that the Prophet ﷺ performed wuḍūʾ and wiped over his forelock and his khuffs.

The sunnahs of purification include washing the hands before putting them into the vessel after waking from sleep, mentioning Allah at the beginning of wuḍūʾ, using the siwāk, rinsing the mouth, drawing water into the nose, wiping the ears, passing the fingers through the beard and between the fingers, and repeating the washing up to three times.

It is recommended for the person performing wuḍūʾ to intend purification, wipe the whole head, observe the order of wuḍūʾ by beginning with what Allah mentioned first, and begin with the right side.

The matters that invalidate wuḍūʾ are: everything that exits from the two passages; blood, pus, and ichor when they leave the body and pass beyond the place to which purification applies; a mouthful of vomit; sleeping while lying, reclining, or leaning in such a way that one would fall if the support were removed; fainting; insanity; and loud laughter in a prayer containing bowing and prostration.

The obligations of ghusl are rinsing the mouth, drawing water into the nose, and washing the entire body. Its sunnah method is to begin with the hands and private parts, remove any impurity, perform wuḍūʾ except for the feet, pour water over the head and body three times, then move away and wash the feet. A woman need not undo her braids if water reaches the roots of the hair.

The matters that make ghusl obligatory are discharge of semen with force and desire from a man or woman, meeting of the two circumcised parts even without discharge, menstruation, and post-natal bleeding. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ established ghusl for Friday, the two Eids, and iḥrām.

Madhy and wady do not require ghusl; they require wuḍūʾ. Purification from ritual impurity is valid with rainwater, valley water, springs, wells, and sea water. It is not valid with liquids extracted from trees and fruits, nor with water dominated by another substance so that it leaves the natural character of water, such as beverages, vinegar, rose water, broad-bean water, broth, and zardaj water.

Purification is valid with water mixed with a pure substance that changes one of its qualities, such as water mixed with al-madd, cleansing substances, soap, or saffron.

If impurity falls into water, wuḍūʾ with it is not valid, whether the water is little or much. The text cites the Prophetic instruction not to urinate in standing water or wash in it from janābah, and not to place the hand into a vessel after sleep until it has been washed three times.

As for running water, if impurity falls into it, wuḍūʾ from it is valid when no trace of the impurity is seen, because impurity does not remain settled with the flow. Likewise, in a large pond whose one side is not moved by movement of the other, if impurity falls into one side, wuḍūʾ may be made from the other side because apparently the impurity has not reached it.

The death in water of a creature without flowing blood, such as a bug, fly, wasp, or scorpion, does not make it impure. The death of an animal that lives in water, such as fish, frog, or crab, does not spoil it.

Used water may not be used for purification from ritual impurity. Used water is every water by which a state of ritual impurity has been removed or which has been used on the body as an act of devotion.

Every hide that has been tanned is purified and prayer in it and using it for water for wuḍūʾ are valid, except the skin of a pig and a human. The hair, bone, sinew, hoof, and horn of carrion are pure.

If impurity falls into a well, water is drawn out, and drawing out its water is its purification. If a mouse, sparrow, small bird, sawdāniyyah, or gecko dies in it, between twenty and thirty buckets are drawn according to the animal’s size.

If a pigeon, chicken, or cat dies in the well, between forty and sixty buckets are drawn. If a dog, sheep, or human dies in it, all the water is drawn. If the animal swells or decomposes, all the water is drawn whether the animal is small or large.

The number of buckets is assessed by the medium bucket customarily used for wells in the towns. If a large bucket is used, it is counted according to how many medium buckets it holds. If the well is spring-fed and its water cannot be exhausted, an amount equal to the water present is removed. It is also narrated from Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥasan that two hundred to three hundred buckets are drawn.

If a dead animal is found in a well or elsewhere and it is not known when it fell, and it has neither swollen nor decomposed, those who performed wuḍūʾ from it repeat the prayers of one day and night and wash everything touched by its water. If it had swollen or decomposed, they repeat three days and nights according to Abū Ḥanīfah. Abū Yūsuf and Muḥammad say that nothing is repeated until the time when it fell is known with certainty.

The leftover water of a human and an animal whose meat is eaten is pure. The leftover water of a dog, pig, and predatory beasts is impure. The leftover water of a cat, a free-roaming chicken, birds of prey, and house-dwelling animals such as snakes and mice is disliked. The leftover water of a donkey and mule is doubtful; if nothing else is available, one performs wuḍūʾ with it and also performs tayammum, and either may be done first.