Elements of Shaafi Fiqh by Umar Abdul Jabbaar

It is to cleanse oneself performing Wudu-ablution, Ghusl-bath or Tayammum, an alternative of the former two.

It is to cleanse oneself after Istinjaa-answering to the natural calls, and remove impurity from one’s body, clothes and place (of prayer).

The following four can be used for cleansing.

1. Clean water

2. Clean soil

3. Clean stone

4. Currying (skin)

There are three types of water.

1. Water which is clean itself and can be used for cleansing

2. Water which is clean itself but cannot be used for cleansing

3. Water which is polluted

All types of rain and spring-water, which have not changed any of their qualities1 because of having been mixed with something that can pollute them. Like seawater, river-water, ice-water, snow-water and similar water.

Water, which has changed any or all of its qualities because of having been mixed with something that cannot pollute it, is of five types.

1. Water that has changed because of its being stagnant for a long period or due to its being birth place of fish and frogs.

2. Water which has changed because of the place where it is standing, the channel it flows through or having been mixed with clay or salt.

3. Water that has changed because of having been mixed with something impossible to avoid it, like the leaves of tree which fall on water through wind.

4. Water that has changed due to the colour of port which has been painted, tar for instance.

5. Water which has changed because of the impurity that is laying nearby. A stinking corpse for instance, laying next to water and water changes its quality due to getting mixed with odour through wind. Or water that has changed because of getting mixed with something which cannot be separated such as oil or fat.

There are three types of water which are clean themselves but they cannot be used for cleansing.

1. Water which has changed completely because of having been mixed with something pure which is not an integral part of water nor is it laying nearby, like sugar and honey.

2. Little quantity of water that has already been used for cleansing.

3. Water that has been extracted from any tree by rinsing, boiling or any similar method, such as rose and coconut-water.

Polluted water is of two types.

1. Water which has changed any of its qualities because of falling something impure into it, whether the impurity is in little or large quantity.

2. Water which is little in quantity will be polluted when something impure falls into it, even if water has not changed any of its qualities.

1. What is Tahaarah?

2. What does Tahaarah from Hadath mean?

3. What does Tahaarah from Khubth stand for?

4. How many types of objects can be used for cleansing?

5. What type of water is clean and can be used for cleansing?

6. What type of water is considered changed, but clean itself? 7. What type of water is clean but cannot be used for cleansing?

8. What type of water is regarded as polluted?