"It was said: 'O Messenger of Allah, you perform Wudu' from the well into which the bodies of dogs, menstrual rags and garbage are thrown?' He said: 'Water is pure and it is not made impure by anything.'"
Hadith Text & Reference
"It was said: 'O Messenger of Allah, you perform Wudu' from the well into which the bodies of dogs, menstrual rags and garbage are thrown?' He said: 'Water is pure and it is not made impure by anything.'"
Source: Sunan an-Nasa'i 326, The Book of Water
Textual Analysis
This hadith addresses a fundamental principle in Islamic purification law. The questioners express concern about water contaminated with najasat (impurities), specifically mentioning three categories: dog carcasses (heavy impurity), menstrual cloths (human impurity), and general filth.
The Prophet's response establishes the primordial purity of water as its inherent nature. The Arabic phrasing "al-ma'u tahurun" emphasizes water's essential purity as a created substance.
Legal Rulings Derived
Majority View (Shafi'i, Maliki, Hanbali): Large bodies of water (wells, ponds, lakes) remain pure unless their color, taste, or smell changes due to impurities. This well, despite containing impurities, remained valid for wudu' as no alteration occurred.
Hanafi View: Flowing water or large quantities (over approx. 250 gallons) cannot become impure unless all three qualities (color, taste, smell) change simultaneously.
Practical Application: Modern scholars extend this principle to municipal water systems, considering them analogous to large water bodies that remain pure despite potential minor contamination.
Scholarly Commentary
Imam an-Nawawi comments: "The Prophet's action demonstrates that mere presence of impurities in large water sources does not nullify its purity, provided the water's essential qualities remain unchanged."
Ibn al-Mundhir notes: "This hadith establishes the principle that water's original purity is presumed until definitive evidence of alteration appears."
Al-San'ani explains: "The well mentioned was likely deep with substantial volume, where impurities would not significantly affect the entire body of water."
Contemporary Relevance
This ruling provides practical ease for Muslims, preventing excessive scrupulosity about water purity. It balances hygiene concerns with practical accessibility to water sources.
Modern applications include: swimming pools, large water tanks, and natural water bodies where minor contamination may occur but doesn't fundamentally alter the water's nature.