‘Umdat Aṭ-Ṭālib by Al-Buhūtī

The Acts of Worship

Taught by: Dr. Ahmad Abdel-Wahab
The Book of Purification
[The Rules of Water]
 When we say the water is ṭahūr but disliked, what is it disliked for? The principles
of the Madhhab indicate that the answer to this is based on the reasoning for the
water being disliked.
 1) That which is extremely hot or cold would be disliked to use for wuḍū’ or ghusl
only, because the reason such water is disliked is because it prevents one from
performing wuḍū’ and ghusl properly. It would not be disliked to use it for removing
an impurity on one’s garment for example. A person might decide to pour boiling
water on a shirt he’s not wearing to cleanse it from urine for example, or to wash his
shirt in ice cold water.
 2) Water that has been heated by something impure would be disliked to use in all
cases (removing ḥadath, cleaning physical impurities, drinking, food, etc.), either
because igniting a fire from something impure is disliked, and anything resulting
from that is disliked, or because the cause of it being disliked is that there’s a chance
the smoke of the impurity came into the water. So, it was left to be on the safe side.
 3) Water that has changed due to insoluble pure materials changing it, like
camphor pieces or sea salt, is disliked because the scholars differed whether this
affects the water’s purifying ability (i.e. is it still ṭahūr or only ṭāhir and not ṭahūr ).
Here, it would be disliked to use it for removing ḥadath (wuḍū’ and ghusl) and for
cleaning physical impurities, since the Ḥanābilah require physical impurities to be
removed by ṭahūr water. And Allah knows best.
Types of Water in Terms of Size
 1) A small amount of water (anything less than 2 qullas)
 2) A large amount of water (anything two qullas, or more)

 A qullah is a unit of volume. It was a large container used in Arabia, and its size was
well known. (the Qullah from Hajar).
 The Prophet (×) said, “When water reaches two qullas, it does not carry
impurities.” [Sunan, authenticated by Ibn Khuzaimah]
 There’s a lot of difference of opinion amongst scholars regarding the volume of two
qullas in modern liters: 191 L, 228 L, 234 L, 284 L, 292 L, 307 L. The matter
needs more research.)
 Some of the Ḥanābila said: 2 qullas is about 93.75 ṣā‘s
 An average bathtub, if filled to the top, is 380 liters. So if it’s 80% filled, that would
be about 2 qullas (according to the estimate of Ibn ‘Aqīl that 2 qullas = 307 liters). It
would be more than 2 qullas according to the other opinions.
 ٍ ‫ لطهارٍة‬،‫وإن خلت مكلَّفة بيسري‬
:‫كاملة عن حدث‬ ُ
‫حدث رجل‬ َ ‫مل يرفع‬
 If a woman of legal capacity secludes herself for a complete purification from ritual
impurity with a small amount of water, it will not remove the ritual impurity of a man.
 A woman (not a man)
 Of legal capacity (mukallafah: a sane adult, not a young girl or an insane woman)
 Secludes herself (i.e. no one 7 years or older is present with her)
 For a complete purification (not a partial/ incomplete ṭahārah)
 Purification from ḥadath (not a recommended purification, or a purification from a
physical impurity)
 With a small amount of water (not a large amount, and not dirt for tayammum)
 It will not remove the ritual impurity, (as opposed to a physical impurity)
 Of an adult man (as opposed to a child, or a female)
 This is ṭahūr water (as it removes, but it only prevents the removal of a man’s
ḥadath
 Note: This is from the mufradāt (a unique opinion of the Ḥanbalīs)
Proof
‫ رواه‬.‫هور المرأ ِة‬ ‫ضأ َ ه‬
ِ ‫الرج ُل بفض ِل َط‬ ِ ‫ نَهى رسو ُل ه‬:‫ عن الحكم بن عمرو الغفاري‬
‫اَّلل ﷺ أن يتو ه‬
‫ واحتج به أحمد‬،‫ وصححه ابن حبان‬،‫ وحسنه الترمذي‬،‫ َوضوء المرأة‬:‫ مج‬،‫ وعند نس‬،‫الخمسة‬
 "The Prophet prohibited using the leftover (water) of a woman's purification.“ [Reported
by the five, graded ḥasan by Tir and saḥīh by Ibn Ḥibbān, and Aḥmad used it is proof]
‫ عبد الرزاق عن معمر عن عاصم بن سليمان سمعت عبد هللا بن سرجس قال ال بأس أن يغتسل‬
‫الرجل والمراة من إناء واحد فإذا خلت به فال تقربه‬
.‫ فال تقربنه‬،‫ فأما إذا خلت به‬،‫ توضأ أنت ها هنا وهي ها هنا‬:‫ وقال عبد هللا بن سرجس‬
 Imām Aḥmad said that several of the Companions held this view. From
them is ‘Abdullāh b. ‘Amr and ‘Abdullāh b. Sarjis.
 ‘Abdullāh b. Sarjis said: “You make wuḍū’ here and let her make it there
(from one container). If she is alone with it, then do not come near it (i.e. for
purification).”
 The reasoning is ta‘abuddi (i.e. it is a ritual and we cannot comprehend its
reasoning or wisdom).
 An Overview of the Categories of
Ṭahūr Water
 1) That which is not disliked (default)
 2) That which is disliked (freezing cold/hot, changes due to salt
that comes from water or an insoluble pure substance, and
heating water with something impure)
 3) A small amount of water that a woman secludes herself with.
 4) Prohibited water (not mentioned by the author):
 Stolen water or water taken forcefully
 It is not valid to use for wuḍū’ or ghusl
 It will remove physical impurities (e.g. urine from clothes), but one
would be sinful for using it.
 This is from the mufradāt (a unique opinion of the Ḥanbalīs)
 The Ḥanbalīs have a rule that if the prohibition is related to a pillar
or a condition of an act of worship, that would lead to the invalidity
of that act of worship.
Ṭāhir Water 1/4
،‫ طاهر‬:‫ الثاين‬
ٍ
‫ غ َري ما مر‬،‫بطاهر‬ ‫ ما تغري كثري من لونه أو طعمه أو رحيه‬:‫) وهو‬1 
 “The second (type of water) is ṭāhir.
 1) It is that which has greatly changed in color, taste, or smell
with something pure, besides what has preceded.”
 E.g. lemons, tea, coffee, meat, etc.
 Exceptions that were previously mentioned:
 1) Salt that comes from water (and dirt)
 2) Pure materials which are insoluble in water
 Note: If one was to intentionally place tree leaves or algae and
similar things that naturally change the water into the water, it
would be treated like a foreign element, such as lemons, coffee,
etc.
Three Levels of Change
 1) A slight change (this does not affect the water’s
purifying status)
 2) A major change that doesn’t change the water’s
name (e.g. lemony water, saffron water, etc. It’s still
water but mixed)  A difference of opinion in the
Madhhab. The relied upon opinion is that it is ṭāhir
and not ṭahūr.
 3) A major change that causes the water to no longer
be called water. Rather it is called something else.
(Chicken broth, coffee, orange juice, etc.) This is ṭāhir
but it is not water. It’s ṭāhir coffee, etc.
What’s the ruling?
Ṭāhir Water 2/4
‫) أو رفع بقليله حدث‬2 
 2) a small amount (of
water) which has removed
a ritual impurity.
 Water less than 2 qullas,
which gathers from the
first wash from an
obligatory purification (an
obligatory wuḍū’, ghusl, or
washing a deceased
Muslim)
 Which was used to remove
the ḥadath of someone of
legal capacity (a sane,
adult) or a child (7+ years)
Proof
‫ُ ي‬
‫ول َا هَّلل × { ََل َي ْغ َت يس ُل َأ َح ُد ُك ْم يِف َا ْل ََم يء‬ ‫ َق َال َر ُس‬:‫ َق َال‬- ‫ رىض اهلل عنه‬- ‫َع ْن َأ يِب ُه َر ْي َر َة‬
‫ُب } َأ ْخ َر َج ُه ُم ْسلي ٌم‬ ٌ ُ َ َ ‫َا ه‬
‫ن‬ ‫ج‬ ‫و‬‫ه‬ُ ‫و‬ ‫ي‬
‫م‬ ‫لد ي‬
‫ائ‬
 The Prophet × said, “None of you should take a bath
in stagnant water when he is sexually impure.”
[Muslim]
 This is a prohibition, and prohibition necessitates the
invalidity of what has been forbidden. What is invalid
here? The Ḥanābilah said: The water cannot be used for
purification. One cannot use such water for ghusl, wuḍū’
and the removal of najāsah.
Different Types of Usages
 Water used for an obligatory ritual purification (the
first wash in an obligatory wuḍu’ or ghusl, or washing
the deceased): makes water ṭāhir and not ṭaḥur.
 Water used for a recommended ritual purification
(showering for the Friday prayer, the second and third
wash in wuḍu’, renewing wuḍu’): ṭaḥur, but Al-Ḥajjāwī
says in Al-Iqnā‘ and Az-zād: It is disliked.
 Water used for a disliked form of purification. (the
fourth wash in wuḍu’): has not effect.
 Water used for normal reasons (cooling down,
washing off sweat): has no effect.
Ṭāhir Water 3/4
 3) A (small amount of water) in
‫كل ي‬
‫يد مسل ٍم‬ ُّ ‫) أو غمس فيه‬3 
which a Muslim's hand, of legal
capacity, who has woken up from a
night's sleep has fully submerged.
‫مكلف قائم من نوم ليل‬
 Qualifications to apply the ruling:
 1) It’s a small amount of water
 2) A Muslim,
 3) hand (fingers to wrist)
 4) mukallaf (sane, adult)
 5) woke up from sleep
 6) woke up from night sleep
 7) sleep which breaks one’s wudu
(anything except light sleep while
standing or sitting),
 8) fully submerges hand.
 9) before washing it three times, (w/
intention and saying bismillāh)
 Proof
‫ْل َن ي‬
‫اء َح هتى َي ْغ يس َل َها َثَلَ ًثا َف يإ هن ُه ََل‬ ‫ قال × إي َذا اي ْس َتيْ َق َظ َأ َح ُد ُك ْم يم ْن َن ْو يم يه َفَلَ َي ْغ يم ُس َي َد ُه يِف َا ْ ي‬
ٍ ‫ َو َه َذا َل ْف ُظ ُم ْس يلم‬.‫ت َي َد ُه } ُم هت َف ٌق َع َليْ يه‬ ْ ‫َي ْد يري َأ ْي َن َبا َت‬
 “When one of you wakes up from his sleep, let him not
place his hand in the container until he washes it
three times, for he does not know where his hand was
(while he was asleep)”. [Bukhari and Muslim]
 This is a prohibition, and a prohibition necessitates the
invalidity of what has been forbidden. What is invalid here?
The Ḥanābilah said: The water cannot be used for purification.
 The hadeeth is directed to the Muslim who normally prays,
who woke up from sleep, and who slept a deep sleep and thus
cannot tell where his hand spent the night.
Ṭāhir Water 4/4
 4) or what served in the ‫) أو كان آخر غسلة زالت به‬4 
last washing to remove an
impurity and has separated
.‫النجاسة وانفصل غري متغري‬
unchanged.
 The 7th wash or more until
the garment is cleaned.
 The water comes out clean
and unchanged.
 Why? Because it was the
wash that purified the
filthy shirt (just like the
water that removed
ḥadath)
 The wash after that would
be ṭahūr.
Najis (impure) water
 The third (type of ‫ نجس‬:‫ الثالث‬
water): is najis. ‫ ما تغري بنجس‬:‫) وهو‬1 
 1) It is what has .‫ َل بمحل تطهري‬،‫) ويسري َلقى نجاسة‬2 
changed due to an
impurity
 2) and a small amount
(of water) which has
contacted an impurity,
but not the area being
purified.
Small vs. Large Amounts of Water
Proof
:‫ ÷ َق َال‬- ‫اْلُ ْد ير ِّي‬ ْ ‫يد‬ ٍ ‫ َعن َأ يِب س يع‬
 Abū Sa‘īd Al-Khudrī َ ْ
ْ ‫ي‬ ‫ُ َ ي‬
reported that the Prophet ‫ور‬ ‫ه‬ َ
‫ط‬
ٌ ُ َ َ ‫ء‬ ‫َم‬ ‫ل‬ َ
‫ا‬ ‫ن‬‫ه‬ ‫إ‬ > × ‫َق َال َر ُسول ا هَّلل‬
× “Indeed, water is :‫ نس‬،‫ تر‬،‫َش ٌء < َأ ْخ َر َج ُه أد‬ ْ َ ‫ََل ُين َِّج ُس ُه‬
purifying, and nothing ‫َو َص هح َح ُه َأ ْْح َُد‬
can make it impure.”
[AD, Tir., Nas. Ahmad: ‫ قال رسول‬:‫ عن ابن عمر ^ قال‬
Saḥīḥ ‫ْي ََلْ حيمل‬‫ >إي َذا َب َل َغ ا ْلَم ُء ُق هل َت ْ ي‬:× ‫اهلل‬
َ
 Ibn ‘Umar repored that ،‫ رواه أبو داود وغريه‬.< ‫اْلبث‬ ٌ
the Prophet × "If the .‫وصححه ابن خزيمة‬
water reaches two
qullas, it does not
carry an impurity."
“But not at the area being purified”
Ṭahūr water is the only liquid that
can be used for ṭahārah
 Wuḍū’ and ghusl can only be performed using ṭahūr water.
 Removing physical impurities (najāsah) can only be done
with ṭahūr water.
 #1- One cannot use liquids other than water (chemicals, vinegar,
etc.)
 #2- One cannot use impure (najis) water.
 #3- One cannot use ṭāhir (pure) water that lost its purifying
properties, even for removing a najāsah.
 E.g. If someone cleans his filthy shirt with lemony water, or with
water he used for an obligatory wuḍū’ or ghusl, even if the shirt
becomes technically clean, he cannot pray in that shirt, because
it takes the ruling of a shirt that has an impurity on it.
How to Clean Impure Water
 It is purified by: :‫ ويطهر‬
 1) adding a large amount ،‫) بإضافة كثري‬1 
(of ṭahūr water to it) ،‫ري بزوال تغريه بنفسه‬
ُ ‫) والكث‬2 
A large amount (of impure
water is purified) by: ٍ
.‫وبنزح بقي بعده كثري‬ )3 
 2) the natural
disappearance (of the
impurity).
 3) draining out (the
impurity), while leaving
a large amount (of
unchanged water).
How do we clean water?
 If it’s a small amount of impure water, we only have one
choice: add 2 qullahs or more, with the condition that
there’s no trace (color, taste, smell) of the impurity.
 If it’s a large amount of water, we have 3 options:
 Adding a large amount of water to it (a small amount will not
cleanse it)
 The water purifies itself & there’s no trace (color, taste, smell)
of the impurity.
 Draining out the water until there’s no trace (color, taste,
smell) of the impurity, and 2 qullas or more must remain.
Adding a large amount of ṭahūr
water & draining the impurity

Adding 2 qullas+ Draining

What Causes a Large Amount of
Water to Become Impure?
 If the water reaches ‫ أربعَمئة‬:‫ فإن بلغ الَمء قلتْي –ومها‬
two qullas, equivalent ‫رطل وستة وأربعون وثَلثة أسباع‬
to 446 and 3/7 .‫ َل ينجس إَل بالتغري‬-‫رطل مرصي‬
Egyptian pounds, it
will not become
impure except due to
change.
Matters of Doubt and Resemblance
 If one doubts in the ‫) وإن شك ِف تنجس ماء أو غريه بنى‬1 
impurity of water, or .‫عىل اليقْي‬
something else, he is to
act upon certainty.
 He knows this container  He knows his pants are
has ṭahūr water, but is clean, but not sure if a drop
unsure if a dog licked it. of urine came onto it.
 He knows the dog licked
the water and it’s not  He knows his shirt had
pure, but he cannot urine on it, but cannot
remember if he cleaned remember if he washed it
it afterwards. off or not.
Matters of Doubt and Resemblance
 If ṭahūr water cannot be ،‫) وإن اشتبه طهور بنجس َل يتحر‬2 
distinguished from .‫ويتيمم لعدم غريمها‬
impure water, he does
not try to determine
(theṭahūr water). Rather,
he performs tayammum
in the absence of other
water.
 E.g. a dog licked one of
these containers, but he
can’t remember which
one. He has no other
water.
Matters of Doubt and Resemblance
 If he cannot distinguish ‫) وإن اشتبه بطاهر توضأ وضوءا‬3 
it (ṭahūr water) from .‫واحدا من كل غرفة‬
ṭāhir water, he
performs one wuḍū’
from each of them,
taking one scoop from
each (container).
 E.g. one of these
containers was used for
an obligatory wuḍū’ but
he can’t remember
which one.
Matters of Doubt and Resemblance
 If clean garments cannot be ،‫) وإن اشتبهت ثياب طاهرة بنجسة‬4 
distinguished from impure
garments, prayer is ‫صىل ِف كل ثوب بعدد النجسة وزاد‬
performed in each garment, ‫صَلة‬
equivalent to the number of
impure garments, plus one
additional prayer.
 Two of these five‘abāyas
have urine on them from her
baby girl, but she doesn’t
know which ones. She cannot
wash them. She prays ‘Asr 3
times using three different
abāyas.
Matters of Doubt and Resemblance
 The same applies in ‫ وكذا أمكنة ضيقة‬
tight spaces.
 A cat urinated in one
of the four corners of
this jail cell, but he
doesn’t know which
corner. He doesn’t
have a prayer rug and
can’t wash it off. He
prays in two different
corners.
Matters of Doubt and Resemblance
 He prays in a vast .‫ ويصيل ِف واسعة بَل حتر‬
space (i.e. wherever he
wishes) without
having to determine
(where the clean area
is).
 E.g. a cat urinated
somewhere in the
courtyard and it dried
up, but he doesn’t
know where exactly.
Contemporary issues
 Dry cleaning clothes that have impurities
 this is done through a liquid solvent that contains little or no water,
which cleans the garment and quickly evaporates
 According to the Madhhab this would be invalid, because it was
not removed by water.
 According to the 2nd opinion (chosen by Shaykh Al-Islām) that
impurities can be removed by other than water it would be valid.
 Wastewater treatment- Turning sewage water to tap water:
 It becomes ṭahūr and can be used for ṭahārah, removing najāsah,
and drinking unless it is known that it is medically harmful to
drink. Reasoning: A large amount of impure water becomes pure if
the impurity goes away by itself, and if it returns to having no
change due to najāsah.