If water is changed by impurity and wudu is performed with it, is the prayer valid?
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Q: We are the residents of al-Dahlah al-Wusta in the al-Musaffa district. We noticed a strange taste in the water we drink, use for wudu, and use for ghusl for Jumu'ah and janabah, as well as for all obligatory and recommended purifications. It also had a very foul smell that everyone found objectionable. Some said: "Perhaps it is the smell of the disinfectants and purifiers added to the water in excess of the required amount." Others said: "Perhaps sewage water has mixed with the drinking water." Everyone agreed that the smell was exactly like the smell of impurity, especially since the taste had changed. The people remained in doubt about their situation and preferred not to rush to a decision, given
their trust in the authority responsible for monitoring the water. The situation continued for a week or more, and the people used the water for their obligatory and recommended purifications. When the people became distressed, they went to the officials and informed them of the situation. The officials sent a committee to investigate the truth of the matter, and it was found that the water was impure with certainty, without any doubt. This was because one of the residents had connected the sewage line to the drinking water line without knowing it, and because he had not consulted the responsible authority when he wanted to open the sewage line for his house. The questions are: First: What is the ruling on the prayers and obligatory ghusls performed with this water before the certain knowledge of its impurity , given the disagreement among the people mentioned above? Second: What is the ruling on one who purified himself with it after confirming its impurity, excusing himself by saying that all the water in the district is impure and not pure, and there is no other? Third: Some houses outside the district did not smell the odor or taste, but doctors confirmed that the level of impurity and contamination is more than (60?). What is the ruling on purifying with it? Fourth: What is the ruling on the clothes and vessels that were washed with this water and prayed in? Fifth: Some people added other water to this water in their house tanks
until the smell went away and the taste changed. What is the ruling? Sixth: If the prayers performed are invalid, do we make them up in congregation or individually, and do we perform them all at the same time? We ask your Eminence to answer these questions as soon as possible, because the people in our district are in great distress, and we want our hearts to be at ease and to know the validity of our prayer and purification, and what is obligatory upon us. May Allah make you a mercy to the Ummah and a storehouse and honor for Islam and Muslims.
A: After the committee reviewed the question, His Eminence the Grand Mufti wrote to the General Manager of the Water Department branch in the Makkah al-Mukarramah region, in his letter number (3552/2) dated 4/5/1425 AH, to inquire about the matter mentioned by the questioner. The Honorable General Supervisor of the General Directorate of Water responded in his letter number (6/4113) dated 11/8/1425 AH, confirming the validity of the questioner's statement regarding the mixing of sewage water with drinking water. The text of the response is: "With reference to your Eminence's letter number (3552/2) dated 4/5/1425 AH, regarding the contamination of the houses of the residents of al-Dahlah al-Wusta in the al-Musaffa district, where the cause of the contamination was a break in a plastic sewage pipe that was installed by one of the citizens in a haphazard manner, adjacent to an iron pipe of 4-inch diameter belonging to the drinking water network.
According to the letter of the General Manager of Water in the Holy Capital, number (4/2/2/1/3141) dated 26/5/1425 AH, the situation was treated, praise be to Allah, and the problem was resolved. The line was purified and all citizens' tanks in that district were disinfected, after it was confirmed that no cases of contamination were recorded in the area after the water was supplied to it. Accordingly, the Committee issues the following fatwa: First and Second: As for those who performed wudu with water that was found to be impure by the presence of signs of impurity, namely color, taste, and smell, they must repeat the prayers they performed using that water. This is because the validity of wudu requires the water to be pure, and it was found that the water was not pure. The fact that all the water in the district has the aforementioned characteristic does not justify purifying with that water, because they are able to request pure water, which is close to them and they can obtain it. Therefore, it is obligatory to repeat the prayers immediately, in order, whether they make them up in congregation or individually. Third: As for water in which signs of impurity did not appear, it remains pure, and it is permissible to purify with it, even if impurity mixed with it but its effects did not appear on it. Fourth: Clothes and vessels washed with impure water are not purified by that washing, because impure water does not remove impurity if there is any
impurity in them. And if there was no impurity in them, but they were washed with impure water for the purpose of cleaning, they become impure by being washed with impure water. Therefore, it is obligatory to wash them with pure water in both cases. Fifth: If one added a large amount of pure water to the water until the effect of the impurity disappeared, as mentioned in the question, then the impurity has been transformed by this process into pure water with which it is valid to purify and use.
their trust in the authority responsible for monitoring the water. The situation continued for a week or more, and the people used the water for their obligatory and recommended purifications. When the people became distressed, they went to the officials and informed them of the situation. The officials sent a committee to investigate the truth of the matter, and it was found that the water was impure with certainty, without any doubt. This was because one of the residents had connected the sewage line to the drinking water line without knowing it, and because he had not consulted the responsible authority when he wanted to open the sewage line for his house. The questions are: First: What is the ruling on the prayers and obligatory ghusls performed with this water before the certain knowledge of its impurity , given the disagreement among the people mentioned above? Second: What is the ruling on one who purified himself with it after confirming its impurity, excusing himself by saying that all the water in the district is impure and not pure, and there is no other? Third: Some houses outside the district did not smell the odor or taste, but doctors confirmed that the level of impurity and contamination is more than (60?). What is the ruling on purifying with it? Fourth: What is the ruling on the clothes and vessels that were washed with this water and prayed in? Fifth: Some people added other water to this water in their house tanks
until the smell went away and the taste changed. What is the ruling? Sixth: If the prayers performed are invalid, do we make them up in congregation or individually, and do we perform them all at the same time? We ask your Eminence to answer these questions as soon as possible, because the people in our district are in great distress, and we want our hearts to be at ease and to know the validity of our prayer and purification, and what is obligatory upon us. May Allah make you a mercy to the Ummah and a storehouse and honor for Islam and Muslims.
A: After the committee reviewed the question, His Eminence the Grand Mufti wrote to the General Manager of the Water Department branch in the Makkah al-Mukarramah region, in his letter number (3552/2) dated 4/5/1425 AH, to inquire about the matter mentioned by the questioner. The Honorable General Supervisor of the General Directorate of Water responded in his letter number (6/4113) dated 11/8/1425 AH, confirming the validity of the questioner's statement regarding the mixing of sewage water with drinking water. The text of the response is: "With reference to your Eminence's letter number (3552/2) dated 4/5/1425 AH, regarding the contamination of the houses of the residents of al-Dahlah al-Wusta in the al-Musaffa district, where the cause of the contamination was a break in a plastic sewage pipe that was installed by one of the citizens in a haphazard manner, adjacent to an iron pipe of 4-inch diameter belonging to the drinking water network.
According to the letter of the General Manager of Water in the Holy Capital, number (4/2/2/1/3141) dated 26/5/1425 AH, the situation was treated, praise be to Allah, and the problem was resolved. The line was purified and all citizens' tanks in that district were disinfected, after it was confirmed that no cases of contamination were recorded in the area after the water was supplied to it. Accordingly, the Committee issues the following fatwa: First and Second: As for those who performed wudu with water that was found to be impure by the presence of signs of impurity, namely color, taste, and smell, they must repeat the prayers they performed using that water. This is because the validity of wudu requires the water to be pure, and it was found that the water was not pure. The fact that all the water in the district has the aforementioned characteristic does not justify purifying with that water, because they are able to request pure water, which is close to them and they can obtain it. Therefore, it is obligatory to repeat the prayers immediately, in order, whether they make them up in congregation or individually. Third: As for water in which signs of impurity did not appear, it remains pure, and it is permissible to purify with it, even if impurity mixed with it but its effects did not appear on it. Fourth: Clothes and vessels washed with impure water are not purified by that washing, because impure water does not remove impurity if there is any
impurity in them. And if there was no impurity in them, but they were washed with impure water for the purpose of cleaning, they become impure by being washed with impure water. Therefore, it is obligatory to wash them with pure water in both cases. Fifth: If one added a large amount of pure water to the water until the effect of the impurity disappeared, as mentioned in the question, then the impurity has been transformed by this process into pure water with which it is valid to purify and use.
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.