Can water changed by a pure substance still be used for purification?
2026-09-20
T15 · Ibn Taymiyyah
Ibn Taymiyyah
شيخ الإسلام أحمد بن تيمية
Original Q&A · Selected source passage(s) — fully translated
Selected conclusion from an original Q&A. It concerns water altered by a pure substance while it remains genuinely water; it is not a ruling on impure water. The English translates every displayed Arabic paragraph; this selection is not the complete surrounding work. Square brackets identify translator-supplied clarification.
النص العربي
الجواب
ما دام يسمى ماء ولم يغلب عليه أجزاء غيره كان طهورا، كما هو مذهب جمهور السلف.
وهذا القول هو الصواب؛ لأن الله أطلق الماء الطهور ولم يفرق بين نوع ونوع.
English translation
English translation reviewed against the displayed Arabic by SalafAlSalih editorial preparation (AI-assisted); explanatory additions appear in square brackets or separate notes.
Answer
As long as it is called water and the components of something else have not predominated over it, it is purifying, as is the position of the majority of the early generations.
This view is correct, because Allah referred to purifying water without restriction and did not distinguish one kind from another.
Source and editorial notes
Majmūʿ al-Fatāwā 21/24–26
مجموع الفتاوى
Majmūʿ al-Fatāwā
Arabic passage checked against the cited edition and location. English reviewed against every displayed Arabic paragraph on 14 October 2026.