Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (1/28)

Al-Sharḥ al-MumtiʿIbn al-'Uthaymin

Water is of three types: purifying water, which alone lifts ritual impurity, …

His statement, “Water is of three types: purifying water”: miyāh is the plural of water, and water is divided into three categories.

The first is purifying water (ṭahūr), with the first vowel pronounced as a, following the pattern faʿūl. This pattern denotes that by which something is done. Thus, ṭahūr refers to that with which one purifies oneself. Likewise, saḥūr, with the first vowel pronounced as a, refers to the food eaten before dawn.

As for ṭuhūr and suḥūr, with the first vowel pronounced as u, they refer to the act itself.

Purifying water is water that remains in its original state, either in reality—such that none of its qualities has changed—or by legal consideration, where it has changed through something that does not deprive it of its purifying quality.

For example, water drawn from a well while naturally warm, without having changed, remains as it is. Likewise, water that descends from the sky is purifying, because it remains in its original state. These are two examples of water that remains in its original state in reality. By our saying, “or by legal consideration,” we mean such as water changed by something that does not mix with it, or water changed by something from which it is difficult to protect water. Such water is purifying, although it has not remained in its original state in reality. The same applies to heated water: it is not in its original state, because it has been heated; nevertheless, it is purifying, because it is deemed to remain in its original state.

His statement, “which alone lifts ritual impurity,” means that nothing lifts ritual impurity except purifying water.

Thus, gasoline and the like do not lift ritual impurity. Nothing besides water lifts ritual impurity. The evidence is Allah’s saying: “But if you do not find water, then perform dry ablution” [al-Mā’idah 5:6]. He commanded that one resort to dry ablution when water is unavailable, even if other liquids and fluids are available.

According to the established position of the school, the earth used in dry ablution does not lift ritual impurity.

المِياهُ ثلاثةٌ: طَهُورٌ لا يَرْفَعُ الحَدَثَ، ........ قوله: «المياهُ ثلاثةٌ: طَهُورٌ»، المياه: جمعُ ماء، والمياه ثلاثة أقسام: الأول: الطَّهور، بفتح الطَّاء على وزن فَعول، وفَعول: اسم لما يُفعَلُ به الشيءُ، فالطَّهورُ ـ بالفتح ـ: اسم لما يُتطهَّر به، والسَّحور ـ بالفتح ـ: اسم للطَّعام الذي يُتسحَّرُ به. وأما طُهور، وسُحور بالضمِّ، فهو الفعل. والطَّهور: الماء الباقي على خلقته حقيقة، بحيث لم يتغيَّر شيء من أوصافه، أو حكماً بحيث تغيَّر بما لا يسلبُه الطَّهوريَّةَ. فمثلاً: الماء الذي نخرجه من البئر على طبيعته ساخناً لم يتغيَّر، وأيضاً: الماء النَّازل من السَّماء طَهور، لأنَّه باقٍ على خلقته، هذان مثالان للباقي على خلقته حقيقة، وقولنا: «أو حُكْماً» كالماء المتغيِّر بغير ممازج، أو المتغيِّر بما يشقُّ صون الماء عنه، فهذا طَهور لكنه لم يبقَ على خلقته حقيقة، وكذلك الماء المسخَّن فإِنه ليس على حقيقته؛ لأنَّه سُخِّن، ومع ذلك فهو طَهور؛ لأنَّه باقٍ على خلقته حكماً. قوله: «لا يرفع الحدث»، أي: لا يرفع الحَدَث إلا الماء الطَّهُور. فالبنزين وما أشبهه لا يرفع الحَدَثَ؛ فكل شيء سوى الماء لا يرفع الحَدَث، والدَّليل قوله تعالى: ﴿فَلَمْ تَجِدُوا مَاءً فَتَيَمَّمُوا﴾ [المائدة: ٦]، فأمر بالعدول إلى التيمُّم إذا لم نجد الماء، ولو وجدنا غيره من المائعاتِ والسوائل. والتُّراب في التيمُّم على المذهب لا يرفع الحَدَث.