the disbelievers, then later we recapture him; in that case, we may enslave him, and he then regains the status of slavery. He may subsequently be emancipated a second time as part of an obligatory expiation.

The correct view is that water by a small amount of which a state of ritual impurity has been removed remains purifying, because the basic presumption is that it retains its purifying quality. This presumption cannot be set aside except on the basis of sound evidence from the Sacred Law.

“Or if the hand of someone who has risen from a night’s sleep that invalidates wudu is immersed in it, …”

His statement, “or if the hand of someone who has risen from a night’s sleep that invalidates wudu is immersed in it,” means that the pronoun in “in it” refers to a small quantity of water. When the word “hand” is used without qualification, it means the hand up to the wrist—the joint between the hand and the forearm—and does not include the forearm.

For example, a man rises from sleep at night and has a pot containing a small quantity of water. If he immerses his hand up to the wrist, where the forearm begins, the water becomes pure but not purifying, based on the saying of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him: “When one of you wakes from sleep, let him not immerse his hand in the vessel until he has washed it three times, for he does not know where his hand spent the night.” (1)

This contains a prohibition against immersing the hand in the vessel, together with the stated reason: “for one of you …” and so forth. Thus, if the hand is immersed in a large quantity of water, it remains purifying. If a man immerses his foot, it remains purifying, because the hadith specifies “hand.” Likewise, if he immerses his forearm, it remains purifying. If a disbeliever immerses his hand, it remains purifying, as is also the case if an insane person or a child does so, because neither is legally accountable. Similarly, if a man immerses his hand after having slept for a long time during the day, it remains purifying; and the same is true if he has slept only briefly at night.