Ibn Khuzaymah

Benefits:

➊ This hadith is evidence that if impurity falls into water greater than two jars (qullatayn), it does not become impure merely by the occurrence of impurity; rather, it has the capacity to absorb impurity. However, if so much impurity falls into water greater than two jars that any of its three characteristics—color, smell, or taste—changes, then that water becomes impure. Furthermore, in water less than two jars, the mere occurrence of impurity renders the water impure. Thus, the position of Ibn Umar radi Allahu anhuma, Mujahid, the Shafi‘is, the Hanafis, Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Ishaq ibn Rahwayh, and among Ahl al-Bayt: Hadi, Mu’ayyad Billah, Abu Talib, and Nasir, is that a small amount of water (less than two jars) becomes impure merely by the occurrence of impurity. Their evidences are as follows:

1. «وَالرُّجْزَ فَاهْجُرُ» “And abandon filth.” [المدثر: 5]

2. The narration regarding washing the hands three times after waking from sleep. [ابن خزيمه: 99]

3. The narration in which it is stated that if a dog puts its mouth in a vessel, it is obligatory to wash it seven times. [ابن خزيمه: 90]

4. The narration prohibiting urinating in standing water. [ابن خزيمه: 90]

5. The hadith under discussion.

6. The marfu‘ narration in Musnad Ahmad, Abu Ya‘la, Tabarani, and Mustakhraj Abu Nu‘aym: “Seek a fatwa from your heart, even if the muftis give you a fatwa.”

7. The hadith narrated in Nasa’i, Ahmad, Ibn Hibban, Hakim, and Tirmidhi: “Abandon doubt until no doubt remains.”

The position of these scholars is that the aforementioned ahadith specify «الْمَاءُ طُهُورٌ لا يُنجسه شيء» that in water greater than two jars, until so much impurity falls that it changes its color, smell, or taste, the water does not become impure; and in water less than two jars, the mere falling of impurity renders the water impure.

[نيل ولا وطار: 39/1]

➋ Ibn Qudamah al-Hanbali says: This issue is established by explicit evidence that water equal to the amount of two jars does not become impure by impurity falling into it, but if its characteristics change due to the occurrence of impurity, then the water becomes impure, even if its quantity is large. And in water less than two jars, the mere falling of impurity renders it impure, even if its characteristics do not change. Furthermore, if the characteristics of any water change due to the occurrence of impurity, it becomes impure—there is no difference of opinion in this.

Ibn al-Mundhir states: There is consensus among the scholars on this issue that if so much impurity falls into a small or large amount of water that it changes its taste, color, or smell, then that water always remains impure in that state.

[المغنى مع الشرح الكبير: 53/1]

➌ Ibn Qudamah al-Hanbali states: The specification of qullatayn (two jars) is evidence that water less than two jars becomes impure (by impurity falling into it), because if the ruling for water equal to two jars and less than two jars were the same, then the specification would not be particularly beneficial. [المغنى مع الشرح الكبير: 54/1]