The Book of Purity
The word "purity" is the term of jurisprudents means two things:
1. To remove the impurities (dirt), noxiousness, scum (refuses) from certain things to be clean and pure.
2. To remove the happening (Hadath), and this is divided into two parts:
The minor Hadath (the smaller happening). We can remove this kind by ablution. The major happening (the great Hadath) is purified by washing.
The Parts of Water and its Rule: Water has two parts:
1. The absolute (pure) water: It is the liquid (fluid) body which we know. It is one of the fourth elements (ingredients) which is available in wells, rivers and the water that comes down from the clouds in rain.
2. The Added Water : It is any liquid formed of pure water (absolute) and another body and this mixture makes water differ from its original condition (case) such as: gravy, broths (soups), drinks and also the squeezed (pressed) bodies like the juice of pomegranate. The obsolute water and the added water are clean (pure) legally, unless some purities and dirts are connected with them to cause impurity.
The absolute water has many parts:
1. The little water: It means that the amount (the quantity of water is little in weight and area (dimension) and it does not reach thelimit of rinsing and washing lightly and repeatedly.
Its Rules:
a. Pure and clean if there is no impurity connected with it.
b. It is effected and responded when it is connected with impurity.
c. It is purified from refuses, dirt and scum and from Hadath (happening) and it is valid to make ablution.
d. If some (side) of the water is connected with (little water), (the same impurity), then the whole water will be impure (filthy) and also if the impure person
touched (caught) that water, then the whole water would be impure in its turn too.
e. If the impurity and the impure thing (body) are in the bottom and the little water at the top, then suddenly the impurity and the impure part of the water were pushed, then the effect and reaction will be on the part of the water which is connected with the impurity and the impure part only and the other parts are pure.
2- Much water: Means that the amount (quantity) of the water is (393) Kilo grams in weight or the dimension (area ) is (43) Span (hand-pan) = 9 inches excepting 1/8 of the span namely 42,7/8 spans, that is to say the length, width and depth are (3,1/2 spans for each one).
The Sorts of Much Water:
1. What is stagnant (water) in the pools and utensils (vessels).
2. what is flowing in the rivers, streams and pipes of water supplying houses.
3. The water of wells, springs whose water is flowing on the ground.
4. The water of the rain in the time of its coming down from the clouds.
Its Rules:
a. It is pure and clean, unless it is changed by dirt and impurity.
b. It purifies AL-Hadath and Scum (refuses) and for everything which can be purified.
c. There is no difference between the application of rules on much water which is stagnant in the case that the
water is collected together in one place or in several places on condition that these places should be connected not separated. There is no difference in the rules.
d. Much water purifies little water, if the first connected (mixed) with the second.
e. if much water was changed with impurity, then it would be impure too. Here "change" means that the effect of impurity will appear in colour, taste, smell...etc. We should purify it inevitably:
1. The removal of the change (effect) and the return of the water to its usual condition.
2. Connect (attach) the changed water with much water, but before the removal of the change, we should connect (attach) it with much water, or the removal of the change will take place (happen) by the mentioned connection.
f. It is enough (sufficient) to wash once (one time) with much water for purification except the dog's licking (lapping) that means we should purify the vessel by washing several times (more than once) even with much water.
g. Rain water is not impurfied during falling down, unless it is changed with impurity and pollution (uncleanliness)