The trouble with Islamic water. It's different

e1.1 Water is of various types:

(1) purifying;

(2) pure;

(3) and impure.

e1.2 Purifying means it is pure in itself and it purifies other things.

(O: Purification (Ar. tahara) in Sacred Law is lifting a state of ritual impurity (hadath, def:e7), removing filth (najasa, e14), or matters similar to these, such as purificatory baths (ghusl) that are merely sunna or renewing ablution (wudu) when there has been no intervening ritual impurity.)

e1.3 Pure means it is pure in itself but cannot purify other things (O: such as water that has already been used to lift a state of ritual impurity).

e1.4 Impure means it is neither purifying nor pure. (O: Namely:

(1) less than 216 liters of water (qullatayn) which is contaminated by filth (najasa), even when none of the water's characteristics (n: i.e. taste, color, or odor) have changed.

(2) or 216 liters or more of water when one of its characteristics of taste, color, or odor have changed (n:through the effect of the filth. As for the purity of water that has been used to wash away filth, it is discussed below at e14.14).)

e1.5 It is not permissible (O: or valid) to lift a state of ritual impurity or remove filth except with plain water (O: not used water (def:(2) below), or something other than water like vinegar or milk), meaning purifying water as it comes from nature, no matter what quality it may have (O: of taste. such as being fresh or saline (N: including seawater); of color, such as being white, black, or red; or of odor, such as having a pleasant smell).

e1.6 Text only available in Arabic

e1.7 It is not permissible to purify (def: e1.2(O:)) with:

(1) water that has changed so much that it is no longer termed water through admixture with something pure like flour or saffron which could have been avoided;

(2) less than 216 liters of water that has already been used for the obligation (dis:c2.1(A:), end) of lifting a state of ritual impurity, even if only that of a child;

(3) or less that 216 liters of water that has been used to remove filth, even if this resulted in no change in the water.

e1.8 It is permissible to purify with water:

(1) (non-(1) above) that has been only slightly changed by saffron or the like;

(2) that has been changed by proximity with something such as aloes or oil that are (O: i.e. even if) fragrant;

(3) that has been changed by something impossible to prevent, such as algae, tree leaves falling in it, dust, or the effects of standing too long;

(4) (non-(2) of the previous ruling) that has already been used for a nonobligatory use such as the sunnas of rinsing out the mouth, renewing ablution when there has been no intervening state of ritual impurity, or a sunna purificatory bath;

(5) or water that has already been used (n: to lift a state of ritual impurity) and has now been added together until it amounts to 216 liters or more.

e1.9 With less than 216 liters, if a person performing ablution (after washing his face once) or the purificatory bath (after making intention for it) makes the intention in his heart to use his hands to scoop up the water, then the introduction of his hands into this amount of water does not make the water used. But if not (O: if he does not make this intention at all, or does so after putting his hands in the water, which is less than 216 liters), then the rest of the water is considered as already used (n: and no longer purifying. But in the Maliki school (dis: c6.4 (end)), it is valid (though offensive) to lift a state of ritual impurity with water that has already been used for that purpose (al-Sharh al-saghir'ala Aqrab al-Malik ila madhhab al-Imam Malik (y35), 1.37)).

e1.10 As for 216 liters or more of water, even if two or more persons in a state of major ritual impurity (janaba, def; e10) are immersed in it, whether simultaneously or serially, their impurity is lifted and the water does not thereby become used (n: but remains purifying).

e1.11 Qullatayn (lit. "two great jars") roughly equal five hundred Baghdad ritls, and their volume is one and a quarter dhira in height, width, and length.

(n: The definition of qullatayn as being 216 liters is based on estimating the dhira' at fortyeight centimeters. Metric equivalents of Islamic weights and measures are given at w15.)

e1.12 Two hundred and sixteen liters of water does not become impure by mere contact with filth, but only becomes so by changing (n: in taste, color, or smell) because of it, even when (O: this change is) only slight.

e1.13 If such change (n: in 216 liters or more of water) disappears by itself (O: such as through standing at length) or by water is used or impure) then the water in again purifying.

e1.14 But the 216 liters of water does not become purifying if the change disappears by (O: putting) such things as musk (O: in it, or ambergris, or camphor, which mask the Scent ; or putting saffron and the like in which mask the color) or vinegar (O: which masks the taste) or earth.

e1.15 Less than 216 liters becomes impure by mere contact with filth, whether the water changes or not, unless filth falls into it whose amount (N: before it falls in is so small that it) is indiscernible by eyesight (A eyesight, here and for all rulings, meaning an average look, not a negligent glance nor yet a minute inspection), or if something dead falls into it of creatures without flowing blood, such as flies and the like, in both cases it remains purifying. This is equally true of running or still water.

e1.16 When less than 216 liters of impure water is added to (O: even if with impure water) until is amounts to 216 liters or more and no change (def: below) remains in it, then it is (O: has become) purifying.

e1.17 Change, resulting from something pure or impure, means in color, taste, or smell.

(N: But the least change caused by filth makes water (n: even if more than 216 liters) impure, while change caused by something pure does not hurt as long as it can still be termed water. For example, when sugar and tea, it has become pure but not purifying. As for a slight discoloration by tea leaves, or a slight sweetness from sugar, this does not negate water's being purifying.)