Using recycled water

8-3-2005 | IslamWeb

Question:

To save/recycle water can we use, used Wudu (ablution) water collected in bucket from tape for bath or cloth wash purpose? If no this water in which purpose we can use? Please clarify at your earliest.
Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. We ask Allaah to exalt his mention as well as that of his family and all his companions.

If you mean by "water that is used for ablution" the water that remains [in the bucket or any container for instance] after having performed ablution, then this water is pure and a purifier (we can remove an impurity with it), according to the majority of the scholars may Allaah have mercy upon them. So it is permissible to use it to have a ritual bath or to remove a major impurity [i.e. Ghusl] even if the one who had ablution from this water is a female according to the most correct opinion of the scholars may Allaah have mercy upon them. The evidence for this is the saying of the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ): "Water does not become impure (i.e. if a person who is in the state of major impurity touches it)." [Ahmad, Abu Daawood, An-Nasaa'ee] To sum up, it is permissible to use this kind of water for purification purposes or washing clothes.

However, if you mean the water that falls from one's limbs when performing ablution, then according to the majority of our righteous predecessors and contemporary scholars may Allaah have mercy upon them it is also pure and it is permissible to use it to wash clothes and other common things. Nevertheless, there is a difference of opinion among the scholars may Allaah have mercy upon them whether or not such water can be used in Ghusl, or in ablution, or remove an impurity [like removing human excrements, etc…]. Some scholars may Allaah have mercy upon them are of the view that such water is pure but is not a purifier, so one cannot have ablution with it, or Ghusl, but other scholars may Allaah have mercy upon them are of the view that such water is also a purifier, however, it is more appropriate to avoid using it when there is other water that is pure and a purifier.

Allaah knows best.

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