Can You Do Wudu with Sea Water? The Explanation You're Looking For

Hi again! The sea is a very wide salty body of water. The sea separates one continent from another, one country from another, and one island from another. The sea has a lot of salt water. In discussing wudu, can you do wudu with sea water?

Whatever your reason for opening this article, I am sure you are looking for an explanation about wudu with sea water. Trust me! I will not disappoint you on this day. That's what I'm going to explain. So, you just need to read this article to the end!

Sea in Islam: Important Things You Must Understand

Hi! First of all, I will explain some important things about the sea in Islam. You must understand that first because it is the most basic thing about this topic that must be understood properly.

There is one hadith about the sea that I would like to quote to explain Islamic law regarding the sea and sea water. Pay attention to the hadith below:

عَنْ أَبِيْ هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ : قَالَ رَسُوْلُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِيْ الْبَحْرِ : هُوَ الطَّهُوْرُ مَاؤُهُ الْحِلُّ مَيْتَتُهُ . أَخْرَجَهُ الْأَرْبَعَةُ وَابْنُ أَبِيْ شَيْبَةَ

From Abu Hurairah radliyallahu anhu, he said, "The Messenger of Allah (Prophet Muhammad) sallallahu alaihi wa sallam said about the sea, "Sea water is holy and sea fish carcasses are halal." This hadith was narrated by four people (Abu Daud, at-Tirmidhi, an-Nasa'I, and Ibn Majah) and Ibn Abi Syaibah.

Are you still with me? Some important things about the sea explained in the hadith, which you must understand are as follows:

Sea water is holy water

Sea water is holy water. That's why sea water can be used to remove small hadas (الحَدَثُ الأَصْغَرُ) and large hadas (الحَدَثُ الأَكْبَرُ). So, if in case you have urinated or defecated, and you are at the beach or in the middle of the ocean, you can use sea water to remove small hadas from your body because you have urinated or defecated.

Marine fish carcasses are halal

Marine fish carcasses are halal. What this means is that all types of fish that live in the sea are halal. Muslims can eat all of them. Do you like to eat whales? Whales are a type of marine fish. So, whales are halal. You may eat it.

Can You Do Wudu with Sea Water?

Hi! Now I will explain the main topic in this discussion: can you do wudu with sea water. You should read the explanation below very well so that there are no more questions about it in your mind. Of course, if you still have questions about it, you can write them in the comment column. I will be very happy if I can dialogue with you.

Actually, if you understand what I have explained in the previous few paragraphs, you can conclude the answer to the question. Previously, I said that you can use sea water to remove small hadas (الحَدَثُ الأَصْغَرُ) from your body. Do you remember that?

Wudu is a worship done to remove small hadas (الحَدَثُ الأَصْغَرُ). Sea water can be used to remove small hadas. So, sea water can be used to do wudu. That's the answer.

Which Water Can Be Used for Wudu?

Now I will explain the answer to a question related to this discussion: which water can be used for wudu? As a Muslim, you must understand that because wudu is something that can be separated from your life.

If you read some literature on Islamic law, you will find seven types of water that can be used for purification (wudu in this context) as explained below:

المُيَاهُ الَّتِيْ يَجُوْزُ التَّطْهِيْرُ بِهَا سَبْعُ مُيَاهٍ : مَاءُ السَّمَاءِ ، وَمَاءُ الْبَحْرِ ، وَمَاءُ النَّهْرِ ، وَمَاءُ الْبِئْرِ , وَمَاءُ الْعَيْنِ , وَمَاءُ الثَّلْجِ ، وَمَاءُ الْبَرْدِ

There are seven types of water that can be used to purify oneself: rain water (مَاءُ السَّمَاءِ), sea water (مَاءُ الْبَحْرِ), river water (مَاءُ النَّهْرِ), well water (مَاءُ الْبِئْرِ), water from a water source (مَاءُ الْعَيْنِ), snow water (مَاءُ الثَّلْجِ), water from hail (مَاءُ الْبَرْدِ).

These are the seven types of water that can be used for wudu provided that the color, taste and smell do not change and that the water is not used for doing something.

Which Water Cannot Be Used for Wudu?

Hi! Are you still with me? At the end of this discussion, I will explain the answer to one important question about water that cannot be used for wudu. There are some Muslims who don't understand that well. I don't think you want to be like them, do you?! So, pay very close attention to the explanation below.

A moment! Maybe the answer in your mind is "unclean water". Yes, that's right. But did you know that there is holy water that cannot be used for wudu? The explanation is as follows:

There are three types of water that cannot be used for wudu:

Unclean water or najis water (مَاءٌ مُتَنَجِّسٌ)

Unclean water or najis water (مَاءٌ مُتَنَجِّسٌ) is water that has been exposed to something unclean (najis) so that its color, taste and smell have changed.

Used water (مَاءٌ مُسْتَعْمَلٌ)

What is meant by used water (مَاءٌ مُسْتَعْمَلٌ) here is holy water that has been used to do something, such as water that has been used for wudu, washing clothes, and so on.

Water whose color, taste or smell has changed (مَاءٌ مُتَغَيِّرٌ)

If you have holy water that has changed color, taste or smell because of something, perhaps because rice has fallen into it or because it has been mixed with sugar, salt or something else, then that water cannot be used for wudu.

Do you have questions? Please write in the comment column!