Changed Water (Mutaghayyir) Fiqh: Distinction Between Mukhalith and Mujawir

Have you ever found water in the bathtub that smells slightly of soap? Or perhaps you’ve seen pool water turn green due to algae? Often, a doubtful question arises in our minds: “Is this water still valid for performing wudu (ablution)?”

In Shafi’i fiqh, one important discussion in the chapter on the division of water in Islam, the status of water like this is known as mutaghayyir water (water that has changed). However, not every change renders the water invalid for purification. There are rules to it. We must be discerning in distinguishing whether the substance mixing with the water is mukhalith (mixing/dissolving) or merely mujawir (neighboring/adjacent).

Let’s dissect this topic casually yet in-depth, referring directly to the text of the book Asna al-Mathalib Syarh Raudh at-Thalib.

What is Mutaghayyir Water?

Simply put, mutaghayyir water is absolute water that experiences a change in one of its essential properties—taste, color, or odor—due to being mixed with a pure substance. Remember, we are talking about a pure substance. If it is mixed with an impure substance, that’s a different matter altogether.

Sheikh Zakariya al-Anshari in Asna al-Mathalib (Volume 1, page 7) provides a basic definition that serves as our benchmark:

(الماء المتغير طعما أو لونا أو ريحا بمخالطة طاهر يستغنى الماء عنه … تغيرا يمنعه الإطلاق … غير طهور)

Meaning: “Water that changes in taste, color, or smell due to mixing with a pure substance that water could normally be free from… with a change that prevents it from being referred to as absolute water… then that water does not purify.”

The key point lies in the phrase “preventing the mention of the name of absolute water.” Meaning, when people look at the water, they no longer say “This is water,” but say “This is tea water,” “This is milk water,” or “This is ginger water.” If the original name has been “replaced,” then its purifying property is lost. Learn more details here what is absolute water?.

Getting to Know “Mukhalith”: The Changer Who Assimilates

The first category is change due to Mukhalith. This is the type of change that renders water invalid for purification.

An object is called mukhalith if it dissolves and merges with water to the point where it cannot be separated (it is difficult to distinguish between the water and the object).

Examples mentioned in the book:

• Water mixed with Za’faran (dye/spice).
• Water mixed with semen.

(كالمني, والزعفران)

If these things enter the water and drastically change the properties of the water (fahisy), then the water has the same ruling as musta’mal water, namely, its substance is pure but cannot be used for wudu. Pure but Not Purifying (Thahir Ghairu Muthahhir). You may drink it (if the ingredients are safe), but you may not use it for wudu or ghusl.

What If the Change is “Unseen”? (The Concept of Qadar/Destiny)

Sometimes there are unique cases. For example, water mixed with “rosewater that has lost its scent”. Physically, the water appears clear, smells normal, and tastes bland. But essentially, the water is no longer pure.

This is where scholars use the method of Taqdir (Estimation). We must assume that the entering substance possesses a strong characteristic.

References in the books mention how to measure it:

(فرضناه مخالفا … وسطا في الصفات كلون العصير, وطعم الرمان, وريح الأذن)

Meaning: We assume the object is different (in nature) from water… with intermediate characteristics, such as the color of grape juice, the taste of pomegranate, and the scent of ladan (a type of incense).

So, imagine if the thing that enters it has a color like juice, would the water change color? If the answer is “Yes”, then that water is ruled as impure (not purifying), even if our eyes see it as clear.

Getting to Know “Mujawir”: The Neighbor Who is Accommodated

The second category is Mujawir. This is good news for us, because this type of change remains valid for purification.

Mujawir means being side-by-side. This substance is in water, potentially changing its smell or color slightly, but it does not dissolve and become integrated. This substance can be separated from the water.

The example mentioned in Asna al-Mathalib (p. 8):

(ولا كثير بمجاوره … كعود, ودهن, وكافور صلب)

Meaning: “And (it is not a problem) the abundance of causes for adjacent things (mujawir)… such as agarwood, oil, and solid camphor.”

Why doesn’t oil contaminate water? Because oil and water do not mix. Oil floats. The same applies to agarwood or camphor that is still in hard chunks. As long as the object can be physically distinguished (“This is water, that is oil”), the water remains named “Absolute Water”.

So, if your bathtub has perfume droplets but the oil floats, please perform wudu. It is valid.

Forgivable Changes (Ma’fu)

Islam is a religion that makes things easy. There are natural conditions where water is certain to change and it is very difficult for us to avoid it (masyaqqah). In these conditions, the change in water is forgiven and remains valid for purification.

Here are the details from our reference:

1. Changing Due to Prolonged Stagnation (Mukts)

Water in old ponds often changes smell to musty because it has been stagnant for so long.

(ولا بمكث)

Meaning: “It is not a problem (to change) due to long silence.”

2. Changing Due to Moss and Soil (Mamar wa Maqar)

River or lake water often turns green due to algae (tuhlub) or murky due to the soil it flows through.

(ولا بما لا يستغنى الماء عنه في ممره, ومقره كطحلب)

Meaning: “It is not a problem (to change) due to something that water inevitably encounters in places of passage and places of stillness, such as moss.”

Also included is water containing sulfur because it passes through sulfur mountains. It remains valid.

3. Leaves That Fall on Their Own

If there is a tree on the bank of a river, and its leaves fall (tanatsarat) into the water until the water changes color, that is not a problem.

(وأوراق شجر تناثرت)

But be careful! There are exceptions. If you intentionally take the leaf, then crush or pound it and put it in the water, then it invalidates the purity of the water. Or if the leaf falls due to human action (not natural shedding), the water may become invalid.

(وتفتتت … لا إن طرحت)

Meaning: “(Forgiven are) crushed leaves… but not if the leaves are intentionally thrown.”

4. Water Containing Salt

There is a difference between sea salt and rock salt.

• Sea Salt (Milh Ma’i): Salt derived from the freezing process of seawater. If it melts in water, the water remains pure.
• Rock Salt: If intentionally added, it spoils the water (according to some opinions referenced in this text, rock salt is considered like a solid mujawir if in chunks, but if dissolved it can be mukhalith). However, the text affirms tolerance for milh ma’i.

قوله: (وكذا إن تغير كثيرا بملح مائي, وتراب مطروح) فإنه طهور

Quick Guide Table: Is My Wudu Valid?

To avoid confusion, use the following guide when encountering changed water:

Causes of Water Change	Type of Change	Legal Status	Wudu Valid?
Tea / Coffee / Milk	Mukhalith (Dissolved)	Pure, Not Purifying	❌ No
Liquid Soap (A Lot)	Mukhalith (Dissolved)	Pure, Not Purifying	❌ No
Perfume Oil / Wood	Mujawir (Floating)	Absolute Water	✅ Valid
Solid Camphor	Mujawir (Hard Object)	Absolute Water	✅ Valid
Moss / Algae	Natural (Ma’fu)	Absolute Water	✅ Valid
Leaves Falling on Their Own	Natural (Ma’fu)	Absolute Water	✅ Valid
Leaves Crushed Intentionally	Mukhalith (Man-Made)	Pure, Not Purifying	❌ No

FAQ: Everyday Questions about Mutaghayyir Water

Hopefully, this explanation makes us more calm and steadfast in our worship. Don’t forget, the core of fiqh is knowing the boundaries so that we are not anxious, but also do not take the sharia lightly.

And Allah knows best.