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What is the ruling on using wastewater or water mixed with impurities (najasah) to irrigate fruit trees, and is there a sharia principle that prohibits benefiting from impure water?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

Scholars are in agreement that if a small or large quantity of water is contaminated with an impurity that alters its color, taste, or smell, it becomes impure. There is a consensus that it is impermissible to use it for purification, and likewise for eating and drinking, except in cases of necessity. As for trees and crops irrigated with impure water, scholars have differed on this matter. The majority hold that it is not forbidden because the impurity undergoes a transformation within them, thus becoming pure through استحالة (chemical or physical transformation). However, the Hanbalis are of the view that it remains impure and forbidden to eat until it is irrigated with pure water.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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