Taharah in the Hanafi School: Water, Wudu, and Purification

Al-Mawsili's treatment of taharah in Al-Ikhtiyar reflects the Hanafi school's distinctive analytical approach. The Hanafi classification of water differs from other schools in its focus on the concept of 'water suitable for purification' rather than elaborate sub-categories. Water is primarily either tahur (pure and purifying), tahir (pure but not purifying, such as water mixed with something that changes its name), or najis (impure).

A key Hanafi distinction concerns large and small bodies of water. The Hanafi school defines a small body of water (ma' qalil) as that which, when agitated on one side, causes movement on the other. In practice, scholars have estimated this as approximately ten by ten cubits in area. Small bodies of water become impure by the mere contact of any najasah, regardless of whether the water's characteristics change. Large bodies of water (ma' kathir) become impure only if their color, taste, or smell changes — similar to the Shafi'i position but using different criteria for the threshold.

Used water (musta'mal) in the Hanafi school is classified as tahir (pure) but not tahur (purifying). Al-Mawsili explains that when water fulfills its purification function — removing the hadath — it takes on something of the impurity status in a legal sense (hukman), even though it remains physically clean. This is a theoretical construct to explain why used water cannot be used for further purification without defeating the purpose of the ritual.

Wudu in the Hanafi school has four fara'id (obligatory acts): washing the face, washing the arms including the elbows, wiping one-quarter of the head (rubul ar-ra's), and washing the feet including the ankles. The Hanafi minimum for head-wiping (one-quarter) differs from the Maliki school's requirement of full head wiping and the Shafi'i school's permission of wiping any small portion. Al-Mawsili grounds the one-quarter ruling in the interpretation of the Quranic 'ba'' in 'wamsahu bi ru'usikum' as indicating partial application.

The sunnah acts of wudu include the basmala at the start, washing the hands three times before beginning, rinsing the mouth (madmadah), rinsing the nose (istinshaq), wiping the full head, wiping the ears with the water remaining on the fingers after head-wiping, and wiping the neck. These are established from the detailed descriptions of the Prophet's wudu in multiple hadith collections.

Ghusl in the Hanafi school has three obligatory acts: rinsing the mouth, rinsing the nose, and washing the entire body. The inclusion of mouth-rinsing and nose-rinsing as obligatory in ghusl (not just recommended, as in other schools) is a distinctive Hanafi position based on the hadith of the Prophet's ghusl and the understanding that the mouth and nose are considered 'inside' the body and thus require special attention in major purification.

Najasah and its removal receive careful treatment. The Hanafi school distinguishes between mughallazah (heavy impurity — human excreta, blood, wine) requiring three washes with wringing each time, and mukhaffafah (light impurity — urine of male infants who have not yet eaten food) which is removed by sprinkling water until the impurity can no longer be detected. This distinction reflects the Hanafi school's characteristic use of gradation in legal rulings.