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عَن أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رضي الله عنه قَالَ:
سَأَلَ رَجُلٌ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، فَقَالَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ، إِنَّا نَرْكَبُ البَحْرَ، وَنَحْمِلُ مَعَنَا القَلِيلَ مِنَ الْمَاءِ، فَإِنْ تَوَضَّأْنَا بِهِ عَطِشْنَا، أَفَنَتَوَضَّأُ مِنَ الْبَحْرِ؟ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «هُوَ الطَّهُورُ مَاؤُهُ، الحِلُّ مَيْتَتُهُ».

[صحيح] - [رواه أبو داود والترمذي والنسائي وابن ماجه وأحمد] - [سنن الترمذي: 69]
المزيــد ...

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported:
A man asked the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), saying: O Messenger of Allah, we travel by sea, and we carry with us a little water. If we make ablution with it, we will be thirsty. Can we make an ablution with the seawater? The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Its water is purifying, and its dead animals are lawful."

[Authentic hadith] - - [Sunan At-Termedhy - 69]

Explanation

A man asked the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), saying: We travel by sea for fishing, trade, and the like, and we carry with us a small amount of potable water. If we use the drinking water for making ablution and Ghusl (ritual bath), it will run out and we will find nothing to drink. So, is it permissible for us to make ablution using seawater?
Thereupon, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said about the seawater: Its water is pure and purifying, so it is permissible to use it for ablution and Ghusl; and it is lawful to eat what comes out of it, including fish, whales, and others, even if found dead and floating on its surface without being fished.

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Benefits from the Hadith

  1. The dead animals of the sea, i.e., what dies therein of the animals that only live in the sea, are lawful.
  2. Providing the questioner with more information than what he requested to complete the benefit.
  3. If there is a change in the taste, color, or smell of water due to something pure, it remains purifying as long as the water retains its original entity, even if there is an increase in its saltiness, hotness, coldness, or the like.
  4. The seawater eliminates the states of major and minor ritual impurities and removes the material impurity that affects what is pure, such as the human body, a garment, or anything else.