Sea Water

مَاءُ الْبَحْرِ

Sea water (Māʾ al-Baḥr)

Ruling (Ḥukm): Sea water is explicitly counted among the seven purifying waters, and is ṭāhir and muṭahhir despite its salinity, saltiness or odour, none of which affect its ability to purify. It is valid for wuḍūʾ, ghusl and removing impurity. This is also supported by the well-known hadith describing the sea as 'its water is pure' (reported by Abū Dāwūd and others), which the fuqahāʾ understood to confirm this seventh category.

الْمِيَاهُ الَّتِي يَجُوزُ التَّطْهِيرُ بِهَا سَبْعَةُ مِيَاهٍ: (١) مَاءُ السَّمَاءِ، (٢) وَمَاءُ الْبَحْرِ، (٣) وَمَاءُ النَّهْرِ، (٤) وَمَاءُ الْبِئْرِ، (٥،٦) وَمَا ذَابَ مِنَ الثَّلْجِ وَمَاءُ الْبَرَدِ، (٧) وَمَاءُ الْعَيْنِ.

The waters with which purification (ṭahārah) is valid are seven: (1) sky/rain water, (2) sea water, (3) river water, (4) well water, (5–6) melted snow water and hail water, (7) spring water.

Source: Nūr al-Īḍāḥ wa-najāt al-arwāḥ fī al-fiqh al-Ḥanafī (نور الإيضاح ونجاة الأرواح في الفقه الحنفي), p. 13