Rain Water

مَاءُ السَّمَاءِ

Rain water (Māʾ al-Samāʾ)

Ruling (Ḥukm): Rainwater is one of the seven waters that Imām al-Shūrunbūlālī lists as valid for purification. It is ṭāhir (pure in itself) and muṭahhir (able to purify something else), because it remains upon its original created state and nothing impure or overpowering has mixed with it. It may therefore be used for wuḍūʾ, ghusl and removing najāsah from the body, clothing or a place, whether it is caught directly as it falls or collected afterwards in a vessel or basin.

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