1. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Muhammad ibn Sinan from al-Hassan ibn Ribat who has said the following: “I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about a cesspool which is above a well. He (the Imam) said, ‘If it is above the well, the distance in between must be seven yards, but if it is below the well, the distance must be five yards from all sides, and that is a large area.”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

2. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Hammad ibn ‘Isa from Hariz from Zurarah, Muhammad ibn Muslim and abu Basir who have said the following: “We once asked him (abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) ,) about a well which is used for Wudu’ and nearby urine flows. ‘Is such a well Najis (unclean)? He (the Imam) replied, ‘If the well is above the place where urine flows below the well and there is a distance of three or four yards in between, it does not make anything of the well Najis (unclean) but if the distance is less than this, the well becomes Najis (unclean). If the well is below the place where water (urine) flows and there is a distance of nine yards between them it does not make the well Najis (unclean). If the distance is less than this then it cannot be used for Wudu’ Zurarah then asked, ‘What happens if the place is steep and urine flows fast and is not stationary on the ground?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘If it is not stationary it is not harmful, and even if a little of it is stationary, it does not make a deep hole in the ground to reach the well and it is not harmful to the well, thus it can be used for Wudu’. It is harmful to the well only when all of it (urine) is absorbed in the ground.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

3. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Muhammad ibn ’Isma‘il from abu ’Isma‘il from al-Sarraj from ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Uthman from Qudamah ibn abu Yazid al-Hammar from certain persons of our people who have said the following: “I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the distance needed between a well and a cesspool. He (the Imam) replied, ‘If the ground is plain, the distance must be seven yards; and if it is a hillside the distance must be five yards.’ He (the Imam) then said, ‘Water flows forward in direction, to the right or to the left or from its left side to its right side (in) forward direction but it does not flow backward.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

4. Ahmad ibn Idris has narrated from Muhammad ibn Ahmad from ‘Abbad ibn Sulayman from Sa‘d ibn Sa‘d from Muhammad ibn al- Qasim who has said the following: “I once asked abu al-Hassan (a.s.), about a well which is five yards or more or less away from a cesspool. Can it be used for Wudu’? He (the Imam) said, ‘Shortness or length of distance does not matter. It can be used for Wudu’ or Ghusl (bath) if the water has not changed.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.