A Well near a Cesspool

سَأَلْتُ عَنِ الْبَالُوعَةِ[2] تَكُونُ فَوْقَ الْبِئْرِ قَالَ إِذَا كَانَتْ فَوْقَ الْبِئْرِ فَسَبْعَةُ أَذْرُعٍ وَ إِذَا كَانَتْ أَسْفَلَ مِنَ الْبِئْرِ فَخَمْسَةُ أَذْرُعٍ مِنْ كُلِّ نَاحِيَةٍ وَ ذَلِكَ كَثِيرٌ.

“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.”

فَقَالَ‌ إِنْ كَانَتِ الْبِئْرُ فِي أَعْلَى الْوَادِي‌[1] وَ الْوَادِي يَجْرِي فِيهِ الْبَوْلُ مِنْ تَحْتِهَا وَ كَانَ بَيْنَهُمَا قَدْرُ ثَلَاثَةِ أَذْرُعٍ أَوْ أَرْبَعَةِ أَذْرُعٍ لَمْ يُنَجِّسْ ذَلِكَ شَيْ‌ءٌ وَ إِنْ كَانَ أَقَلَّ مِنْ ذَلِكَ يُنَجِّسُهَا وَ إِنْ كَانَتِ الْبِئْرُ فِي أَسْفَلِ الْوَادِي‌[2] وَ يَمُرُّ الْمَاءُ عَلَيْهَا وَ كَانَ بَيْنَ الْبِئْرِ وَ بَيْنَهُ تِسْعَةُ أَذْرُعٍ لَمْ يُنَجِّسْهَا وَ م

“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 w

سَأَلْتُهُ كَمْ أَدْنَى مَا يَكُونُ بَيْنَ الْبِئْرِ بِئْرِ الْمَاءِ وَ الْبَالُوعَةِ فَقَالَ إِنْ كَانَ سَهْلًا فَسَبْعَةُ أَذْرُعٍ وَ إِنْ كَانَ جَبَلًا فَخَمْسَةُ أَذْرُعٍ ثُمَّ قَالَ الْمَاءُ يَجْرِي إِلَى الْقِبْلَةِ إِلَى يَمِينٍ وَ يَجْرِي عَنْ يَمِينِ الْقِبْلَةِ إِلَى يَسَارِ الْقِبْلَةِ وَ يَجْرِي عَنْ يَسَارِ الْقِبْلَةِ إِلَى يَمِينِ الْقِبْلَةِ وَ لَا يَجْرِي مِنَ الْقِبْلَةِ إِلَى دُبُرِ الْقِبْلَةِ.

“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 lef

لَيْسَ يُكْرَهُ مِنْ قُرْبٍ وَ لَا بُعْدٍ[5] يُتَوَضَّأُ مِنْهَا وَ يُغْتَسَلُ مَا لَمْ يَتَغَيَّرِ الْمَاءُ.

“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.’”