Can water be halal or haram?

Sources

• ✓ Sunan al-Tirmidhi 1:69

  Sunni Sahih (per Al-Albani)

  Sunan al-Tirmidhi · Book 1, Hadith 69 · Narrated by Abu Huraira

  A man asked the Messenger of Allah, "O Messenger of Allah, we travel by sea and carry only a small amount of water, so when we perform ablution with it, we become thirsty. Should we then perform ablution with seawater?" The Messenger of Allah replied, "It is purifying; its water is lawful, and its dead creatures are lawful."

• ✓ Sunan Ibn Majah 2:121

  Sunni Sahih (per Al-Albani)

  Sunan Ibn Majah · Book 2, Hadith 121 · Narrated by Ibn al-Firasi

  I used to hunt and had a waterskin in which I kept water. Once I performed ablution with seawater and mentioned this to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). He said, "Seawater is purifying; its water is lawful and its dead matter is permitted."

• ✓ Al-Kafi 1:5

  Shia

  Al-Kafi · Book 1, Hadith 5

  I said to Abu Hasan (peace be upon him): "There are people among us who have love but do not possess the necessary determination; they say such things." He replied: "They are not among those whom God has reproached. Rather, God said: 'So take warning, O possessors of insight.'" — OR — I said to him: May I be sacrificed for you! I am your servant Abdullah ibn Kaysan. He said: As for your lineage, I recognize it, but as for you, I do not recognize you. I said: I was born in the mountain and grew up in the land of Persia, and I mix with people in trade and other matters. I meet a man and find he has good appearance, good character, and much trustworthiness, then I investigate him and find him hostile to you; I meet another man of bad character, little trustworthiness, and stingy, and I investigate and find him loyal to you. How can this be? He said: Do you not know, O Ibn Kaysan, that Allah took a clay from Paradise and a clay from the Fire, mixed them together, then removed some of one from the other and vice versa? What you see among those of trustworthiness, good manners, and good appearance is from what touched from the clay of Paradise and they return to what they were created from. What you see from those with lack of trustworthiness, bad manners, and stinginess is from what touched from the clay of the Fire and they return to what they were created from. — OR — I asked Abu Abdullah (peace be upon him) about seawater, if it is pure (tahir). He said: Yes, it is. — OR — Treat your patients with charity, repel calamities with supplication, and seek provision by giving charity. Charity breaks the hold of seven hundred devils from between one’s jaws. Nothing burdens the devil more than charity given to a believer, and it reaches the hand of the Lord Almighty before it reaches the servant's hand. — OR — Jihad is the best of things after the obligatory duties. — OR — Someone said: I was ascetic regarding offspring until I stood at Arafah, and there next to me was a young lad calling out and crying, saying: O Lord, my parents, my parents. That moved me to desire having offspring when I heard that. — OR — A will is a right, and the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) made a will. Therefore, it is incumbent upon a Muslim to make a will. — OR — The Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) delivered a sermon in Medina saying: Praise be to God, there is no god but He. He was ever-living without any modality and there was no creator for Him, nor was there a place for Him, and nothing resembled Him; He did not weaken before creating anything, nor was He desolate before beginning. He is living, without life as you know it, and ruler before or after the creation of the universe. There is no modality, place, limit, or entity like Him. He does not grow old or weaken or fear as His creation fears. He is Hearer without ears, Seer without eyes, Mighty without power from creation. No sharp vision can reach Him, nor hearing encompass His hearing. If He wills something, it is without counsel or consultation or questioning anyone in His creation. Eyes cannot comprehend Him, yet He comprehends eyes. He is Gentle, All-Aware. I bear witness there is no god but God, alone without partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger. He sent him with guidance and the religion of Truth to manifest it over all religions despite opposition. O nation that has been deceived and misled, knowing the deceit of those who misled her but persists in following her desires. She wanders blindly in vanity after the truth became clear and turns away from the clear path. By the One who split the grain and created the soul, had you taken knowledge from its source, drank pure water, chosen a clear road and followed the way of truth, the ways would have followed you, the standards would have appeared and Islam would have shone for you. You would have lived comfortably without oppression, injustice, or treaty violation. But you took the path of darkness, so your world has darkened, the doors of knowledge closed upon you, and you judged according to desires. You differed in your religion, erred blindly, and followed misguided ones who led you astray. You abandoned the Imams, so they abandoned you, making you judge by your desires. When matters arise, you consult the learned, and when they give you verdicts, you say that is the exact knowledge. How can that be when you have abandoned and contradicted it? Soon you will reap what you have sown, suffering greatly. By the One who split the grain and created the soul, you know I am your master, your guide, your knowledgeable one, the one by whose knowledge you are saved, your Prophet's trustee, and the best of your Lord. Soon what was promised will come to you, as it came to nations before you, and God will ask you about your leaders. You will return to God tomorrow. By God, if I had the number of Talut’s companions or the number of those at Badr, who are your enemies, I would fight you with the sword until you return to the truth and sincerely repent. That is best for cleaving and gentleness. O God, judge between us with justice; You are the best of judges. Then he left the mosque, passing a herd of around thirty sheep. He said: By God, if I had men who would advise You with the number of these sheep, I would have removed Ibn Akilah Dhuban from his authority. When evening came, three hundred and sixty men pledged allegiance to him on death. He said to them, "Come to the Stone of Olive [hajr az-zayt] shaved." The Commander of the Faithful shaved his head but only Abu Dharr, al-Miqdad, Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman, and Ammar ibn Yasir had shaved theirs. Salman arrived at the end of the group, raising his hands to the sky and said: O God, the people have made me weak as the Children of Israel made Aaron weak. O God, You know what we hide and make public, nothing is hidden from You in earth or heaven. Take me away as a Muslim and join me with the righteous. Then he mentioned the house and the place leading toward it, [or the place leading toward the home], the moderate area leading to the burning. Were it not for the covenant made to me by the unlettered Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), I would have brought the disbelievers to the valley of death and sent upon them destructive storms of death. Soon they will know.