Purity: Wudu with Muddy Water
Practical Laws of Islam as per the teachings of Ayatullah Sistani
Ruling 265:
If apart from mixed muddy water one does not have any other water with which to perform wuḍūʾ, in the event that the time remaining for prayers is short, he must perform tayammum. If one has sufficient time, he must wait for the water to become clear or make it clear by some means and perform wuḍūʾ with it. Muddy water is considered mixed water only when it can no longer be called ‘water’.
-Ayatullah Sistani, Practical Laws of Islam, Purification (Taharah)
Really appreciate this clarification. The distinction between when tayamum becomes required versus waiting for clarifaction is kinda subtle but important for practical application. I've wondered about the threshold where muddy water stops being considered 'water' in the legal sense, seems like theres some room for interpretation there based on local conditions?