Method of Purifying
Contaminated Items
Those things which are intrinsically Najis (impure) and
are classified as being an impurity in itself, such as alcohol or faeces etc.
cannot become Paak (pure) until it does not change or is (completely) altered
from its natural state. Alcohol will remain impure until it is alcohol but if
it becomes vinegar then now it is regarded as being pure.
Law: If
alcohol was kept in a vessel and the alcohol became vinegar in the vessel then
the portion of the vessel which contains the vinegar will also be regarded as
being purified. If droplets of alcohol contaminated the top of the vessel
before it became vinegar then that portion of the vessel will not be regarded
as being purified merely on the basis of the alcohol becoming vinegar.
Similarly, if alcohol was full to the mouth of the vessel and some fell out, leaving
the vessel slightly empty and thereafter the alcohol turned into vinegar then
in this case the upper section of the vessel which was impure before will now
not be regarded as being purified. If the vinegar is poured out of it then even
the vinegar will be regarded as being impure. If a ladle etc. (such as that
which is used for measuring out liquids) is used to remove the vinegar then it
will be regarded as being pure. If onions or garlic etc. fell into the alcohol
then these will also be regarded as being pure after the alcohol has become
vinegar.
Law: If
a rat fell into alcohol and swelled up and disintegrated then even after it
becomes vinegar, the vinegar is impure, if the rat did not swell up and
disintegrate then if the rat was removed before the alcohol became vinegar and
it only became vinegar thereafter then it will be regarded as being pure. If it
was removed and thrown away after the alcohol became vinegar then the vinegar
is also regarded as being impure.
Law: If
a drop of urine fell into alcohol, if a dog put its mouth into the alcohol or
if impure vinegar was mixed into the alcohol then even after becoming vinegar,
it will still be regarded Haraam and impure.
Law: To
purchase alcohol, order it, transport it or store it are all Haraam even if it
is for the purpose of turning it into vinegar.
Law: If
an impure (Najis) animal fell into a salt mine and turned into salt then that
salt is regarded as being pure and Halaal.
Law: The
ash of a dung-cake is pure and if it became extinguished before burning into
ash then it is impure.
Law: There
are numerous methods of purifying those things which are not intrinsically
Najis (impure) but become impure because of being polluted by some impurity. An
impurity can be cleansed off and made pure by using water or any liquid
substance that has the ability of flowing (and which will remove the impurity).
For example, vinegar and rose water (essence) can be used to remove an impurity,
thus they can be used to wash and purify the body and the clothing.
Beneficial Note: To use vinegar and rose water etc. to purify and cleanse something
without a valid reason is impermissible, as it is a waste of money.
Law: If
used water and tea is used to clean off an impurity it will purify it (i.e. the
clothing etc.).
Law: If
the use of saliva causes some impurity to be removed, it will be regarded as
being pure, such as in the case where a child drinks milk and then vomits it on
the breast; thereafter if the child drank milk a few more times causing the
sign of the vomit to fade away then in this case the breast area is pure.
Note: In
other words, if a breastfeeding child vomits on the breast of the mother the
breast is purified by the saliva of the child when the child drinks a few times
thereafter by suckling. Another example is that which is in regards to the
condition of the mouth of the one who consumes alcohol. This ruling has been
explained earlier in this section.
Law: Cleaning
with milk, gravy (soup) or oil will not make something pure, as these liquids do
not allow the impurity to be removed.
Law: If
the impurity is thick, such as faeces, dung and blood etc. there are no
conditions stipulating how many times it needs to be washed. It is actually
necessary to wash it off completely. If it only takes one wash to clean it off
then washing it once is sufficient to make it Paak (purified) and if it only becomes
pure by washing it four or five times then it must be washed four or five
times. However, if the impurity is cleaned off in washing less than thrice then
in this case it is Mustahab (desirable) to complete washing it thrice.
Law: If
the impurity has been washed off but some effects of it, such as its smell or
colour is still evident then it is necessary to get rid of this as well.
However, if it is very difficult to get rid of this effect then to get rid of
it is not necessary. Washing it thrice will make the item pure. To wash using
soap, something sour or hot water is not necessary.
Law: If
an impure colour (dye etc.) stained the hand or if one used impure Mehndi
(henna) on the hand, it should be washed so many times that clean water starts
to drop off. It will then be regarded as being purified even if the colour
(stain) is still evident on the hand or clothes.
Law: If
one mixed some saffron or dye to dye clothing and a child makes urine in it; or
if any other impurity pollutes it then in this case if one has already dyed the
clothing with it, washing the clothing thrice will make it purified.
Law: In
regards to tattooing wherein a needle is used to prick a hole and collyrium is
used in it (as ink); In this case, if the amount of blood which came out is an
amount that can flow then it is obvious that the blood is impure and the collyrium
which was applied on it, will also become impure. Thereafter, if that area is
washed it will become purified even if the colour of the impure collyrium
remains there. Similarly, if ash was filled into a wound and was then washed out
it will be purified even if the colour is still visible.
Note: This
however does not mean that tattooing is permissible. Tattooing is totally
forbidden and a sinful act. The ruling in regards to purifying this area has
been explained in order to explain the rule of purification of impurities. For
detailed explanation on the ruling regarding tattooing peruse Bahaar e Shariat
Volume 16, Chapter 39.
Law: If
impure oil polluted the body or clothing, washing it thrice will allow the area
to be purified even if the greasiness of the oil is still evident. There is no
need for one to take the trouble of washing it with soap or hot water. However,
if it was polluted by the fat of a dead animal (carrion) then until such time that
its greasiness does not fade away it will not be regarded as being purified.
Law: If
the impurity is fluid like then to wash it thrice and squeeze it adequately,
using ones full strength thrice will purify it. To squeeze it adequately with
ones full strength means that the person who is squeezing it should squeeze it
with his full strength, to the extent that if he squeezes it after this again,
no drop should come out of it. If he worries about the clothing and does not
squeeze it thoroughly, it will not be purified.
Law: If
the person who washed the garment squeezed it adequately to his full strength,
but now it is such that if some other person who is stronger than him squeezes
it, then one or two drops of water will drip off. In this case, it is regarded
as purified for the one who washed it and impure for the second person. The
strength of the second person is not taken into account in this case. However,
if the second person washed it and squeezed it with the same amount of strength
as the first person then it would have been regarded as being impure.
Law: It
is better to purify (i.e. wash) the hand after squeezing it for the first and
second time and squeezing it for the third time purifies the garment and the
hand as well. If there is still an amount of wetness left in the garment that
if it is squeezed, one or two drops of water will still drip out then both the
clothing and the hands are impure.
Law: If
one did not wash the hands after squeezing it for the first and second time and
its wetness caused the clean portion of the garment to become wet then this too
has become impure. Then if it became wet by squeezing after the first time, it
should be washed twice more and if it became wet with the wetness on the hand
after squeezing it for the second time then it should be washed once. Similarly,
if some pure clothing becomes wet due to the garment which was washed and then
squeezed once then this too must be washed (i.e. rinsed) twice and if that
clothing became wet through it after squeezing it for the second time, then it
will become purified by washing it once.
Law: If
one washed any clothing thrice and squeezed it adequately after washing it each
time but after hanging it out to dry, water dripped from it then this water is
regarded as clean but if one did not squeeze it adequately then this water is
regarded as impure.
Law: The
ruling with regards to a male or female milk drinking child is the same. In
other words, if their urine pollutes the clothing or body it must be washed and
squeezed thrice.
Law: Items
which cannot be squeezed, such as grass-mats, utensils and shoes etc. should be
washed and left out until such time that the water stops dripping from it. The same
process should be repeated for a second and third time. Once the water stops
dripping for the third time, it will be regarded as being purified. It is not
necessary to dry it each time after washing it. Similarly, that fabric which
cannot be squeezed due to its delicate nature should be purified in the same manner.
Law: If
the item is such that the impurity did not become soaked into it, such as a
china (porcelain) plate, an old used greasy earthen plate or items made from
metals such as iron, copper and brass then to simply wash them thrice is
sufficient. It is also not necessary to leave it out long enough for the water
to stop dripping from it.
Law: It
is better to scour impure crockery (plates, bowls etc.) by using (pure) earth.
Law: If
boiled (tanned) hide becomes impure then if it can be squeezed it should be
squeezed, otherwise it should be washed thrice and each time it should be left
out for the amount of time it takes for the water to stop dripping from it.
Law: If
a mattress, carpet or any other impure fabric is left in flowing water for the
entire night, it will become clean. The authenticity in this matter is that, if
there is a predominant likelihood that if left in the water for a certain
amount of time the flowing water will carry away the impurity, it will be
regarded as being clean within that time, as squeezing the item is not a
condition when purifying it with flowing water.
Law: If
a portion of the clothing has become impure and one is not able to remember
which portion of the clothing this is then in such a case it is better to wash
the entire garment. In other words, this is in the case where one has no idea
at all regarding which portion of the clothing has been polluted. If however,
one knows that the sleeve or collar has become impure but one is not sure which
part of the sleeve or collar has become impure then in this case, washing the sleeve
or the collar is in reality equivalent to washing the entire garment. If one
considers using assumption in regards to the polluted area and one thus washes
that area which one assumes has been polluted then too it will become clean.
Even if one washes just any portion of the garment without even considering it
then too it will be regarded as being cleaned. However, in this case if after performing
a few Salaahs whilst wearing this clothing, one realizes that the correct area
had not been washed then it should be rewashed and those Namaaz should be
repeated. If one washed it after consideration and then after reading Namaaz in
those clothes realised that the wrong portion has been washed then in this case
the clothing should be rewashed but there is no need to repeat the Namaaz.
Law: It
is not necessary to wash all 3 times at once. If it is washed thrice over
different times and even over a period of different days, it will still be
regarded as being purified.
Law: If
an item made from iron, such as a knife, dagger or sword etc. which has no rust
on it or has no design or engraving on it becomes impure then properly wiping
it clean will purify it. In this case, it will not make any difference whether
the impurity is thick or a liquid. Similarly, wiping all other metal items such
as silver, gold, gilt etc. will allow it to become pure. This is on condition
that the item has no engraving or design on it or it has not become rusted. If
the item has a design or has become rusted then simply wiping it will not make
it pure; it must be washed.
Law: If
mirror or glassware and china (porcelain) dishware, greasy earthenware or
polished (i.e. varnished) wood; in other words all such things which have no
pores are wiped with a cloth or with leaves, to the extent that no sign or
effect of the impurity is left on it at all, it will become purified.
Law: If
semen gets onto the clothing and becomes dry then simply rubbing it and dusting
it off and cleaning it, will allow the clothing to become purified even if some
stain of it is still left on the clothing after rubbing it off. In this issue,
the ruling regarding semen of males, females, all humans, animals, a healthy
person, a person suffering from Bright’s disease (also known as chronic
nephritis) is alike.
Law: If
semen gets onto the body it may also be cleansed in the same manner (as
mentioned above).
Law: If
after passing urine one did not clean ones self either with water or by using a
clod and semen pass on the area which has urine on it then this will not be
purified by rubbing but it is necessary to wash it. In the case where one has
cleaned one’s self or if the semen spurts out, in a manner whereby it did not touch
that actual area where there was the impurity (of the urine) then it will
become purified if rubbed off properly.
Law: The
clothing which is purified by being rubbed clean will not become impure if it
becomes wet by water.
Law: If
semen got onto the clothing and is still wet, it will only be cleansed by
washing. Rubbing it off in this case will not be sufficient.
Law: If
thick impurity such as faeces, dung or semen gets onto the sock or shoe then
even though that impurity is thick, it will be cleansed by scraping or
scratching it off.
Law: If
the impurity that has got onto the clothing is thin like urine and earth, ash
or sand etc. is put on it and scratched, it will still be regarded as being
purified but if one did not do this and the impurity dried up then now it will
not be regarded as being purified until such time that it is washed.
Law: If
impure ground (earth) becomes dry and the signs and effects of the impurity,
such as its colour and smell vanish, it has become purified even if it dried
due to the wind, the suns heat or due to fire. However, to use it for tayammum
is not permissible but Namaaz can be performed on this ground.
Law: If
there was impure water in a well and the entire well dried up, it has become
purified.
Law: Trees,
grass, walls and bricks that are fixed in the ground will all become purified
by becoming dry. If the brick is not fixed to the ground, it will not become
pure by becoming dry but it is necessary to wash it. Similarly, if a tree or
grass was cut off before it dried, it is necessary for it to be washed to
become cleansed.
Law: If
stone (rock) is of such a type that it cannot be separated from the ground then
it will become cleansed by drying, otherwise it must be washed.
Law: A
grinding stone will become cleansed by drying.
Law: Those
stones or pebbles which are above the ground will not become cleansed by drying
and those which are associated with the earth will fall within the ruling of
earth.
Law: Those
things which were connected to the earth (ground) and became impure but were
separated after becoming dry, will still be regarded as being pure.
Law: If
impure sand (clay etc) was used to make earthenware, then for as long as it is
unbaked, it is regarded as being impure. It will become purified after being
baked (i.e. after becoming hardened).
Law: If
drops of impure water were sprinkled on a ‘Tanoor’ (oven/stove) or ‘Tawa’ (hot
plate or pan on which roti is made) and the heat caused the wetness or moisture
to evaporate. Thereafter, the roti (bread) that is cooked on it will be
regarded as pure.
Law: It
is permissible to burn dry dung-cakes in order to cook food.
Law: If
something which became cleansed by drying or by scraping etc. and then became
wet afterwards it will not be regarded as being impure.
Law: With
the exception of a pig, the flesh and hide of every animal, be it Halaal or
Haraam as long as it is an animal that can be made Zibah and it was sacrificed
by saying ‘Bismillahi Allahu Akbar’ is regarded as being Paak (clean). In other
words, if that meat is in the possession of a Namaazi (worshipper) or if he
performed his Namaaz on that animal hide, the Namaaz will be regarded as being
valid. However, making a Haraam animal Zibah will not render it Halaal. It will
still remain Haraam.
Note: It
must be noted that there is a difference between something being pure, i.e.
clean and it being Halaal. It does not mean that if something is regarded as
clean, it is Halaal for consumption or use. An example of this is sand. Even
though sand is pure, it is not Halaal for consumption.
Law: With
the exception of a pig, the hide of every animal becomes clean after drying
(tanning) whether it was tanned by boiling it with ‘khari namak’ or with any
other chemical, or if it was simply left out to dry in the sun or it dried due
to the wind and all its moisture dries off allowing its odour to fade away. In both
cases, it will be regarded as being purified and Namaaz on it is permissible.
Law: Even
though the hide of a predatory beast has been tanned, one should neither sit on
it nor perform Namaaz on it as this causes one to become harsh in temperament
and it leads to pride and arrogance. Sitting on goat and ram hide and wearing
it as well causes one to become gentle in temperament and brings about
humility. Even if the hide of a dog has been tanned or it has been made Zibah, it
should not be used as it is advisable to protect yourself from the differences
of the Learned Imams and from the repulsion of the people.
Law: If
a portion of wool has become impure and one has a positive notion that this
will be blown away whilst wool-combing then combing it will allow it to be
purified, if not it will not be cleansed without being washed. If one is not
aware how much of it is impure then wool-combing will also allow it to become
cleaned.
Law: If
the corn is on the tree (or under the feet) and whilst stamping it the oxen
urinated in it then if it was distributed amongst a few people who share in it,
if it was paid out as wages to the labourers or if it was distributed as Khairaat
(charity) then all will be regarded as being cleansed. If all of it remains in
its actual form then it is regarded as being impure. If however, one washes and
purifies an amount believing that more than it could not have become impure
then all of it will be become clean.
Law: When
pewter and lead are melted they become clean.
Law: If
a rat falls into clarified-butter (Ghee) which has solidified and dies then the
ghee from near the rat should be removed whilst the remainder will be regarded
as being pure and can be eaten. If the ghee is thin (liquid) then all the ghee
has become impure and to eat it is impermissible. However, it can be used for
something wherein the use of such an impurity is not disallowed. The ruling
with regards to oil is the same.
Law: If
honey becomes impure then the method to clean it is as follows: Pour more water
than the amount of honey into it and boil it until all the water evaporates leaving
only the amount of honey which was there. Following this process thrice will
purify the honey.
Law: The
method of cleaning impure oil is as follows: An amount of water equivalent to
the oil should be poured into it and it should be stirred well. Thereafter the
oil should be removed from the surface and the water should be thrown away. This
should be done thrice. Another method is to make a hole at the bottom of the
vessel allowing all the water to flow out and only the oil to remain. Doing this
thrice will also purify the oil. Another method is to put in the same amount of
water and then boil the oil until such time that all the water evaporates and
the oil remains. Doing this thrice will also purify the oil. One other method
is to take pure oil or water and keep it in a separate vessel and both the
impure oil and the pure oil should be poured out in one strain together from a
height. However, in this method one should make sure that the strain of the
impure oil should not separate at any time from the strain of the pure oil or water
and should make sure that not a single drop of impure oil has fallen into the
vessel before this and nor afterwards; otherwise it will become impure again.
The method of purifying other flowing things such as (liquid) ghee etc. is the
same. If the ghee has become solidified then it should be melted and one of the
above mentioned methods should be used to purify it. One other method of
purifying such things is to keep a vessel under the roof drain-pipe and to
allow something pure of the same type or water to be mixed with it and it should
be allowed to flow in a manner whereby both strains fall from the drain-pipe as
one strain. In this way all will become pure. Another method is to boil it with
its own type of thing or with water. In this way it will be purified.
Law: In
order to read Namaaz, the area on the prayer mat (Musal’la) where the hands,
feet, forehead and nose touch must be Paak (pure). If there is impurity on any
other part of the prayer mat it will not hinder the Namaaz. However, it is
necessary in Namaaz not to come in close contact with any impurity.
Law: If
some impurity soiled any fabric and the impurity remained on one side and did
not affect the other side at all then in this case one cannot turn it over and
read Namaaz on the other side, no matter how thick the fabric is; unless the
impurity has not soiled the actual area on which Sajdah is made, i.e. the
actual area of Namaaz as mentioned above.
Law: If
one layer of a two layer fabric has become impure and both have been sewn
together then Namaaz on the other layer is not permissible. If they are not
sewn together then Namaaz on the other layer is permissible.
Law: If
a wooden panel becomes impure from one side then if it is so thick that it can
be ripped (split) in thickness then one may turn it over and read Namaaz on it,
otherwise not.
Law: Namaaz
is not permissible on that ground which has been prepared with dung, even if it
becomes dry. However, if a thick cloth has been placed over it then Namaaz may
be performed on the cloth even if it has some wetness on it. The wetness should
however not be to the extent that it causes the ground to become wet and in
turn wets the cloth because in this case the cloth with become impure and
Namaaz on it will be impermissible.
Law: If
impure Surmah (antimony) or Kaajal (collyrium) was applied to the eye and it
spread then to wash it is Waajib. If it is inside the eyes only and is not on
the outside then it is excused.
Law: If
one sees some impurity on the clothing of another Muslim and he believes that
by informing him of this, he will clean it out then in such a case it is Waajib
to inform him of it.
Law: The
clothing used by a fasiq (sinful person) where it is not known whether it is
impure or not, will be regarded as being pure but the precaution in regards to
the pants etc. of a person who does not pray his Namaaz is that the gusset
should be purified (cleaned) because many non-Namaazis just wear their pants
after passing urine. One must be even more cautious with regards to cleaning of
such clothes of the unbelievers.
0 comments:
Post a Comment