Impurities (Najassa)
📜 Impurities (Najassa) and Their Rulings
"Indeed, Allah loves those who are constantly repentant and loves those who purify themselves." — Al-Baqarah: 222
📜 Foundational Texts
The Quran
﴿ Say, "I do not find within that which was revealed to me [anything] forbidden to one who would eat it unless it be a dead animal or spilled blood or the flesh of swine - for indeed, it is impure (rijs)" ﴾
— Al-An'am: 145
The Prophetic Tradition
The Prophet ﷺ said regarding a Bedouin who urinated in the mosque:
"Pour a bucket of water over his urine."
— Sahih Al-Bukhari
🎓 Scholars' Statements
Ibn Qudamah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
"Impurity (Najassa) is that which one is obligated to avoid and purify oneself from for prayer."
— Al-Mughni
🔍 Linguistic Analysis
Vocabulary Table
| Term | Root | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| Najassa | n-j-s | Filth or dirtiness; opposite of purity |
| Tahara | t-h-r | Cleanliness and freedom from impurity |
| Khabath | kh-b-th | Physical impurity that must be removed |
📚 Detailed Explanation
🔷 Definition of Najassa
Linguistically: It means filth or dirtiness; its opposite is cleanliness and purity.
Legally (Shari'ah): It is a specific filth that prevents the validity of prayer and other acts of worship where purity is a condition.
🔷 Types of Impurities
Among the most important impure substances that a Muslim must know are:
A. Urine and Feces of Humans
Both are impure by the consensus of scholars.
Proof: The Hadith of the Bedouin who urinated in the mosque, whereupon the Prophet ﷺ said: "Pour a bucket of water over his urine." (Narrated by Al-Bukhari).
B. Al-Madhy and Al-Wadi
- Al-Madhy (Pre-seminal fluid): A thin, sticky white fluid released during foreplay or sexual thoughts. It is impure; one must wash the private part and perform Wudu (ablution).
- Al-Wadi: A thick white fluid that comes out after urination. It is impure like urine.
C. Dung and Urine of Animals Whose Meat is Not Eaten
Such as the dung of donkeys and predatory animals.
Proof: The Prophet ﷺ said regarding dung: "It is Riks (filth)." (Narrated by Al-Bukhari).
D. Spilled Blood (Dam Masfuh)
This refers to a large amount of flowing blood. Small amounts of blood are overlooked and excused.
Proof: Allah says: ﴿or spilled blood or the flesh of swine - for indeed, it is impure﴾ [Al-An'am: 145].
E. Swine Flesh (Pork)
It is impure in all its parts.
Proof: The previous verse: ﴿for indeed, it is impure (Rijs)﴾.
F. The Dog
The saliva of a dog is impure.
Proof: The Prophet ﷺ said: "The purification of the vessel of one of you, if a dog licks it, is to wash it seven times, the first of them with soil." (Narrated by Muslim).
G. Dead Animals (Carrion)
This refers to what has died naturally without lawful slaughter (except for fish, locusts, and insects that do not have flowing blood).
Proof: The Prophet ﷺ said: "Two dead things and two types of blood have been made lawful for us. As for the two dead things, they are the fish and the locust..." (Narrated by Ibn Majah).
🔷 Categories of Impurity
Physical Impurity (Ayni / Hissiyya)
This is an impurity that has a physical substance or essence, such as feces or blood. This cannot be purified in itself; rather, it must be removed.
Ritual Impurity (Hukmi)
This is a legal status preventing the validity of prayer, occurring when impurity falls onto a pure place (like a garment affected by urine). This becomes pure by removing the essence and trace of the impurity.
🔷 How to Purify Impurities
The general rule for purification is to use pure water (Mutlaq), which removes the essence, color, and smell of the impurity.
| Situation | Method |
|---|---|
| Impurity on ground | Pour water until the essence is gone |
| Impurity on clothes/body | Wash until essence is removed |
| Dog licked vessel | Wash seven times, first with soil |
⚖️ Schools' Perspectives
| Issue | 🟡 Maliki | 🟢 Hanafi | 🔵 Shafi'i | 🟣 Hanbali |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dog saliva | Major impurity | Major impurity | Major impurity | Major impurity |
| Amount for dog purification | 7 washes + soil | Disputed | 7 washes + soil | 7 washes + soil |
| Small blood amount | Excused | Excused | Not excused | Excused |
🌍 Contemporary Applications
| Situation | Ruling |
|---|---|
| 🧴 Alcohol-based sanitizers | Pure according to many scholars, impure according to others |
| 🐕 Guide dogs touching | Dry contact does not transfer impurity |
| 🥩 Gelatin from animals | If transformation is complete, some scholars consider it pure |
| 💉 Blood tests | Small amounts are excused |
⚠️ Common Mistakes
| ❌ Mistake | ✅ Correction |
|---|---|
| Thinking small blood invalidates prayer | Small amounts are excused |
| Not washing dog contact with soil | Must use soil/earth with first wash |
| Thinking all dead animals are impure | Fish and locusts are exceptions |
| Excessive worry about impurity | Build upon certainty, ignore doubts |
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: Is all blood impure?
Small amounts are excused. Only "spilled blood" (large flowing amounts) is impure.
Q2: What about baby urine?
Boy's urine (before eating food): sprinkle water. Girl's urine: must be washed.
Q3: Is sweat impure?
No, human sweat is pure even if a person is in a state of major impurity.
🎯 Practical Action
This week, commit to:
- Learn the types of impurities
- Know how to purify each type
- Avoid excessive doubt (waswasa)
- Remember that Islam is a religion of ease
📝 Closing Reminder
Always remember that Islam is a religion of cleanliness and purity. Striving for purity is one of the reasons for gaining the love of Allah: "Indeed, Allah loves those who are constantly repentant and loves those who purify themselves."
And Allah knows best