23rd December 2020
السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته
Question: I am very confused and worried about the purity of my house from impurities due to my child who is 3 years old. She sometimes leaks her pamper in the middle of the night and when I change her trouser her feet get touched by the wet trouser. And when she wakes up in the morning, she walks with those feet that are dry from urine. Sometimes the floor is a bit moist because the air conditioner is on. Also while I change her diaper, my hand touches her diaper (sometimes the urine) and also her legs with those wet hands, and when I make her sit on the toilet to wash her, when she gets up the water trickles to her legs (where I touch while changing the diaper and the urine gets transferred a bit) and that water moves to the floor, making the floor impure. At this moment i doing see any trace of any urine in the house (no smell, colour or taste), maybe it has dried up or something. I don’t understand whether these are waswasah or genuine concerns. Kindly help me in this matter and if I have to purify the house then how.
الجواب حامداً و مصلياً
In the name of Allāh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer
In reference to your query impurity is determined by the presence of colour or strong smell of the stain. When its smell, colour or stain is no longer present then that is the sign that the stain itself has been removed.[1] However, where there is no physical body of impurity, the eye can see and an individual has tried to remove any remaining najasat, then the rest which may be still present (smell, stain) will be forgiven.[2] Even if an individual has doubt whether the carpet was stained or not as, certainty will always override the doubt and it will be treated as pure. A person is not required to over contemplate over the matter.
In your case with regards to dried up urine then it is essential to wash that particular area only if the stain is visible or if not but you are certain that there is urine stain.[3] There is no need to purify the entire house when the urine has not touched any other surface. As for the child’s feet touching wet urine then they become impure and must be washed,[4] but if the child walks with wet feet then there is no need to worry about the carpet being soiled unless the stains are clearly visible to you.
A final note to your query is that waswasas regarding impurity and purity can constantly allow a person to have second guesses in matters. It is important to firmly fix a ruling on the matter e.g. this is pure or impure based on the above guidance and move forward from that decision without hesitation. Rulings are never based on intrusive thoughts, rather on what is apparent to us.
[Allāh Knows Best]
Written by: Apa Gul-e-Maryam Reviewed by: Mufti Abdul Waheed
Attested by: Shaykh Mufti Saiful Islam
JKN Fatawa Department
[1] Muheet Al Burhani, Kitab Tahara,Vol 1, Pg 195-196
يجب أن تعلم أن إزالة النجاسة واجبة، قال الله تعالى: {والرجز فاهجر} (المدثر: 5) وقال تعالى: {وثيابك فطهر} (المدثر: 4) وإزالتها إن كانت مرئية بإزالة عينها وأثرها إن كانت شيئا يزول أثرها ولا يعتبر فيه العدد، وإن كان شيئا لا يزول أثرها فإزالتها بإزالة عينها ويكون ما بقي من الأثر عفوا، وإن كان كثيرا، وإنما اعتبرنا زوال العين، والأثر فيما يزول
الأثر؛ لأن النجاسة كانت باعتبار العين والأثر، فيبقى ببقائهما ويزول بزوالهما، وإنما لم يعتبر زوال الأثر فيما لا يزول أثرها لما روي عن رسول الله عليه السلام «أنه قال لخولة حين سألته عن دم الحيض: اغسليه ولا يضرك أثره» ، والمعنى في ذلك الحرج.
[2] Fatawa Hindiyya, Vol 1, Pg 41-42
هكذا في الزاهدي وإزالتها إن كانت مرئية بإزالة عينها وأثرها إن كانت شيئا يزول أثره ولا يعتبر فيه العدد. كذا في المحيط فلو زالت عينها بمرة اكتفى بها ولو لم تزل بثلاثة تغسل إلى أن تزول، كذا في السراجية.
وإن كانت شيئا لا يزول أثره إلا بمشقة بأن يحتاج في إزالته إلى شيء آخر سوى الماء كالصابون لا يكلف بإزالته. هكذا في التبيين وكذا لا يكلف بالماء المغلي بالنار. هكذا في السراج الوهاج
[3] Hidaya, Kitab Tahara, Vol 1, Pg 36
(إنْ أَصَابَهُ بَوْلٌ فَيَبِسَ لَمْ يَجُزْ حَتَّى يَغْسِلَهُ) وَكَذَا كُلُّ مَا لَا جِرْمَ لَهُ كَالْخَمْرِ لِأَنَّ الْأَجْزَاءَ تَتَشَرَّبُ فِيهِ وَلَا جَاذِبَ يَجْذِبُهَا
[4] Ikhtiyaar Li Ta’leel Mukhtyar, Vol 1, Pg 32
قال: (و) كذلك بول (الصغير والصغيرة أكلا أو لا)لما روينا من غير فصل، وما روي من نضح بول الصبي إذا لم يأكل، فالنضح يذكر بمعنى الغسل. «قال – عليه الصلاة والسلام – لما سئل عن المذي: ” انضح فرجك بالماء» ، أي اغسله، فيحمل عليه توفيقا.