12th July 2022
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. Also, when she wakes up in the morning, she walks with those feet that are dry from urine. Sometimes the floor is slightly moist because the air conditioner is on. Secondly, 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 and she gets up, the water trickles to her legs (where i touch while changing the diaper and the urine gets transferred abit) and that water moves to the floor, making the floor unpure. At this moment I don’t see any traces of urine in the house (no smell or colour), 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 detailed query, as a general rule when a smell, colour or stain are not present then the impurity does not remain. If you cannot see any signs of impurity then the areas will still be treated as clean and washing won’t be necessary. It is only necessary to clean once you see any physical signs of impurity in which case it becomes necessary to remove the smell and stain. However, in cases where one can see the physical impurity and an individual has tried to remove the remaining najasat with utmost effort but not able to do so, for instance not being able to remove the smell or stain remains then it will be forgiven. [1]
With regards to dried up urine, it is essential that you wash the area which urine has fallen on.[2] There is no need to purify the entire house when the urine has not touched any other surface. Waswasas – misgivings – regarding impurity and purity can constantly allow a person to assume in matters. It is important to firmly fix a ruling on the matter e.g. this is clean/ impure based on apparent indications, deal with it and then move on without dwelling any further.
[Allāh Knows Best]
Written by: Muftiya 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 شيئاً يزول أثرها ولا يعتبر فيه العدد، وإن كان شيئاً لا يزول أثرها فإزالتها بإزالة عينها ويكون ما بقي من الأثر عفواً، وإن كان كثيراً، وإنما اعتبرنا زوال العين، والأثر فيما يزول الأثر؛ لأن النجاسة كانت باعتبار العين والأثر، فيبقى ببقائهما ويزول بزوالهما
Fatawa Hindiyyah, Kitab Tahara, vol 1, p. 41
وَإِزَالَتُهَا إنْ كَانَتْ مَرْئِيَّةً بِإِزَالَةِ عَيْنِهَا وَأَثَرِهَا إنْ كَانَتْ شَيْئًا يَزُولُ أَثَرُهُ وَلَا يُعْتَبَرُ فِيهِ الْعَدَدُ. كَذَا فِي الْمُحِيطِ فَلَوْ زَالَتْ عَيْنُهَا بِمَرَّةٍ اكْتَفَى بِهَا وَلَوْ لَمْ تَزُلْ بِثَلَاثَةٍ تُغْسَلُ إلَى أَنْ تَزُولَ، كَذَا فِي السِّرَاجِيَّةِ. وَإِنْ كَانَتْ شَيْئًا لَا يَزُولُ أَثَرُهُ إلَّا بِمَشَقَّةٍ بِأَنْ يُحْتَاجَ فِي إزَالَتِهِ إلَى شَيْءٍ آخَرَ سِوَى الْمَاءِ كَالصَّابُونِ لَا يُكَلَّفُ بِإِزَالَتِهِ.
[2] Hidaya, Kitab Tahara, Vol 1, Pg 36
فإن كان بهما أذى فليمسحهما بالأرض فإن الأرض لهما طهور ” ولأن الجلد لصلابته لا تتداخله أجزاء النجاسة إلا قليلا ثم يجتذبه الجرم إذا جف فإذا زال زال ما قام به ” وفي الرطب لا يجوز حتى يغسله ” لأن المسح بالأرض يكثره ولا يطهره وعن أبي يوسف رحمه الله أنه إذا مسحه بالأرض حتى لم يبق أثر النجاسة يطهر لعموم البلوى وإطلاق ما يروى وعليه مشايخنا رحمهم الله ” فإن أصابه بول فيبس لم يجز حتى يغسله ”