Baby Vomit; Pure or Impure?

15th July 2021

السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته

Question: If a three months year old child does sick on your clothes and body, do they become napaak? Will one have to wash clothes and body before praying?

 

الجواب حامداً و مصلياً

In the name of Allāh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

 

Answer

In reference to the above question breast milk itself is pure. However, once it is consumed by the infant, reaches the stomach and then vomited then it depends on if the baby vomited a mouthful or not. If it was a mouthful vomit then it is impure.[1] This is due to the milk mixing with the other impure content juices inside the stomach that now renders the baby’s vomit major impurity (najasat ghaleezah). The ruling on major impurity is that if the mouthful of vomit soils the clothes or body equal or more than a dirham [50p or £2 coin] they then become necessary to wash.[2] If the baby vomited slightly (after reaching its stomach) less than a mouthful then it is overlooked and not deemed impure.[3]

Remember that the above ruling was only if the vomit reaches the baby’s stomach. If the milk came out due to a reflux reaction without reaching the stomach then this will not be classed as impure at all because it has not mixed with the impure content of the stomach.[4] Its smell can be a distinguishing factor in determining whether it is actual vomit or merely spitting the milk back out. The actual vomit displays a thicker texture with an odour smell unlike the milk that is spat out because of a reflux.[5]

[Allāh Knows Best]

 

Written by:  Apa Gul-e-Maryam         Reviewed by: Mufti Abdul Waheed

Attested by: Shaykh Mufti Saiful Islam

JKN Fatawa Department

 

 

[1] Durrul Mukhtār wa hashiyah Ibn Ābideen Shāmi, Kitāb Tahārah, vol 1 p. 137-8

(وَ) يَنْقُضُهُ (قَيْءٌ مَلَأَ فَاهُ) بِأَنْ يُضْبَطَ بِتَكَلُّفٍ (مِنْ مِرَّةٍ) بِالْكَسْرِ: أَيْ صَفْرَاءَ (أَوْ عَلَقٍ) أَيْ سَوْدَاءَ؛ وَأَمَّا الْعَلَقُ النَّازِلُ مِنْ الرَّأْسِ فَغَيْرُ نَاقِضٍ (أَوْ طَعَامٌ أَوْ مَاءٌ) إذَا وَصَلَ إلَى مَعِدَتِهِ وَإِنْ لَمْ يَسْتَقِرَّ، وَهُوَ نَجَسٌ مُغَلَّظٌ، وَلَوْ مِنْ صَبِيٍّ سَاعَةَ ارْتِضَاعِهِ، هُوَ الصَّحِيحُ لِمُخَالَطَةِ النَّجَاسَةِ، ذَكَرَهُ الْحَلَبِيُّ.

(قَوْلُهُ: ذَكَرَهُ الْحَلَبِيُّ) أَيْ فِي شَرْحِ الْمُنْيَةِ الْكَبِيرِ، حَيْثُ قَالَ: وَالصَّحِيحُ ظَاهِرُ الرِّوَايَةِ أَنَّهُ نَجَسٌ لِمُخَالَطَتِهِ النَّجَاسَةَ وَتَدَاخُلِهَا فِيهِ بِخِلَافِ الْبَلْغَمِ. اهـ.

 

[2] Fatawa Hindiyya, Kitab Taharah, vol 1, Pg 45

كُلُّ مَا يَخْرُجُ مِنْ بَدَنِ الْإِنْسَانِ مِمَّا يُوجِبُ خُرُوجُهُ الْوُضُوءَ أَوْ الْغُسْلَ فَهُوَ مُغَلَّظٌ كَالْغَائِطِ وَالْبَوْلِ وَالْمَنِيِّ وَالْمَذْيِ وَالْوَدْيِ وَالْقَيْحِ وَالصَّدِيدِ وَالْقَيْءِ إذَا مَلَأَ الْفَمَ

 الْمُغَلَّظَةُ وَعُفِيَ مِنْهَا قَدْرُ الدِّرْهَمِ وَاخْتَلَفَتْ الرِّوَايَاتُ فِيهِ وَالصَّحِيحُ أَنْ يُعْتَبَرَ بِالْوَزْنِ فِي النَّجَاسَةِ الْمُتَجَسِّدَةِ وَهُوَ أَنْ يَكُونَ وَزْنُهُ قَدْرَ الدِّرْهَمِ الْكَبِيرِ الْمِثْقَالِ وَبِالْمِسَاحَةِ فِي غَيْرِهَا وَهُوَ قَدْرُ عَرْضِ الْكَفِّ

 

[3] Durrul Mukhtār wa hashiyah Ibn Ābideen Shāmi, Kitāb Tahārah, Baab Anjas, vol 1, p 320

وَفِي الْفَتْحِ: صَبِيٌّ ارْتَضَعَ ثُمَّ قَاءَ فَأَصَابَ ثِيَابَ الْأُمِّ إنْ كَانَ مِلْءَ الْفَمِ فَنَجِسٌ، فَإِذَا زَادَ عَلَى قَدْرِ الدِّرْهَمِ مَنَعَ.

[4] Ibn Nujaym, Bahr Rāiq, Kitab Wudhu, vol 1, p 36

قَوْلُهُ:، وَلَوْ مُرَّةً أَوْ عَلَقًا أَوْ طَعَامًا أَوْ مَاءً) بَيَانٌ لِعَدَمِ الْفَرْقِ بَيْنَ أَنْوَاعِ الْقَيْءِ، وَالْعَلَقُ مَا اشْتَدَّتْ حُمْرَتُهُ وَجَمُدَ أُطْلِقَ فِي الطَّعَامِ وَالْمَاءِ قَالَ الْحَسَنُ إذَا تَنَاوَلَ طَعَامًا أَوْ مَاءً ثُمَّ قَاءَ مِنْ سَاعَتِهِ لَا يَنْقُضُ؛ لِأَنَّهُ طَاهِرٌ حَيْثُ لَمْ يَسْتَحِلْ وَإِنَّمَا اتَّصَلَ بِهِ قَلِيلُ الْقَيْءِ فَلَا يَكُونُ حَدَثًا فَلَا يَكُونُ نَجَسًا وَكَذَا الصَّبِيُّ إذَا ارْتَضَعَ وَقَاءَ مِنْ سَاعَتِهِ وَصَحَّحَهُ فِي الْمِعْرَاجِ وَغَيْرِهِ وَمَحَلُّ الِاخْتِلَافِ مَا إذَا وَصَلَ إلَى مَعِدَتِهِ وَلَمْ يَسْتَقِرَّ أَمَّا لَوْ قَاءَ قَبْلَ الْوُصُولِ إلَيْهَا، وَهُوَ فِي الْمَرِيءِ، فَإِنَّهُ لَا يَنْقُضُ اتِّفَاقًا كَمَا ذَكَرَهُ الزَّاهِدِيُّ وَفِي فَتْحِ الْقَدِيرِ

[5] See the links below

Reflux in babies – NHS (www.nhs.uk)

Baby Vomiting No Fever: Why This Happens and What to Do (healthline.com) [accessed 14th July 2021]