Okay, makes sense. But, what I mean is that are my clothes impure if drops from the hand I used to clean myself fall onto them?

JazakAllah! Not that you made this claim, but I just don’t understand why water drops from istinja would be impure – if they are – whereas the private area is regarded as clean at this point. Wouldn’t the the water at the private area be considered equivalent to the water on hand after istinja? Surely, the water drops from the private area are not impure after being cleaned? Or am I looking too much into this?

Likewise, I have doubts whether the bits of soap that sometimes fall on my clothes while I am rubbing my hands following istinja, but prior to washing them, are also unclean? Although this seems strange to me, but at the same time, the water from istinja on my hand has not been washed off yet, which is why I am wondering.

@UmerQureshi Asalamualaikum Mr. Umer Qureshi, I would just like to ask a couple questions on this point. You said: “Although, you can pour water on your hand separately after istinja before any remaining waterdrops from istinja fall on your clothes. That way, the waterdrops from istinja would’ve been washed away already.”

My questions are:

1. So even in this case, any purifying water from the lota that I pour on my left hand (used in istinja) that splashes onto my body would be pure? I can ignore this?

2. And are the splashes that deflect the bottom of the sink and hit my body after I rinse my hands following istinja considered clean/ignorable?

3. Does it matter if my left hand is still placed on my private areas even when I stop pouring water from the lota during istinjaa, or does this render the private areas unclean? In this case, would the water still have to be flowing on my private areas at the point at which my hand is lifted from my private areas? I feel like this doesn’t matter, but I was just wondering.

If you have any ideas on my point below about water on the left hand being clean following istinja, I would appreciate it!

JazakAllah for all your help, may Allah bless you! 🙂

JazakAllah Mr. Umer Qureshi and Dr. Irfan Shahzad. Definitely this has helped resolve my confusion. Just one point I want to clarify, Dr. Irfan Shahzad is saying that “washing after defecation cleans the body part and hand”, so this means I can ignore the drops from the left hand after istinjaa?

@UmerQureshi @Irfan76

Ohh, okay, I see. JazakAllah. And because I can ignore these drops from my left hand after istinjaa, I don’t need to consider my clothes dirty if any drops fall upon them and nor do I need to have to change them? I know you already implied that yes, but just asking for my reassurance.

JazakAllah Mr. Umer Qureshi!

For the questions 1 and 2 on splashing, basically what I understand from what you and Dr. Irfan Shahzad have said is that these things should be ignored. I hope I’m correct in my understanding!

JazakAllah Dr. Irfan Shahzad!

So does this mean that if a person leaves the bathroom after only performing istinjaa with water, then they are clean? I mean in the case where they choose not to wash their hands at the sink, but only wash their private area after defecation. I don’t intend on doing this of course, but I’m just curious.

JazakAllah Dr. Irfan Shahzad. And unless I see any filth (i.e., urine or feces) on the toilet flush handle, can I assume that that is also clean?

@UmerQureshi I’d also like to bring this question up to Mr. Umer Qureshi!

I attached a picture just to be clear, but I’m sure you know what I mean.

@Irfan76 @UmerQureshi JazakAllah!

@Irfan76 @UmerQureshi Asalamualaikum Dr. Irfan Shahzad and Mr. Umer Qureshi,

One thing that worries me is that I will consider something that has impurity on it to be clean. I feel worried that I will be held accountable for this, which is why I go over and beyond in cleaning everything. Do you have any advice for this?

Like the other night while sleeping, I think I had a muscle cramp of the calf and in the process, I believe I felt the movement of urine internally, but do not believe it released externally. I ignored this, but am worried if I contaminated any clothes or bed sheets. At the same time, it’s way too much work to have to go above and beyond to clean everything.

JazakAllah Mr. Umer Qureshi. To be honest, I didn’t get up and check. But I didn’t see any stains either. Still in this case I’m not required to clean myself?

And you have any advice for the post above this where I tagged you and Dr. Shehzad? JazakAllah and much thanks for your help!

Okay, I see. JazakAllah. I’m really sorry Mr. Umer Qureshi, I know I’ve beaten this topic to death. But is it essentially that I only need to clean an impurity if it is something that I can physically observe? But what about in the following situations, how should I proceed – if you don’t mind, can you go over each scenario?

1.) For example, if a garment is moist/slightly wet because of an impurity and it comes into contact with furniture or the floor, does this impurity transfer? Or does the impurity only transfer if we can physically see something? And what if I don’t know if its water on the impure garment that has come into contact with furniture/floor or the impurity itself or a combination of the two?

2.) If I am changing a baby’s diaper and happen to get feces or urine on my hand, I will wash my hands in the sink. But sometimes water will splash back – is this water pure?

3) If I gargle water in my mouth to remove any blood that is there, is the water that hits the sink and splashes back on me impure? Do I need to change my clothes?

Is there a principle that I can follow in these situations in line with the idea that there is no hardship in Islam?

So I should be certain in any given situation?

Like, in case 1, moisture on furniture/tiles can simply be water that was on the trousers from istinjaa, so in that case am I okay to ignore even though the trousers had an impurity?

And in case 2 and 3, if I see water splashing back directly off a site of impurity (such as my hand with feces/urine from the baby’s diaper) but I don’t see any blood, urine or feces in the splashes, then what to do I do? In this case I guess there’s uncertainty if there even are any traces of impurity in those splashes?

Or in in case 2 and 3 above (Dec 22, 2021: 4:05pm), are these things so minimal at this point that it does not matter? Because if blood/urine/feces cannot be seen in the water, then there is at most a very trace amount which doesn’t affect my purity? And I think Dr. Irfan Shehzad @Irfan76 was saying that these microscopic, minute details are not important. Am I on the correct path of reasoning, Mr. Umer Qureshi? Sorry again for constantly bothering you about this.

JazakAllah Mr. Umer Qureshi. And last question, if I’m unsure if the moisture is related to istinja or impurity, how should I proceed? Can I ignore in all cases ?

Asalamualaikum Mr. Umer Qureshi,

I’ve been thinking about this question that I asked last month, and my views have since changed after considering the points that you and Dr. Irfan Shehzad shared with me.

You mentioned that the basic principle for purity is that “purity is required, but how one achieves that purity has been left to the norms and natural inclination of the person.” Dr. Irfan Shahzad has also stated on a few occasions that when cleaning, we do not need to go to the microscopic level and that doing things normally and apparently is sufficient.

You both have also given examples of acceptable ways of cleaning where it is not as if the impurity has been completely eliminated, even perhaps at a visible level in some cases. For example, soaking the trousers when there is prostatic fluid, or wiping oneself with tissue rolls or stones after defecating, or especially scratching off dry spots of madhi or mani. Especially in the last case, scratching off dry spots of madhi or mani will probably not remove the impurity in its entirety.

You both have also emphasized that there should be certainty that there is impurity. In other words, that it is observable or can be seen in some way. Otherwise, it is pure.

1.) So on this basis, I feel that any water from the lota that splashes around as I’m washing my rear after defecation can be considered clean anyway. Because, for one, I don’t have any certainty that there is any impurity in there. It all feels like water. And number two, even if there is any presence of impurity, it would be at a very microscopic level and far, far smaller in amount than the water. Accounting for this microscopic impurity would be going far beyond what is required of me, especially since as you both mentioned, there is no hardship in religion.

2.) Similarly, unless I can clearly observe impurity on any thing, I don’t need to consider it to be dirty, regardless of whether a trouser with impurity or anything else comes into contact with it. It’s only when the impurity is observable or noticeable that it needs to be washed.

3.) Actually, one of the reasons that this all ended up confusing me is because I read somewhere that water from istinja that splashes off of the private parts is considered impure. This seemed like such a microscopic thing, but I accepted it. However, in doing so, it seemed that impurity was everywhere around me at microscopic level, which is why I feared I could be contaminated in any way, such as the ways that I mentioned above (about rinsing out mouth with blood and water splashing back, etc.) But it seems that the principle and examples you both shared with me are not in line what I came across, read and accepted. Therefore, I should ignore this point, which is probably related strictly to fiqh anyway. These are day to day acts for which I can use my own judgements.

Do you mind confirming if I am on the right track in my thoughts here, Mr. Umer Qureshi?

And if @Irfan76 Dr. Irfan Shahzad can also give his insights, I would really appreciate it.

Both of your insights would really help me out.

JazakAllah to the both of you for all your help and time – it has really helped me make more sense of dealing with impurity.

For 3.), I mean *I read somewhere that water being used for istinja that splashes off of the private parts while they are being cleaned is considered impure

JazakAllah Mr. Umer Qureshi, I’m really happy to hear that! I just want to clarify two last points, just to further reassure myself.

1. a) I think you’ve mentioned in a few threads that it is sufficient to wash the affected on the trousers when there is an impurity. In this case, am I okay to not remove the trouser in its entirety, and only remove it so that I can properly soak the area of impurity and rub it. Then, any water that drops on the floor in the process would either be pure, or contain only unobservable portions of impurity. Therefore, I wouldn’t need to clean this water off, since impurity cannot be seen? This is in the case that I am standing on the bathroom floor and not in the bathtub, where water eventually enters the drain anyway. Hence, this water would remain on the bathroom floor.

1. b) Is rubbing after soaking my trouser an obligation, or that is up to my own natural inclination, like you mentioned in that principle. Whether and to what extent I rub depends on what extent I want to get rid of the impurity ?

2.) Like I mentioned above, I don’t need to consider something to be unclean just because a trouser with impurity or something of that nature came into contact with it. In this case, am I okay to trust my instinct or at most take a quick glance at whether there is an impurity present on an object after this contact? I guess in some cases I wouldn’t even take a quick glance if I feel that the trouser is not in such a state that it will be able to easily transfer impurity. Or do I have to examine intently for presence of impurity through carefully observing and maybe even feeling for it.

I’m just asking to further reassure that what I wrote above was said correctly.

For 1.a), I mean I would still be wearing the trousers, but only sliding it down my legs to the extent that I can see and wash off any impurity.

JazakAllah Mr. Umer Qureshi for your help. I’ve definitely felt a lot more relieved over the last couple days. There’re just a couple more points that I’d like clarify just so that I can put this issue to bed.

1.) Sometimes I will have doubts that I may have spread impurity somewhere, like on the floor or handle, etc. Am I okay to simply go back and check if there’s any impurity there and not take any action if I don’t see anything? My only concern is that what if something was there and has dried out and is no longer visible. Or, in the natural course of events, it’s been removed, such as someone walking over it or touching it and unintentionally making it invisible.

2.) Dr. Irfan Shehzad mentioned in this thread that water only gets contaminated when it passes over something dirty Discussion 60172. But he’s also made points about ignoring microscopic impurities in a few threads, such as this one Discussion 61198, where he said that bird droppings in well water can be ignored. So do I reconcile these points so that even if I know that water has – to some extent – passed over an impurity, such as on a trouser then onto the floor, I don’t need to clean up this water unless I can see the impurity, such that the nature of the water has changed? As in, if it appears that the water looks the same, I can just leave it alone?

JazakAllah

For (2.)), I’m also basing this off of Dr. Irfan Shahzad’s point about doing things apparently, which ties in which being able to see the impurity, as far as I understand.

JazakAllah Mr. Umer Qureshi.

Sorry, I did not properly clarify. But for 1), I did actually mean in cases where I have impurity on myself. But I think I get it now. Even if I come back a few hours or days later, there’s no need to clean anything unless there’s some clear presence of the impurity (e.g., smell or change in colour). At this point, even if I had transferred impurity and there is now only trace of impurity that remains as a result of natural course of events (someone touching door handle, for example), I can ignore it because it is microscopic.

But trust me, I’ve definitely changed my approach and already implemented acting off of certainty, as well as the point about ignoring microscopic impurities as you mentioned in 2). The only thing that was bothering me was not checking thoroughly enough if I’d spread impurity when I had impurity on myself, and then deciding how to make a judgement later.

Actually sorry, for 1), did you mean to check if I spread impurity only when I know for certain that impurity on myself or on some clothing has come into contact with an object? And not merely because I have impurity on myself or on some clothing, but do not know for sure if the contact occurred directly between the object and where I have the impurity? Because there could be the possibility that a portion of myself or my clothes that is clean was what came into contact.

Really sorry Mr. Umer Qureshi,

I just want to confirm another point. So, if I know for certain that impurity has come into contact with an item (e.g., wall) through a trouser or my finger, etc., is it fair to say that it doesn’t matter with how much pressure the impurity came into contact with this item? For example, how hard the trouser with the impurity hit the wall, or finger with impurity pressed against the wall.

In all cases, I should be able to detect a clear presence of the impurity, be it visually or by smell, before knowing that I need to clean – otherwise it is microscopic and not something that warrants cleaning?

JazakAllah

JazakAllah Mr. Umer Qureshi.

You have helped me so much in navigating all of these issues. I am really grateful to be able to receive answers from you, Alhamdullilah. Sometimes I might ask questions that make it seem like I’m totally missing the point and haven’t grasped any information, but I can assure you that’s not the case. I always consider the points you share with me very carefully and thoroughly and have worked hard to implement many of them in my life. I can definitely feel the change, but of course this is a gradual process.

May Allah bless you!

Asalamualaikum Mr. Umer Qureshi,

I was wondering if you could help me understand this point that Dr. Irfan Shahzad made in the following thread: Discussion 60172

Regarding the presence of impurity, he said: “one should have a solid and valid reason to doubt, not that one should have reason not to doubt. if unsure, you need not to worry.”

I’m having a hard time figuring out if he’s saying to ignore all uncertainty, because he does, after all, say not to worry if unsure. But at the same time, he says that one should have a solid and valid reason to doubt. To me, this could possibly mean that if one is quite confident – although very slightly uncertain (hence the doubt) – of the presence of impurity, then they should clean themselves?

But I thought we discussed to ignore any feelings or doubts of uncertainty unless 100% sure it is there. In my case, it’s easy to find myself in situations where my mind tries to convince me of impurity and it’s only the knowledge of uncertainty that prevents me from cleaning every time. But, this would make things a bit more challenging.

Please let me know if I have misunderstood.

JazakAllah

Asalamualaikum Mr. Umer Qureshi,

I just want to clarify a point here. You said that if impurity on clothing comes into contact with an object, I should be able to detect a clear presence of the impurity visually or by smell in order to be compelled to clean this impurity off. But the thing is, in most cases, I would not be able to detect impurity in this manner on an object, regardless of the amount of pressure with which the impurity on the clothing came into contact with the object.

However, I noticed that if my finger even grazes impurity on clothing, I will be able to detect its presence. So how do I reconcile both situations? Because in the case of my finger, I would now be compelled to clean that off, right? I’m not sure if it still falls under the heading of microscopic.

But then again, it would very, very difficult to clean off impurity on objects that I cannot even detect.

JazakAllah

Asalamualaikum Mr. Umer Quershi,

I was wondering if you have updates for this question?

JazakAllah

JazakAllah Mr. Umer Qureshi,

Yes, this makes a lot of sense.

So regarding my point that “if my finger even grazes impurity on clothing, I will be able to detect its presence”, this would warrant cleaning since the impurity is detectable. But if an object (e.g., wall) grazes impurity on clothing, most likely it will not be detectable, so it would not warrant cleaning. In both cases even though impurity was touched to the same degree, we would consider the impurity on the object (e.g., wall) to be microscopic and I wouldn’t have to clean. And this is mostly due to hardship. Is this correct line of thinking?

JazakAllah Mr. Umer Qureshi,

Actually, my point was that I am certain that there is impurity on my clothing. What I meant to clarify was that this clothing touching my finger means that I have to clean my finger, since the impurity was detectable. But the same clothing touching a wall does not mean I have to clean that wall because I cannot detect the impurity on the wall in this case most likely. And this is because of hardship.

Sorry for all the questions and being confusing!

JazakAllah Mr. Umer Qureshi.

I really appreciate it! In that case, basically everything that we’ve discussed on this thread can be summarized under the principle of there being no hardship in religion. Whether that’s uncertainty of impurity, undetectable impurity or microscopic impurity. Have I understood correctly?

Sorry Mr. Umer Qureshi. Just last couple of points I want to clarify.

1.) If I have impurity on my hand and happen to touch some object, I will only clean that object if the impurity is detectable on it. Otherwise, the impurity is microscopic. This is correct? In other words, I am to treat impurity being spread from my hand in the same way as impurity being spread from my clothes.

2.) When I am holding onto impure clothes, or removing them, etc. I should be certain that I have come into contact with impurity before needing to clean myself. Correct?

JazakAllah!

*Also, I noticed that what we’ve discussed in this thread has extended far beyond the purity of water dripping from the hand after istinjaa. Just in case you wanted to change the thread title.

JazakAllah Mr. Umer Qureshi.

For 1) But what if the impurity on my hand is real and clearly detectable? In this case, if I graze or touch a doorknob, will the doorknob be affected or that depends if impurity is visible on the doorknob?

*I was wondering is it possible that the title of this thread can be modified instead? Because I like to refer back to things you have written in this thread and all the points are discussed here in detail.

JazakAllah Mr. Umer Qureshi,

Logically speaking, what you are saying makes sense.

But I’m just confused then that why is that when someone is wearing a trouser with impurity, and they clearly observe the impurity on this trouser touching an object (e.g., wall, door, etc.), then why do we consider the impurity on the object to be microscopic? I believe that’s what we discussed. Because in this case, wouldn’t the object be in the same state as the trouser.

JazakAllah

JazakAllah Mr. Umer Qureshi,

I’m just getting a bit confused because I thought we discussed something different before. That I only have to clean the surface if there is impurity visible upon it because otherwise it is undetectable and microscopic. But now it seems that I have to clean the surface even if the impurity is not visible and additionally, that impurity is not considered microscopic? So me touching that door knob or surface later on means that it can contaminate me? Because then it seems like an endless cycle of me touching the surface while cleaning it then getting contaminated myself, and then me contaminating other things since detectability is no longer the yardstick for whether there is impurity or not.

Now, for example, I’m trying to remember in the past if impurity on me came into contact with a surface and I ignored it, but I cannot recall. In this case, am I okay to ignore?

I’m referring to our conversation on this thread dated January 12, 2022 at 2:24 am.

JazakAllah

At the same time, I can understand your point about the doorknob being contaminated if I touch it with a hand with observable impurity. In this case, I guess the impurity on the doorknob would still be detectable by touch if not visually or by smell. But I guess that also would depend on the pressure with which the doorknob was touched. Sorry for making this so complicated, but it’s just something that really bothers me. I found the standards you shared with me previously to be a lot easier to follow. Because now, I’m getting the impression that even dried up impurity or the private part after the emission of madhi can spread impurity, even though this is not detectable.

And also, I understand that I am obliged to clean the doorknob now since impurity was detectable on the hand. However, when I am cleaning the door knob after washing my hands, the impurity on the doorknob will not be considered to have transfered onto my hand to such an extent that I now have to clean my hand too, right? Because the impurity on the doorknob is undetectable at this point anyway. It’s like the example we discussed for madhi, I think. And in this case, my hand is touching the doorknob as I clean it.

JazakAllah Mr. Umer Qureshi,

I want to clarify a few points, if that is okay.

1.) How should I go on about cleaning a surface which was touched by a detectable impurity on me, but does not have any visible impurity. I just have to use my best judgement without burdening myself?

And since this surface doesn’t have any detectable impurity, will that impurity be able to spread on to me if I touch the surface, or if another object touches the surface? Because originally, we said that it is only when a detectably impurity certainly comes into contact with another surface that the surface needs to be cleaned. But in this case, the surface I need to clean doesn’t even have detectable impurity.

2.) If the standard for a genuine impurity is something detectable, then why do we even have to bother with cleaning a surface that is apparently fine, but was in contact with a detectable impurity?

3.) Is it only when the detectable impurity is wet that I have to clean a surface with which it comes into contact? I assume that a dried up impurity or solid impurity shouldn’t be able to spread elsewhere beyond a very, very microscopic level?

JazakAllah

JazakAllah Mr. Umer Qureshi and Dr. Irfan Shahzad,

Okay, all of these points make sense!

For 2), what do I do when detectable impurity has touched another surface, but I cannot detect the impurity on that surface through visibility or smell? Like that example of touching a door knob when there is impurity on the hand.

And also, am I under no obligation whatsoever to confirm that detectable impurity has touched a surface if I am unsure, but am able to establish certainty if I investigate? Like, in the case that I put contaminated clothes into a bag or laundry basket.

JazakAllah

JazakAllah Mr. Umer Qureshi.

Okay, I think I understand now. I’m just going to summarize everything you shared just to make sure I understood you properly.

So these are the points I need to keep in mind when it comes to impurity on a garment or any other item:

– It should be a genuine, detectable impurity (undetectable means that it is microscopic)

– I should be 100% sure that this impurity came into contact with another object

– I only need to clean the object with which the impurity came into contact if the object has detectable impurity on it, which can be determined via visibility or smell (however, I don’t think I need to go as far as touching the object if those other two criteria are not met?)

– Undetectable impurity is microscopic impurity and does not warrant cleaning + cases in which I am uncertain of contact with impurity means that I do not need to take any other actions, including investigative actions

Now, one point that has challenged me is the fact that if my finger even slightly touches impurity on a garment, I can feel that impurity on my finger. But I guess this makes the impurity detectable on my finger due to touch, and so I can easily wash it. On the other hand, that same impurity on the garment touching another object (e.g., wall) will in most cases not leave behind any detectability in terms of visibility or smell. However, I do not need to clean this object (e.g., wall) and this is not a contradiction because unlike my finger, it would be difficult to clean this object (e.g., wall) since I cannot demarcate the area for cleaning. There is no hardship in religion. Furthermore, me touching this object (e.g., wall) with which the impurity came into contact using my finger will not lead to impurity being detectable on the finger. It will feel like the object (e.g., wall) normally does. So in this way, it’s clear that the impurity is microscopic and cannot even spread impurity at a detectable level. I hope I am not making this confusing to understand, but am I correct here as well, Mr. Umer Qureshi?

JazakAllah for your help Mr. Umer Qureshi. Yes, it makes sense now. I think I was just getting a little bit confused before. I also have some other points that I’d like to have clarified, if you don’t mind.

1.) So, you said that when detectable or genuine impurity comes into contact with an object, then I should check to see if impurity has spread onto that object. What about in the case that I know genuine impurity exists, but I am not sure if this impurity can spread? For example, we discussed having to wash the tip of the private part after emission of madhi. Even though it is the case that I have to wash the private part, I do not know if the private part touching any other piece of my clothing has the ability to spread detectable impurity there before it is washed. So in this case, do I have to check and see if any impurity has been spread to clothing that was in contact with the private part before it was washed with water but after the emission of madhi? Or am I obligated to check only if I am certain that the there is impurity that exists on the private part in such a from that it is not undetectable and that it can transfer onto clothing (for example, in liquid form)?

2.) If there is impurity on my shirt and I take this shirt off; however, I do not physically feel any impurity on my upper body after the process of taking this shirt off, can I assume that any impurity that has been in contact with my upper body is only microscopic and negligible even if the impurity is wet?

Similarly, even if my finger might come into contact with an impurity, it’s possible that it may not be physically detectable there through touch. So, I can ignore that too, right?

3.) If I know that detectable impurity had touched an object but has now dried up and I can no longer see the impurity, how should I go on about cleaning the object? Do I have to clean the entire object or just use my best judgement on what areas might have been affected? For example, a kid might not wash themselves properly while using the toilet and then they touched the toilet handle. How should I clean the toilet handle?

JazakAllah

Asalamualaikum Mr. Umer Qureshi,

I remembered a couple other points that I wanted to ask you.

4.) If I’m washing myself or my clothes to get rid of najaasat with water and I instinctively know that the water that runs over the impurity onto my body parts and other parts of the clothes cannot be contaminated by the impurity to such an extent the water would become impure from the impurity beyond a microscopic level, do I have to keep checking for changes in the nature of the water or can I just trust my instinct?

5.) Similarly, when one is performing istinjaa after defecating, they have may feel splashes of that water hitting their rear at different places. Can we just trust that this water is pure and has not been contaminated by the feces to such an extent that it became impure?

6.) In general, if I don’t whether an impurity has the ability to spread, such as not knowing if it has dried, am I still obliged to check if it has contaminated an object with which it has come into contact? Or because I’m not certain that it even has the ability to spread due to possibly being dry after some period of time, I’m not obliged to check that object.

*By the way, for (1.), I was referring to having to check when you don’t know if the madhi has dried up.

JazakAllah!

I believe these were all the questions I had on the topic!

JazakAllah Mr. Umer Qureshi,

You clarified many points!

But there are just a few things I want to further clarify about these points.

1.) For this one, I mean that after emission of mani or madhi, when we are pulling down the pyjama or trousers, do we have to keep track of the parts of the trousers that the private part is touching in this process? And then constantly check to see if impurity is spreading on these parts of the trousers?

2.) I mean in this case I am certain that there is impurity on my shirt, such as mani. But when I am taking this shirt off, of course it will be in contact with my upper body. But as you said, if I don’t detect anything on my upper body, then I can ignore this? Similarily, if I don’t detect any impurity on my finger when I certainly know that I touched an impurity, then I can ignore this. Correct?

3.) If it is a big area and another object touches this area, it does not mean that that object is impure because I can’t say with certainty that the object touched impurity. Even if it touches the portion of the big area which my best judgement identifies as the area I need to clean. Correct?

4.) Oh, and for this one, even if the impurity is still present on me or the clothes, I can still trust that the water has diluted the impurity to the extent that it is negligible?

JazakAllah

JazakAllah Mr. Umer Qureshi,

Just some further questions:

1) Do I have to check to see if is a detectable impurity on the private part at this point or it’s only if I notice it? And if I don’t check to see if there’s impurity on it, then there’s no problem?

2) JazakAllah. So if there are doubts, either I didn’t contact the impurity or it was microscopic. In either case, I can ignore. Correct?

JazakAllah Mr. Umer Qureshi,

There was one other question I think that I added a bit later after editing my question, regarding point number 4:

“4.) Oh, and for this one, even if the impurity is still present on me or the clothes, I can still trust that the water has diluted the impurity to the extent that it is negligible?”

This question was for:

4.) If I’m washing myself or my clothes to get rid of najaasat with water and I instinctively know that the water that runs over the impurity onto my body parts and other parts of the clothes cannot be contaminated by the impurity to such an extent the water would become impure from the impurity beyond a microscopic level, do I have to keep checking for changes in the nature of the water or can I just trust my instinct?

Sorry Mr. Umer Qureshi. But you mean this for the second part of the question, right? That even if the impurity is still present on me or the clothes, even then I can trust the water has diluted the impurity to the extent that it is negligible in the water? So, the water is considered clean.

I realize that you just answered this question, but I just wanted to make sure just in case it wasn’t the earlier question/part you answered.

JazakAllah Mr. Umer Qureshi,

I want to clarify another question that I asked you earlier. So I asked:

5.) Similarly, when one is performing istinjaa after defecating, they may feel splashes of that water hitting their rear at different places. Can we just trust that this water is pure and has not been contaminated by the feces to such an extent that it became impure?

And you replied:

5) Yes, becuause in order to establish impurity, you need to be certain and mere doubts are not sufficient.

Basically, I want to ask the following question:

So, is another aspect to consider that we cannot establish with certainty that there is beyond a microscopic level of impurity in these water splashes from istinjaa water. And since we cannot establish this, there is no need to clean. Furthermore, I do not need to check if there is beyond microscopic impurity there because this would be hardship. Is this correct?

JazakAllah

JazakAllah Mr. Umer Qureshi.

I want to discuss two further points with you, if this is okay.

1.) I want to try to apply the principles we’ve discussed here in another scenario. If I’m cleaning najasah off myself with water and I notice that a couple specks of najasah remain on my hand after I’m done washing and no longer using water. In this case, the water that is dripping off my hand should be pure with microscopic impurity, right? Can I instinctively trust this is the case or do I have to examine the water? And what about specifically in the case of istinjah if one is washing after defecation and notices specks on the hand?

2.) I know you said that rather than trying to deduce if the filth is dry or wet, I can just check to see if it transferred onto me. But the thing is, this can be very difficult. Because, sometimes if I’m walking outside, there may be bird droppings along the ground. I could keep checking my shoe to see if there is any impurity on them, but this is quite tedious and difficult. Similarly, I think I’ve mentioned that I live in Canada, and people are not quite as clean when using the washroom here. Especially in public washrooms, there are yellowish/brownish stains. Sometimes it’s quite clear that it’s filth and not something else. The thing is, they’re small so I wouldn’t even be able to easily locate the place where they came into contact with my pants. And even if I could, I wouldn’t be able to easily assess whether the najasah transfered. Then there’s also the point about emitting impurity from the private area. It’s almost impossible to keep track of every part of the undergarment the private part may have touched before being cleaned, and then assessing whether or not impurity spread. This is because I don’t know if the impurity had dried up by the time it touched the clothing.

So keeping this all in mind, can I just assume that impurity cannot be spread unless it is something that I can 100% confirm? Because if I can say with certainty that something is wet, for example, then I know for certain that it can be spread. And so I would check to see if it has left any visible impurity on the object it touched.

JazakAllah

And sorry for all the questions again!

So for (1), is it just the specks that would be dirty or any water on the hand too?

JazakAllah Mr. Umer Qureshi. This makes sense, but I hope I can come a little later just to clarify a few of the things I discussed with you in those two points again. Just for reassurance. Just got to go right now.

JazakAllah for your help!

I’m just getting a little bit confused here about when I’m supposed to check for impurity. Because I know that I should check if genuine impurity comes into contact with an object, but in other cases I can trust my instinct. And then, for example, with the hand you said that only the specks would be dirty and that the water on the hand (I’m assuming) I don’t necessarily need to check if it’s impure beyond a microscopic level.

Also, you were saying that my principle of “assuming that impurity cannot be spread unless it is something that I can 100% confirm” is fine and that I can adopt it over checking for spread any time I come into contact with impurity whether dry or wet (as you suggested earlier).

So, is the problem here that I’m getting into too many specifics? There are basically two principles here, of being certain of impurity and of there being no hardship in religion. And then what we discussed about microscopic impurity not being real impurity. And basically, I need to trust my judgement. The other stuff that we’ve discussed is essentially advice. And I need to trust my instincts and judgement as to when I need to check and when I don’t need to. Because compartmentalizing these things is impossible and then I’d be running here for advice on every other situation. And I understand that deen doesn’t inform us on how to act in every small, specific situation. So again, I need to act as human beings normally would. In some situations, such as a dirty pyjama touching a wall, it makes sense to check if there is impurity on the wall. But then walking on the road where there are bird droppings, it doesn’t make sense to check because these things are usually dry and do not spread. Similarly, it doesn’t intuitively make sense that one is checking their pyjamas for spread of impurity just because they emitted impurity and the private part touched various parts of the pyjama after the emission.

Essentially, what I’m trying to say is that I just have to trust my instinct in these situations on being clean as a normal person would be with regards to when to check and when not to check for impurity, as well as what qualifies as impurity. Because otherwise it’s unhealthy to be so obsessed about this stuff and being so methodological in my approach. I just need to let things happen in the natural course in a way that is normal and not want that involves hardship and InshAllah I will not have to worry about being held accountable.

Because obviously I won’t have access to you for the rest of my life, so I have to trust myself.

Is this right? Because I feel like I’m getting too specific here and then I’ll never be able to move on from this situation.

Oh and also, I don’t need to be on the lookout/hunt for impurity. It’s only if I notice it that I act, otherwise no problem.

JazakAllah Mr. Umer Qureshi. You’re always so kind.

I have come up with a list of questions that I was thinking I would ask you just to get them off my chest. And then hopefully I will try to stop for the time being. I’m going to post the list shortly and then inshAllah whenever you have time if you can please answer them.

Sorry Mr. Umer Qureshi,

I also want to confirm, was everything I stated in those paragraphs (about checking for impurity, etc.) correct too? All of the points?

JazakAllah

Asalamualaikum Mr. Umer Qureshi,

I will send that list of questions of soon. But something that’s bothering me more immediately is that whenever I use the washroom, I get worried that urine might drop onto my fingers when I am moving my hand to normally wash myself. My fear is that that urine would spread to the rear as I am normally washing there. Am I okay to just assume that even in the event that urine does get onto the finger, then normal washing will clean that off, as well as clean the rear of any urine. And because there isn’t any certainty that any urine is left behind, I don’t need to worry. I don’t need to check either. And this is all because of hardship and lack of certainty. Are all of these points correct?

Oh, and by normal washing I mean that I wouldn’t be doing anything extra here to take account of that drop of urine that fell on the finger, etc.

JazakAllah

Asalamualaikum Mr. Umer Qureshi,

When we say uncertainty, does this include uncertainty involving memory? For example, not remembering if impurity touched an object, or where it was located when being washed, etc. In this case, do we have to use best judgement or is it the same as before where unless there is 100% certainty, we ignore these doubts and do not have to act?

Asalamualaikum Mr. Umer Qureshi,

1.) This is something that everyone in general should keep in mind, correct? And not just people that many doubts? I’m referring to ignoring instances of not uncertainty involving memory, such as not knowing if impurity touched an object, etc.

2.) Logically, based on your principle of certainty, one should ignore all splashes while using the toilet unless they are absolutely certain of them? Including splashes when urinating, defecating, as well as when using the lota to wash onself? In the example of the lota, you should be sure that the splashes are not of pure water, but of the toilet bowl before needing to clean yourself.

Are all of these points correct? And if you don’t mind, can you answer both question numbers [1.) and 2.)] separately again?

JazakAllah!

JazakAllah Mr. Umer Qureshi.

And in question 2.), I’m not obliged to investigate whether any splashes have contaminated me while I use the toilet either, correct? Only if I notice something in the natural course of events do I need to act?

Asalamualaikum Mr. Umer Qureshi,

I just wanted to have a point clarified. When I’m cleaning something, is it enough to clean until I can no longer see the impurity. For example, if there’s impurity on a toilet seat, is it enough to clean with an alcohol wipe until I can no longer see the stain. Or do I have to clean the seat again even after the stain has been removed?

JazakAllah

JazakAllah Mr. Faisal Haroon,

So basically I just need to remove things at an observable level and no need to over think after that. Hopefully I understand correctly.

JazakAllah

JazakAllah Yusuf Bhai. I’m always worried that my posts will add to people’s stress, so I’m happy that they’ve helped you. May Allah take away your difficulties, Ameen.

JazakAllah Dr. Irfan Shahzad,

Is this only in the case that one is certain that the splash is beyond the area that would be cleaned by normal washing. Or even if this is only a doubt?

For example, there’s a person who is certain that he felt splashes. However, he is not certain about the area affected by the splashes. In this case, he should stick to normal washing because normal washing will generally remove all the najasah. Did I understand correctly, Dr. Irfan Shahzad?

JazakAllah