Impurities

The Chapter of Purification

Impurities and Their Rulings

Purification in Islam is not limited to wudu and ghusl only.

It also includes purity of the body, purity of clothing, and purity of the place.

Prayer is not valid unless all three are free from impurity.

First: What Is Impurity?

Linguistic Meaning

Impurity means filth or uncleanness.

Islamic Definition

Impurity is any substance deemed impure by Islamic law whose presence prevents the validity of prayer and must be removed.

In other words, anything that Islamic law rules as impure must be cleansed if it is found on the body, clothing, or place of prayer.

Second: Types of Impurities

Scholars classified impurities into categories to make it easier to understand how they are purified:

1) Severe Impurity

This is the most serious type of impurity.

Examples:

Dog and pig impurity

How to purify it:

Washing seven times

One of them with soil (or something that serves the same purpose)

2) Light Impurity

This type has a lighter ruling.

Example:

Urine of a male infant who has not yet eaten solid food

How to purify it:

Sprinkling water over it without scrubbing or squeezing

3) Moderate Impurity

This includes most impurities.

Examples:

Urine

Feces

Blood

Vomit

Madhy and wady

How to purify it:

Washing the affected area until the impurity itself is removed

Third: Places That Must Be Free from Impurity

Impurity must be removed from:

The body

Clothing

The place of prayer

Prayer is not valid if impurity is present in any of these.

Fourth: How to Remove Impurity

The basic means of removing impurity is pure water.

Conditions include:

The impurity itself must be removed

Its color, taste, or smell should disappear if possible

No specific number of washes is required except in cases of severe impurity.

Fifth: Excused (Forgiven) Impurities

Out of Allah’s mercy, some minor impurities that are difficult to avoid are excused.

Examples include:

A small amount of blood

Mud mixed with impurity on roads

Impurities that are not visible to the naked eye

Sixth: Doubt Regarding Impurity

An important jurisprudential rule:

The original ruling of things is purity.

If someone:

Doubts whether impurity touched their clothing

Or doubts whether a place is impure

The default ruling is that it is pure, and doubt does not remove certainty.

Seventh: The Difference Between Ritual Impurity and Physical Impurity

Ritual Impurity (Hadath):

A spiritual state that prevents prayer and is removed by wudu, ghusl, or tayammum.

Physical Impurity (Najasah):

A tangible substance that must be removed by washing and cleaning.

Summary of Impurities

Impurity prevents the validity of prayer

Impurities are classified into severe, light, and moderate

The body, clothing, and place must be purified

Water is the primary means of purification

Doubt does not invalidate purity

Madrasat Al-Quran

We teach Islam with understanding and reassurance

Because purity is the foundation of worship, and correct actions begin with correct knowledge