The Purifiers
These are the things with which it is possible to make things which have become impure pure, and they are ten in number.
First:
Water. Things which have become impure, by one of the intrinsically impure things mentioned earlier, can be made pure by pouring water over them. Before we specify how to purify with water, we will give an introduction to the types of water in order to then explain how to purify using each of them. Thus we say that water is of four types:
1. Running water, such as the water of the sea, river, springs and rivulets.
2. Rain water, at the time of its coming down from the sky.
3. Kur water, which is twenty seven cubic spans of hand and equals approximately 464.1 Kg. An example is the water collected in a reservoir or a big hole.
4. Little water, such as that found in a jug or basket, such that it is less than kur.
Issue 18:
Rain water, running water and kur water do not become impure if an impurity falls in them as long as the colour, taste and smell of the water does not change to that of the impurity. So, if blood falls into a reservoir of kur water and the water does not change, then it remains pure. However, if a lot of blood falls such that it colours the water red or pink, then the water will become impure and it is not possible to drink it or to use it for wudhu (ablution). Similarly, if an impurity like urine falls into a storage tank of water which subsequently takes on the smell of urine.
Issue 19:
Water in pipes and taps have the same ruling as kur water. So if the water from a pipe pours into a bucket or basin in which a drop of impurity falls, it doesn’t become impure.
Issue 20:
Little water becomes impure by even a little impurity falling in it, such as a drop of blood, even if it causes no change to the water.
Issue 21:
How do we purify things with water?
Answer: Things are purified with water in the following manner: Clothes, blankets and carpets, etc., are made pure with running water, or kur water, or rain water, by one washing. They become pure by just immersing them in water. If rain water covers the carpet or it is immersed in a river then it becomes pure. To make these items pure with little water involves washing them twice and squeezing the water out each time – if they have been made impure because of urine (except if it is the urine of a male baby who is being breastfed). If the material was made impure by something other than urine then washing and squeezing them once is enough. All of the above applies upon removing the impurity from the material.
Utensils for eating and drinking can be purified by washing once with rain water, running water, or kur water. If little water is used, then the water should be poured on them after removing the impurity from them, then filling them with water and pouring it out, then filling them again with water and emptying it, then filling them once more and emptying.
The remainder of everyday objects, like the body, the earth, and other tools such as the knife, the toothbrush etc, can be made pure with running water, rain water, or kur water, by washing once – with the condition that the impurity is removed from them. If little water is used and it has become impure by urine, then it should be washed twice, else it should be washed once. And it is sufficient in the latter case that the water is simply continued to be poured after the impurity is removed.
Issue 22:
If the clothes are made impure by something other than urine, such as blood, and if you want to purify it with little water in a bucket, then you must remove the blood first, put the clothes in the empty bucket, and then pour water in to the bucket until the clothing is immersed in it. Then take the clothing out, squeeze the water out, and throw the water to the sink. Now the clothing and bucket have become pure.
If the clothing has become impure by urine then repeat the above procedure once more only.
Issue 23:
If a suckling male baby who does not eat food urinates on his or someone else’s clothes, then it is sufficient to make it pure with little water just once, and it is an obligatory precaution to squeeze it also.
Second Purifier: The earth, as it purifies the underside of the feet and shoes if they become impure while walking. If someone reads on an impurity then walks on pure earth which is dry until the intrinsically impure thing comes off, then the underneath of the shoe becomes pure. Similarly, if he is barefoot and steps on an impurity then the soles of his feet become pure by walking on dry, pure earth.
Third:
The sun, as it purifies the earth and every immovable thing on it, such as doors, trees etc. If the impure region is wet and the impure part becomes dry (after removal of the impurity) because of the strong heat of the sun, then it becomes pure and does not need water be poured over it.
Issue 24:
If the impure earth is dry – whether it has become impure with urine or another intrinsically impure thing – it is sufficient to spray water on it, after which if it dries with the heat of the sun it becomes pure. Thus it is not necessary to purify it with water. If it becomes dry with the wind or the impurity is not removed from it, then it remains impure.
Fourth:
Transformation (al-Istehala): This means that the impure thing changes to another substance, for example the steam which rises from the impure water or urine is pure. Also, if a piece of wood which has been made impure is burnt, then its ashes are pure.
Fifth:
Change (al-Inqilab): This is the changing of wine in to vinegar. As we have said before, wine is impure, so when vinegar is manufactured the juice first becomes wine – this becoming impure – then it changes gradually to vinegar and so it becomes pure. This is the meaning of wine changing into vinegar.
Sixth:
Transfer (al-Intiqal): Such as the transfer of impure blood to insects. For example, the blood of a dog is impure and the blood of an insect in pure. So if a mosquito sucks the blood of a dog and it transfers in to the mosquito, it becomes part of its blood and is thus pure. However, before it enters inside the mosquito, i.e. while being sucks, it is not pure. So, if you kill a mosquito while it is sucking the blood of a dog, that blood is impure.
Seventh:
Islam: When a non-believer becomes a Muslim he becomes pure and does not need to purify his body with water. But he remains in ritual impurity and requires obligatory ceremonial bath (ghusl) for ceremonial uncleanliness (janabah) if he was in a state of ceremonial uncleanliness or a woman was in a state of menses (hayz).
Eighth:
Relation (al-Tabaiyya): The son of a non-believer is, like his father, not pure – this is upon obligatory precaution – but if the non-believer becomes a Muslim then his minor children become pure as a consequence of his purity. There are also other cases of relation-please refer to the detailed books of fiqh for these.
Ninth:
Removal of the intrinsic impurity: This makes pure the thing made impure in two cases only:
1- The body of an animal: if a chicken eats something impure and its beak becomes covered with the impure thing, then it will becomes pure by mere removal of the impure thing from it and it does not need to be made pure with water.
2- The inside of the human body: if blood comes out of the mouth, ear, or nose of a person, then it will become pure by mere removal of the blood and the inside of the mouth, ear, or nose does not need to be purified with water. However, if the lips have become najis then they must be purified as they are on the outside of the body.
Tenth:
Absence (al-Ghayba): If your friend or someone from your family is religious and he knows that his vessel has been made impure, and after a while you see him drinking from with vessel, then you can take the Bessel as being pure without needing to ask him about it, because he is a believer and it incumbent on him not to drink something impure.
Note: When one wants to relieve oneself, one must pay attention to choose a covered place like a toilet and not to reveal oneself in front of other people.
Issue 25:
The place from which urine comes out must be washed once with running water or kur water such as water from the pipes, or twice with little water such as water from a jug. As for the place from which the faeces comes out, it is sufficient to continue washing once until the impurity is removed, after which the place becomes pure without needing to use water.
Issue 26:
The water which is used to purify the places, from which urine and faeces come out after one has relieved oneself, is pure so long as particles of impurity are not seen in it. And this water is called the water for Istinja.
Issue 27:
For men it is recommended to empty the male organ from the remaining urine and to purify it by pressure – for example from the bottom of the organ at its root to its top, and after that if any liquid comes out about which is in doubt whether it is urine or other than urine, then it is ruled as being pure. This process if called Istebra.
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Author: Ayatullah Sayyed Muhammad Saeed al-Hakeem
