Filth and Istinja

FILTH

Purification of filth from the body and clothing of the musalli is obligatory, as from the place in which he performs salah.

This is based on the ayah of the Quran “keep you clothes pure”. The evidence is extended to body and place of prayer.

Means of cleansing

1. Cleansing of filth is permissible with water, and with any pure liquid with which it can be removed, such as vinegar and rose-water.

Shafii says water must be used as impure water can not be used for purification. Ahnaf say that the objective is reached, that is removal of filth.

2. If filth has touch become affixed to a khuff, and it has body, and then it dried, then rubbing it with the ground is permissible.

This is based on hadith, and is specific to khuffs and not clothes.

3. Semen is unclean, and it is obligatory to wash it, but if it has dried on a garment it suffices to scrape it off.

This is based on hadith narrated by Ayesha. Imam Shafii does not regard it is unpure (as it is the root of human life)

4. If filth becomes affixed to a mirror, or a sword, it is sufficient to wipe it.

5. If the ground is contaminated by filth, and then it dries in the sun and its trace disappears (due to a hadith that the land is purified by heat), salah is permissible in that place, but tayammum is not permissible from it.

This is due to the difference between the 2 concepts of pure and purifying.

Also, the ayah of tayammum refers to clean earth, and can not be changed by this hadith.

The clean earth is a fard of tayammum, the clean place of praying is an extension to the ayah of the Quran “keep you clothes pure”.

6. Any hide which has been tanned has become clean - salah is valid on it, and wudu from it - except the skins of pigs and humans. The hair of a dead animal, its bones, hooves, sinews and horns are clean.

Regulations of Cleansing

1. Heavy Filth: Whoever is contaminated by severe filth, such as blood, urine*, stool, or wine, to the extent of a dirham** or less, salah is permissible with it, but if it is more [than a dirham] it is not permissible.

* Not sure which urine is referred to here, as the rule for urine is more strict and mentioned below.

**The rule for the size of the dirham is complex and is based on weight and size.

2. Light Filth: If he is contaminated with light filth, such as the urine of those [animals] whose flesh may be eaten, salah is permissible with it as long as it does not reach one fourth of the garment.

The evidence for this is due to conflict of hadith.

3. Visible: That which has a visible essence, its cleansing is the removal of its substance, unless there persists some trace of it which is cumbersome to remove. Due to the principal that hardship is to be removed.

4. Invisible: That which does not have a visible essence, its cleansing is that it be washed until the one washing is satisfied that it has been cleansed. Similar to case of seeking the qibla, a person uses reasonable satisfaction, but can not really be convinced.

ISTINJA:

Definitions

Istinja: Remove or reduce the filth from the two private parts (usually refers to the back passage).

Istibra: to clean urine from the body

Ruling:

Istinja' is sunnah mukaddah.

Ahnaf say that wiping away will suffice, even doing nothing, if you are sure that there is no filth. Evidence is from hadith, 'whoever cleaned 3 times that is good, there is no harm who didn't do this'. Also hadith mentions 'perform istinja, with three stones', but this doesn't guarantee complete removal.

Shafi says it is fard, due to Quranic ayah 'and clean your clothes'.

The aim is cleansing so the aim is taken into account, so toilet paper can also be used.

Material:

1. Stones, and that which take their place (eg toilet roll) suffice; must wipe [the area] until it is clean.
2. Washing it with water is better. Due to evidence for Quran “Never stand in it; certainly a masjid founded on piety from the very first day is more deserving that you should stand in it; in it are men who love that they should be purified; and Allah loves those who purify themselves” (9:108), Prophet Muhammad (saw) asked these people form quba, why they had been specifically mentioned and they replied that they used water for istinja. Also due to hadith that Prophet Muhammad (saw) was using loo, ibn abbas prepared water for him and Prophet Muhammad (saw) gave him special dua to make him faqih. If the filth exceeds its orifice, nothing but water may be used [to remove it].

Makruh tahreem to use:

1. Bone - night of jinn, jinn asked Prophet Muhammad (saw) leave food for them and animals, Prophet Muhammad (saw) replied that bones is food for jinn, and dung is food for their animals. Makruh tahreem, because strong hadiths, Prophet Muhammad (saw) says that someone who use bones and dung, then he is not of the ummah.
2. Dung - ibn masud brought 2 stones and dung to Prophet Muhammad (saw), who threw away the dung, and said it is rijs.
3. Food - this is israf (extravagance). Similarly grass can not be used. Anything pure and with value.

Number of times:

There is no specific number, but enough to complete the objective, of cleaning the area (unless the person has a compulsive disoreder ther should be a limiting number). Shafii says 3 times is wajib due to hadiths of witr etc. Ahnaf agree witr is good, 3 is sufficient and 7 times maximum (from hadith of dog), person with waswasa especially should restrict to this.

Evidences for no specific number:

1. Ibn masud brought 2 stones and dung to Prophet Muhammad (saw), who threw away the dung, and didn't ask for more stones.
2. Hadith mentions witr and this can be 1.
3. The stone may have three sides, and can be used for 3 wipes.

Acceptable amount of filth:

1. The size of dirham can be carried (for the back passage), approximately 2cm in diameter, at the orifice. Due to hadith 'whoever cleaned 3 times that is good, there is no harm who didn't do this'. This makruh but not tahreem.
2. If the filth exceeds its orifice, nothing but water may be used to remove it. Evidences is that default is to use water, and only for the removing filth at the orifice shariah shows we can also use stones.

Istibra

Istibra is fard and there is no dirham exception (as orifice is not size of dirham). Evidences is narrated by ibn abbas, Prophet Muhammad (saw) passed two graves, and said one is being punished because he didn't do istibra and the other did ghiba. He then placed leaves on the grave and made due to reduce their punishment. Sahih sita also have another hadith, that majority of punishment of grave is due to istibra.

1. Ibn umar and Prophet Muhammad (saw) recommended for urine coming out afterwards:

1. Taking time

2. Coughing

3. Moving about

4. Splash water on clothes to avoid waswasa.

Direction of urination:

In open space it is Makruh tahreemi:

1. Facing qiblah
2. Back to qiblah
3. Face to Jerusalem
4. Back to Jerusalem
5. Facing sun or moon

In closed space this is not such an issue as hadith says that in closed space the Prophet Muhammad (saw) did this.

Notes:

1. Should not take name of Allah into toilet, or say his name.
2. Should ask for protection form the jinn on entering.
3. Should say due on exiting.
4. Cover as much as possible.
5. Disliked to do in a public place. Prophet Muhammad (saw) said be cautious of the two curses, someone he urinates in public place and shaded place.
6. Enter with left foot, and exit with right foot.
7. Right hand - Prophet Muhammad (saw) forbade this in hadith. Disliked to stand and do it, Ayesha narrates only a liar would say this about the Prophet Muhammad (saw), the hadith says that shaytan would stand and urinate. Although there is one hadith that says the Prophet Muhammad (saw) did this, but there is ikhtilaf about this, may be he was ill, or may be he was just showing us.