Fatwa ID: 08118

Answered by: Alimah Maryam Badshah

Question:

If a person had water on their hand which they think has impurity due to some reason, however the water on their hand is clear (80 percent sure it was contaminated), and then they touch the items (such as a cold room or fridge at work), etc., does it become impure?

And if so, what should be done now, as people use the fridge every day and store food, etc., inside?

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

Answer:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
“Cleanliness is half of faith…” (Sahih Muslim) [1]

Cleanliness is an important part of our faith and a prerequisite to key acts of worship. It is a source of reward and forgiveness, and a quality that separates us from the disbelievers. Anything wet with impurity transfers that impurity onto anything it touches until it has dried. As for impurities on solid surfaces, like a wall or fridge, whilst it was wet, they would have only been required to wipe down the surfaces touched with water or cleaning solution. If the impurity has dried up without a trace, a person would still need to clean those surfaces by wiping the areas at least once, since they know the impurity transferred to those places. [2]

However, as you stated at the start of the question, you are uncertain as to whether the water was contaminated or not, nor are you sure as to what the contaminating impurity actually is. In such a case, you are not required to act upon the doubtful situation until you become sure that the water was contaminated and what it was contaminated with. As a basic principle, a person should act upon what they are certain of and not what they suspect and are in doubt regarding. [3]

Only Allah (عز و جل) knows best.
Written by Alimah Maryam Badshah
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham

References:

[1]
حَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ مَنْصُورٍ، حَدَّثَنَا حَبَّانُ بْنُ هِلاَلٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبَانٌ، حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى، أَنَّ زَيْدًا، حَدَّثَهُ أَنَّ أَبَا سَلاَّمٍ حَدَّثَهُ عَنْ أَبِي مَالِكٍ الأَشْعَرِيِّ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ “‏ الطُّهُورُ شَطْرُ الإِيمَانِ وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ تَمْلأُ الْمِيزَانَ ‏.‏ وَسُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ تَمْلآنِ – أَوْ تَمْلأُ – مَا بَيْنَ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ وَالصَّلاَةُ نُورٌ وَالصَّدَقَةُ بُرْهَانٌ وَالصَّبْرُ ضِيَاءٌ وَالْقُرْآنُ حُجَّةٌ لَكَ أَوْ عَلَيْكَ كُلُّ النَّاسِ يَغْدُو فَبَائِعٌ نَفْسَهُ فَمُعْتِقُهَا أَوْ مُوبِقُهَا ‏”‏.‏
Sahih Muslim 223 (Bk.2, ch1, sunnah.com)

[2]
فَإِنْ كَانَ مِمَّا لَا يُتَشَرَّبُ فِيهِ شَيْءٌ أَصْلًا، كَالْأَوَانِي الْمُتَّخَذَةِ مِنْ الْحَجَرِ وَالصُّفْرِ، وَالنُّحَاسِ وَالْخَزَفِ الْعَتِيقِ، وَنَحْوِ ذَلِكَ فَطَهَارَتُهُ بِزَوَالِ عَيْنِ النَّجَاسَةِ، أَوْ الْعَدَدُ عَلَى مَا مَرَّ، وَإِنْ كَانَ مِمَّا يُتَشَرَّبُ فِيهِ شَيْءٌ قَلِيلٌ، كَالْبَدَنِ وَالْخُفِّ وَالنَّعْل فَكَذَلِكَ؛
… مَا لَا يَنْعَصِرُ بِالْعَصْرِ إنْ عُلِمَ أَنَّهُ لَمْ يُتَشَرَّبْ فِيهِ، بَلْ أَصَابَ ظَاهِرَهُ يَطْهُرُ بِإِزَالَةِ الْعَيْنِ، أَوْ بِالْغَسْلِ ثَلَاثَ مَرَّاتٍ مِنْ غَيْرِ عَصْرٍ
Badā’i’ Al-Ṣanā’i’ (Vol.1, pg.88, Dār Al-Kutub Al-’Ilmiyyah)

وَإِزَالَتُهَا إنْ كَانَتْ مَرْئِيَّةً بِإِزَالَةِ عَيْنِهَا وَأَثَرِهَا إنْ كَانَتْ شَيْئًا يَزُولُ أَثَرُهُ وَلَا يُعْتَبَرُ فِيهِ الْعَدَدُ. كَذَا فِي الْمُحِيطِ فَلَوْ زَالَتْ عَيْنُهَا بِمَرَّةٍ اكْتَفَى بِهَا وَلَوْ لَمْ تَزُلْ بِثَلَاثَةٍ تُغْسَلُ إلَى أَنْ تَزُولَ
Al-Fatāwa al-Hindiyyah (Vol.1, pg.41–42, Dār Al-Fiqr)

[3]
… وَالْعُضْوُ وَالثَّوْبُ كُلُّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمَا كَانَ طَاهِرًا بِيَقِينٍ فَلَا يَتَنَجَّسُ بِالشَّكِّ.
Badā’i’ Al-Ṣanā’i’ (Vol.1, pg.65, Dār Al-Kutub Al-’Ilmiyyah)

إنْ وَجَدَ فِي ثَوْبِهِ نَجَاسَةً مُغَلَّظَةً أَكْثَرَ مِنْ قَدْرِ الدِّرْهَمِ وَلَا يَدْرِي مَتَى أَصَابَتْهُ لَا يُعِيدُ شَيْئًا مِنْ صَلَاتِهِ بِالْإِجْمَاعِ وَهُوَ الْأَصَحُّ.
Fatawa Hindiyyah (Vol.1, pg.60–61, Dār Al-Fiqr)