Fatwa ID: 06832
Answered by: Maulana Ubaidur Rahman
Question:
Can I use an antibacterial spray to spray a door handle with Najasah and then wipe it with a cloth?
A couple of weeks ago I touched the toilet door handle with my hands that were sweaty and touched urine. My mum then sprayed flash antibacterial spray on it then wiped it with a cloth.
I then read a fatwa that says that any antibacterial spray that causes side effects doesn’t remove najasah this spray says it causes eye irritation.
Everyone in the house touched that handle with wet hands and also touched their door handles and light switches. Is everything now Najis?
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
Allah mentions in the Quraan regarding purity and its importance:
إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحِبُّ ٱلتَّوَّٰبِينَ وَيُحِبُّ ٱلْمُتَطَهِّرِينَ[1]
Translation: Surely Allah loves the people who repent and the people who purify themselves.
The Prophet (SAW) mentions in a hadeeth:
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[2] ”
Translation: Abu Malik at-Ash’ari reported:
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Cleanliness is half of faith and al-Hamdu Lillah (all praise and gratitude is for Allah alone) fills the scale, and Subhan Allah (Glory be to Allah) and al-Hamdu Lillah fill up what is between the heavens and the earth, and prayer is light, and charity is proof (of one’s faith) and endurance is a brightness and the Holy Qur’an is a proof on your behalf or against you. All men go out early in the morning and sell themselves, thereby setting themselves free or destroying themselves.
In this scenario, The source with which the cleaning is taking place is pure (the spray) and it is being applied to an impure place (the handle) to remove impurities from the sweaty hands and after recently having made contact with urine.
The antibacterial spray moves and works to remove the effect of the impurity and kill off all viruses and germs related to it. Thus, the Najis/impurity has been removed when the antibacterial spray is applied to a surface. It is not the same as water, as the antibacterial spray cannot be used in the same ruling to have the effect of removing impurities for cases like wudhu and spiritual purification to perform Islamic actions like touching the Quran or reading salaat/prayer.
The general impurity is removed by using general water[3]
The effect of najaasa is removed from the door handle as a clean source of bringing or making cleanliness is being used to remove the filth and purify it in actuality – the spray.
Only Allah knows best.
Written by Maulana Ubaidur Rahman
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah.
Darul Ifta Birmingham
[1] Surah Baqarah: 2:222.
[2] Sahih Muslim , 223
[3] Azeezul Fatawa, Darul Uloom Deobond, page 169, volume 2 physical copy; page 187 answer 167, volume 2 PDF version: AZEEZ_UL_FATAWA.pdf (aislam.org).
