Fatwa ID: 08477

 

 

Written by Alimah Maryam Badshah

 

 

Question:

 

I found everything my mom touches as impure like whenever she touches the cups, plates or makes anything to eat, I think all of them are impure because I think she touched a door in our home that had splashes of impurity or she touched something that was impure but I can’t say it on oath like I’m not 100% sure about the impurity as I don’t remember exactly.

 

 

I even tend to avoid touching such doors or utensils and even her mobile phone.

 

 

My question is what’s the ruling if someone doesn’t remember if something was touched by pure or impure hands?

 

 

How do I deal with this issue of thinking everything my mom touches as impure

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

Answer:

 

As a basic principle, a person should only act upon what they are certain of and not what they suspect and are in doubt regarding. The same applies to the purity of limbs, clothing and surfaces, where we are to assume they are clean until clearly proven otherwise. In this case where you are uncertain as to whether a surface was contaminated by an impurity or not, you would not be required to act upon this doubtful situation until you became sure that the surface was contaminated (and what it was contaminated by).

 

A solution when dealing with issues of doubt is to actively challenge yourself by asking why exactly you feel this way. Another method is to involve yourself in helping clean these surfaces by assisting your mother in her housework. Remind yourself about what is considered an impurity in Islam and the rulings regarding purifying them. You could also discuss your misgivings with someone you trust or seek professional help so you can find the root of this problem.

 

 

 

 

References:

 

… 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.60-1, Dār Al-Fiqr)

 

 

 

Only Allah (عز و جل) knows best.

Written by Alimah Maryam Badshah

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham