Fatwa ID: 07835

Written by Maulana Aabu Saeed Miah

Question:

I have been washing pure and impure clothes together in the washing machine for years thinking they would come out pure. However, after conducting research I have gotten confused due to many opinions and fatawa. So I direct the question to you, Does washing impure and pure clothes together in the washing machine render all the clothes pure or impure? Please note, my washing machine only two cycles with new water, that is mixed with soap.

Also, if everything is impure, how should I go about purifying, as that is very difficult, as I have mentioned, it would be ears of clothes, bed sheets, towels, etc, which would be very time-consuming and hard, due to many heavy clothes as well, Also, all the impurity that would be on them has dried and cannot be seen now.

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

Answer:

Washing impure and pure clothes together does not render all the clothes impure. This is because the main purpose of washing/purifying clothes is removal of the impurities, this is achieved with a washing machine and there is no scope for doubt when it’s washed with two cycles. If you see the body of impurity on the clothes then this ‘body of impurity’ should be removed, this does not extend to difficult stains which may remain. An act of caution will be to wash pure and impure clothes separately.

م: (قال) ش: أي القدوري م: (والنجاسة ضربان) ش: أي نوعان م: (مرئية) ش: أي يرى بالعين ويدرك بالنظر كالدم والعذرة، والآخر لا يرى ولا يدرك بالنظر وهو معني قوله م: (وغير مرئية) ش: كالبول ونحوه م: (فما كان منها) ش: أي من النجاسة م: (مرئياً فطهارتها بزوال عينها) ش: أي عين النجاسة من غير اشتراط عدد فيه م: (لأن النجاسة حلت المحل باعتبار العين فتزول بزوالها) ش: أي بزوال العين، وفي بعض النسخ بزواله بالضمير المذكر، أي بزوال العين أيضاً (البناية,ج1,ص737, دار الكتب العلمية)

Only Allah knows best.

Written  by Maulana Aabu Saeed Miah

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham