Fatwa ID: 08809

Answered by: Maulana Yusuf Badshah

Question:

My washing machine has a leak. If I was washing impure clothes, will the water that drips down and out of the washing machine be considered impure even if no apparent change is seen in such water?

If it is considered impure what should I do, as this has been the case for a while and so the impurities would have spread throughout the house since I have walked in and out of the wet laundry area?

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

Answer:

This depends on where the water is leaking from. If the leaking water is that water which is carrying the impurity away from the clothing then this water is impure and should be cleaned, as should any areas of floor or clothing that have come in contact with it. If the leaking water had not yet come into contact with the impure clothing, then one can assume it is pure. To determine whether or not water is impure, one should assess whether there are clear visible impurities in the water, or whether the colour or smell has changed significantly enough to warrant concern [1].

References:

[1] Bada’ius Sana’i, vol. 1, pg. 83, Darul Kutubul Ilmiyyah:

(أَمَّا) الْأَوَّلُ فَمَا يَحْصُلُ بِهِ التَّطْهِيرُ أَنْوَاعٌ: مِنْهَا الْمَاءُ الْمُطْلَقُ، وَلَا خِلَافَ فِي أَنَّهُ يَحْصُلُ بِهِ الطَّهَارَةُ الْحَقِيقِيَّةُ وَالْحُكْمِيَّةُ جَمِيعًا؛ لِأَنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى سَمَّى الْمَاءَ طَهُورًا بِقَوْلِهِ ﴿وَأَنْزَلْنَا مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مَاءً طَهُورًا﴾ [الفرقان: ٤٨] وَكَذَا النَّبِيُّ ﷺ بِقَوْلِهِ «الْمَاءُ طَهُورٌ لَا يُنَجِّسُهُ شَيْءٌ، إلَّا مَا غَيَّرَ لَوْنَهُ، أَوْ طَعْمَهُ، أَوْ رِيحَهُ» وَالطَّهُورُ: هُوَ الطَّاهِرُ فِي نَفْسِهِ الْمُطَهِّرُ لِغَيْرِهِ، وَكَذَا جَعَلَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى الْوُضُوءَ وَالِاغْتِسَالَ بِالْمَاءِ طَهُورًا بِقَوْلِهِ فِي آخَرِ آيَةِ الْوُضُوءِ: ﴿وَلَكِنْ يُرِيدُ لِيُطَهِّرَكُمْ﴾ [المائدة: ٦]

And only Allah s.w.t knows best.

Written by Maulana Yusuf Badshah

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham