Fatwa ID: 05285

Answered by: Mufti Jamal Ahmed

Question

Assalamualaykum, for all this time, all the people in my home habitually walk in and walk out of the living room and toilet with their slippers on. In other words, we’ve been using slippers to walk around all around the house be it the latrines, living room, or the kitchen. There is one exception though and it is the namaz room. So I think there might have impurities to be transmitted under the slippers to all around the house particularly the living room. So, I don’t know where exactly and not sure where the impurities are because the water and impurities under the slipper can’t be distinguished.

Based on what I have said above,

1) Do I have to purify all around the house?

2) As I take off my slipper before entering the namaz room and there are wet liquid under the slipper and I step on the wet liquid and not sure and if there are any impurities, do I have to purify all the way that I have a step on and also the sajdah to perform my salah?

3) If let say there are impurities in the living room and it has dried without leaving any trace, has no smell, taste or colour (invisible impurities-hukm) and my wet footstep on it, will the impurities transmitted to my foot and thus to all the way that I have walked on. 

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

Answer:

The wet floors and wet slippers will only be considered impure if you are sure that impurity fell upon it or that you can see the color or can smell it, although it is better to wash your feet and slippers before entering the prayer room.

If you place your wet foot on a dry floor that is impure, your foot will not be impure unless the effect of the impurity comes onto your foot.

There is a principle in Islamic jurisprudence which is:

“Certainty is not lifted by a doubt.” (Al Ashbah Wan Nadhair p.60)

Only Allah knows best.

Written by Mufti Jamal Ahmed

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul ifta Birmingham