Fatwa ID: 07800

Answered by Aalimah Saleha Bukhari Islam

Question:

I wiped an impure toilet seat with a dry tissue, then I poured water on it. The water had flowed onto the floor. Is the water flowing on the floor pure or impure?

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

Answer:

A smooth surface which has no clear visible pores, such as the toilet seat can be cleansed by simply wiping away the impurity such that no traces of it remain on the surface (colour or smell). This is because a smooth surface does not allow for the impurity to become lodged. The area wiped does not need to be washed. 

However, if you choose to wash the area after having wiped it with dry tissue, and the water flows to the floor then you can rest assured that the impurity has not transferred. This is because by ensuring the surface was wiped dry prior to washing it, you prevented the spreading of the impurity. Nevertheless, as a precaution, check that there is no trace of colour or smell. 

Note that there is no need to exaggerate or go beyond the basic requirements of cleansing due to unwarranted thoughts and doubts. This aligns with the legal maxim, “there is no consideration for mere suspicion,” meaning that legal judgments cannot be based on the mere possibility of an occurrence but rather it is based on evidence.

[Qawaid Al Fiqhiyyah P25]

 وَأَمَّا بَيَانُ الْمِقْدَارِ الَّذِي يَصِيرُ بِهِ الْمَحَلُّ نَجِسًا شَرْعًا: فَالنَّجَسُ لَا يَخْلُو إمَّا أَنْ يَقَعَ فِي الْمَائِعَاتِ كَالْمَاءِ وَالْخَلِّ وَنَحْوِهِمَا، وَإِمَّا أَنْ يُصِيبَ الثَّوْبَ وَالْبَدَنَ وَمَكَانَ الصَّلَاةِ، فَإِنْ وَقَعَ فِي الْمَاءِ، فَإِنْ كَانَ جَارِيًا، فَإِنْ كَانَ النَّجَسُ غَيْرَ مَرْئِيٍّ كَالْبَوْلِ وَالْخَمْرِ وَنَحْوِهِمَا لَا يَنْجَسُ، مَا لَمْ يَتَغَيَّرْ لَوْنُهُ أَوْ طَعْمُهُ أَوْ ريحه – كتاب بدائع الصنائع في ترتيب الشرائع ج1/ ص71 دار الكتب العلمية

Only Allah knows best.

Written by Aalimah Saleha Bukhari Islam

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham