Fatwa ID: 08387

Written by Alimah Aisha Qureshi

Question:

I wash invisible impure clothes (like urine mixed with water) in an automatic washing machine which runs total 4 cycles and 4 spins. However, the clothes rose above the water level and do not go back completely. Do them clothes become pure? I can’t tell since it had invisible najasah on them. 

Secondly, during the working of washing machine, the machine only spins for like 1-2 minutes which do not take out all the water from clothes it always drips uprong wringing. After that new water comes in and the process is repeated. However, the last spin is for like 8-10 minutes. Which usually takes water out meaning upon wringing it does not drip. But sometimes even after last spin. When I wring cloth with full force it sometimes drips 3-4 drops

Now my question is, in both case the clothes are impure or pure? If impure then how can I make them pure, since there is always some water left in clothes.

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

Answer:

You’re not alone in wondering about this – it’s a common concern for anyone trying to be cautious with purity (ṭahārah), especially when using modern appliances like a washing machine the clothes are considered pure, as long as they were soaked in clean water at least once, and went through proper rinsing, and most of the water was extracted by the final spin cycle.

In Hanafi fiqh, when impurity is not visible, there’s no need for visible signs of cleanliness (like the disappearance of colour or smell). The condition is that the impurity be washed away and rinsed sufficiently, and most of the water is removed.

What matters is that most of the water is removed, not every single drop. The final spin of the washing machine is treated like squeezing by hand. If the water coming out is minimal and only when forcefully wrung, it does not affect the purity of the garment.

References:

كَمَسْأَلَةِ الثَّوْبِ (وَكَذَا يَطْهُرُ مَحَلُّ نَجَاسَةٍ) أَمَّا عَيْنُهَا فَلَا تَقْبَلُ الطَّهَارَةَ (مَرْئِيَّةٍ) بَعْدَ جَفَافٍ كَدَمٍ (بِقَلْعِهَا) أَيْ: بِزَوَالِ عَيْنِهَا وَأَثَرِهَا وَلَوْ بِمَرَّةٍ أَوْ بِمَا فَوْقَ ثَلَاثٍ فِي الْأَصَحِّ

Radd al Muhtar Vol 1 Pg 328 Maktaba Shamila

Only Allah knows best.

Written by Alimah Aisha Qureshi

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham