Fatwa ID: 01292

Answered by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Question:

At my in laws house, they habitually and haphazardly walk in and out of namaz rooms with their shoes on.   Alternatively, they walk bare feet outside and then in the namaz rooms. They also walk bare feet in rooms where shoes are worn, and subsequently walk in carpeted namaz rooms.   Secondly they walk bare feet in the toilet and then walk in carpeted namaz rooms. My father in law takes his father to the toilet, removes his nappy and transfers him from the wheel chair to the toilet. He then transfers him from the toilet to the wheel chair, without performing istinja. He then sometimes transfers him to the bath. Therefore, there is always the potential for napaaki to fall on the floor during the transfer process, and for it to transfer my father in laws feet. I know this because I have assisted him during this process.   Similarly, because istinja is not performed, when my father in law transfers his father from the wheel chair back to the bed, there is always the potential for napaki to be present in the room.   My brother and my brother-in-law both agree that it is not very good that my father in law goes bare feet in the toilet. Even my wife's sister has acknowledged that her father's adherence to cleanliness leaves something to be desired, yet nobody has the courage to say anything. The reason I mention my brother and brother in law is to emphasise that even rational people have some concern.   (1) Exactly how do I address the aforementioned cleanliness issues above? Should I stay away from their house and just let my wife go? (2) Based on what I have said above, if I walked in any of the rooms at my in laws house without shoes, do my feet become napak? (3) If my feet become napaak, do my shoes become napak when I place my feet in them? (4) Based on the aforementioned, If I perform wudhu at my in laws house and then walk with wet feet in carpeted rooms, do my feet become napaak?   My wife performed wudhu at her parents house and walked with wet feet in carpeted namaz rooms. When she came home, her feet were obviously dry.   She performed wudhu this morning and let water briefly pass over her feet for literally a few (3-4) seconds. In other words, she did not actually wash by rubbing her feet.

(1) Did her feet become paak by water briefly passing over her feet, even though she did not wash 'properly' so to speak? (2) Does the carpet she walked on with wet feet after performing wudhu remain paak? 

Answer:

In the name of Allah, the most Beneficent, the most Merciful.

There are two points to discuss from your question. The first way point is that you should not put yourself into unnecessary difficulty and doubts by assuming that by walking on the ground bare footed their feet had become impure and they then passed the impurity on to the carpets.

There is a principle in Islamic jurisprudence which is:

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

If something is pure apparently, then having a doubt that it is impure would not lift the certainty of it being pure.  

If however, the ground is impure then the ruling is that if the traces of impurity pass to the carpet, the carpet will become impure. This is because when wet feet touches the impurity, it will be transferred to that area, hence, if one’s feet comes into contact with that area, his feet will become impure and then if he walks onto the carpet, it will become impure.

Only Allah Knows Best

Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham