Purification Without Water: Does Dry Cleaning Remove Impurity?
(Source: Fatawa Arkan al-Islam)
❖ Question
Can purification from impurity be achieved without water? Does dry cleaning make clothes pure?
❖ Answer
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu wa-s-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, ammā baʿd!
Removing impurity is not an act of worship in itself; its purpose is simply to eliminate the impure substance. Therefore:
- If impurity is removed by any means and its trace is also gone, the object is considered pure.
- The means of removal — whether water, petrol, or any other substance — is regarded as a purifying agent (muṭahhir) if it removes the impurity.
Additional Ruling
- According to the stronger opinion preferred by Shaykh al-Islām Ibn Taymiyyah (رحمه الله), if impurity is removed by sunlight or wind, the place becomes pure.
- The impurity itself is what is impure; once it is removed, the place returns to its original state of purity.
Key Points
❀ Anything that removes the impurity and its trace is a purifier.
❀ If the color of impurity remains but cannot be removed, it is excused.
Application to Dry Cleaning
❀ If dry cleaning removes the impurity from clothes, then those clothes are considered pure.
ھٰذا ما عندي والله أعلم بالصواب
