🧼 Sharʿī Ruling on Washing Impurities from the Body and Flowing Water
❓ Question:
How many times must one wash an impurity (najāsah) from the body? If impurity is on an upper body part and water flows down, does the lower part become impure?
📖 Answer by:
Shaykh Ḥāfiẓ Khidr Ḥayāt (ḥafiẓahullāh)
📌 1. Number of Washes for Removing Impurity:
- The primary goal in removing impurity is cleanliness, not the number of washes.
- If one thorough wash completely removes the physical impurity, that is sufficient.
◈ Exceptions:
- In specific cases, the Sharīʿah requires a set number of washes, such as:
If a dog licks a utensil, it must be washed seven times, one of them with soil.
(As per ḥadīth in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim - For all other impurities, no fixed number is prescribed—just wash until clean.
📌 2. Rule of Flowing Water Over Other Body Parts:
- If impurity is on an upper body part and water flows down over it to a lower part:
- The lower part does NOT become impure.
- The water purifies as it washes away the impurity.
- The flowing action helps in cleansing, not spreading impurity.
📌 3. Avoidance of Waswasah (Baseless Doubts):
- Once the impurity is visibly removed, do not fall into excessive doubts or scrupulosity.
- Worrying that water flowing downward has caused impurity is usually a baseless waswasah.
- Islam aims for cleanliness with balance, not obsessive compulsion.
✅ Summary:
- One wash is enough if impurity is removed.
- No need to over-wash unless impurity remains.
- Flowing water purifies, it doesn’t carry impurity downward.
- Avoid doubts once the area is clean.
