❀ Ruling on Impurity Affecting Clay, Copper, and Brass Utensils ❀
✦ Taken from: Fatāwā ʿUlamā’-e-Ḥadīth, Kitāb al-Ṭahārah, Vol. 1, p. 41
❖ Question:
If urine or feces touches a clay, copper, or brass utensil, what is the ruling? Does washing and scrubbing suffice for purification? What if impurity touches the bottom or inside of the utensil?
❖ Answer:
✿ Copper and Brass Utensils:
✔ If urine or feces contaminates copper or brass utensils, washing and scrubbing them is sufficient to purify them.
✔ There is no doubt in this ruling.
✔ If the impurity touches the bottom or the inside, washing is enough.
✿ Clay (Earthenware) Utensils:
Some people express doubt about washing clay utensils, citing the incident when the Prophet ﷺ ordered the breaking of wine containers upon the prohibition of alcohol.
However, this is a misunderstanding.
➤ The command to break the wine pots was to emphasize the prohibition of wine, not because the clay utensils were inherently impure or could not be purified.
✿ Ruling on Absorption of Impurity:
✔ If a clay utensil becomes impure, it can be purified by:
① Washing it properly, and
② Drying it in sunlight.
This is sufficient according to Shari‘ah.
Even if:
– The impurity penetrates into pores (e.g., skin), or
– Leaves a stain on clothes (e.g., menstrual blood) that doesn’t go away,
Islam considers the act of washing sufficient for purification.
➤ If land becomes impure, pouring water over it is sufficient — there is no instruction to remove or dig the soil.
✿ Ease in Islamic Law:
✔ Islam does not impose unnecessary difficulty.
✔ Washing is sufficient for purifying clay utensils; breaking them is not required.
✔ Summary:
① Copper and brass utensils: Purified by washing and scrubbing.
② Clay utensils: Purified by washing and sun-drying.
③ Shari‘ah provides ease in dealing with impurity — no excessive hardship is mandated.
📌 Reference:
Tanẓīm Ahl Ḥadīth, Vol. 23, Issue 9
Al-Jawāb al-Ṣaḥīḥ by ʿAlī Muḥammad Saʿīdī, Jāmi‘ah Saʿīdiyyah, Khanewal, West Pakistan
