Ruling on Purifying Impurities Without Water

This content is extracted from the book "500 Questions and Answers for Women", based on the fatwas of the scholars of Haramain and translated by Hafiz Abdullah Saleem.

Question

Can impurities be purified without water?

Answer

Removing impurities is not one of those acts that require an intention of worship. In other words, the act of removing impurities is not considered an act of worship in itself. The removal of impurities simply involves cleaning something impure or filthy.

Therefore, if the impurity and its traces are removed using any substance, the object will be deemed pure. This could involve cleaning with water, petrol, or any other substance that effectively removes the impurity. Once the actual impurity is removed by any means, the object is considered purified.

In fact, according to the most preferred opinion—also held by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (رحمه الله)—if impurities are removed through sunlight or wind, the affected area will also be considered pure. This is because, as mentioned earlier, impurity is essentially an unclean state that renders an object impure. Once the impurity and its traces are removed, the object returns to its original state of purity.

Hence, any substance that removes the actual impurity and its effects serves as a purifier, provided that no visible stains remain which cannot be eliminated.
 
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