This article is based on the book "500 Questions and Answers for Women," which compiles fatwas from the scholars of the Haramain. The translation has been done by Hafiz Abdullah Saleem.
Question:
What is the ruling if the urine of a small child comes into contact with clothing?Answer:
- Urine of a Breastfeeding Male Infant:
- If the urine of an infant boy, whose sole nourishment is breast milk, comes into contact with clothing, it is considered a light impurity (khafif najasat).
- To purify the clothing:
- Sprinkling water on the affected area is sufficient.
- The method is to pour water over the urine until it penetrates the fabric without scrubbing or wringing the cloth.
- This ruling is based on a hadith in which a small boy was brought to the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ). The boy urinated in his lap, and the Prophet (ﷺ) sprinkled water over the affected area without washing it.
[Sahih Muslim, Hadith No. 286]
- Urine of a Female Infant:
- The urine of a female infant must be washed thoroughly.
- The general principle is that all urine is impure and must be cleansed, but an exception is made for breastfeeding male infants based on evidence from the Sunnah.
Conclusion:
- The urine of a breastfed male infant is a light impurity and requires only sprinkling water for purification.
- The urine of a female infant must be washed thoroughly as it is treated as a heavier impurity.