QUESTION:
1. Which of the two rules of transfer of impurity is correct:
a) “When a dry and impure entity comes into contact with another wet entity, the latter entity is deemed impure only if the traces i.e. smell or color indicative of the impurity, is discernible on it. The presence of such traces or effects signifies the successful transfer of impurity.”
Example, someone had urinated on a car seat, and the urine dried. A wet hand would only transfer the impurity onto the hand if the traces of urine – smell of urine or colour of urine – have transferred onto the hand.
Similarly, if this car seat were to become wet again through sweat, the impurity would only transfer onto the other person if traces of urine are found on the point of contact of the individual. His sweat dampening the impure car-seat is not enough to render the individual’s point of contact Najis.
b) “When a wet entity comes into contact with another entity bearing dried impurity, the wet entity is deemed impure only if wetness from the wet entity is observed on the impure object after contact. This acquisition of impurity occurs irrespective of whether the actual impure substance is visibly or tangibly transferred to the wet entity.”
Example: If a an object X has dry impurity on it. And you touch it with a wet hand. If wetness from the hand is seen on object X, then the point of contact of the hand will be deemed impure. Even if no traces/effects of the impurity of object X can be sensed on the hand itself post contact.
2. Given the conditions below, is the hand pure or impure?
a) The entity in question is pig-skin, which is dry.
b) The pig-skin is touched with a wet hand.
c) Wetness from the hand transfers onto the pig-skin.
d) Post-contact, the wet hand does not exhibit any traces (smell/color) of the pig-skin.
3.1 In Question 2, if the pig-skin is wet and touched with a wet hand, what would the ruling be?
3.2 And if the pig-skin is wet, and now the hand is dry, what would the ruling be?
ANSWER:
1. The jurists have written that if the impurity is on a dry item, then it will not cause the wet item to become impure, as the dry item draws from the pure or clean item. The wet item does not draw from the dry item.
و ان كان اليابس هو النجس, و الطاهر هو الرطب لا يتنجس, لان اليابس هو النجس ياخذ من الطاهر , ولا ياخذ الرطب من اليابس شيئا (تكملة البحر الرائق ج9 ص346)
[Re: Fataawa Uthmaaniyyah Vol:1 Pg:278]
2+3. Every part of the pig is Najis-ul-Ain. Hence, whatever it touches will become impure, irrespective of whether there is transfer of the smell or colour or not.
[Re:- Fataawa Darul Uloom Zakariyya Vol: 8 Pg:125, Kifaayatul Mufti Vol:12 Pg:505-508]
وأما شعر الخنزير فهو نجس هو الظاهر في مذهب أبي حنيفة رحمة الله عليه(المحيط البرهاني ج1ص476)
المفتى عن أبي يوسف رحمهما الله في شعر الخنزير يفسد الماء وقد ذكرنا قول أبي يوسف في شعر الخنزير قبل هذا أنه يفسد الماء إنما أوردنا رواية المعلى لزيادة فائدة فيها، فإن رواية المعلى شعر الخنزير يفسد الماء إن كانت شعرة (المحيط البراهاني ج1ص480)
(قَوْلُهُ وَشَعْرِ الْخِنْزِيرِ) أَيْ لَمْ يَجُزْ بَيْعُهُ إهَانَةً لَهُ لِكَوْنِهِ نَجِسَ الْعَيْنِ كَأَصْلِهِ (البحر الرائق ج6ص87)
قال: ولا يجوز بيع شعر الخنزير لأنه نجس العين ….ولو وقع في الماء القليل أفسده، عند أبي يوسف – رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ -–(الهداية ج3ص55)
ALLAH TA’ALA ALONE IN HIS INFINITE KNOWLEDGE KNOWS BEST!
ANSWERED BY:
Maulana Ahmed Saeed
Date: – 04 Rabi ul Awwal 1445 / 20 September 2023
CHECKED AND APPROVED BY:
Mufti Mohammed Desai Saheb
