Do Bird Feathers and Compost Containing Impurities Become Pure?
Hanafi Fiqh
Answered by Mawlana Ilyas Patel
Question
Are feathers that fall from live birds, such as pigeons, considered pure, particularly at the tips, and do they render birdbath water impure? Also, does compost containing impurities become pure over time through natural decomposition over several years?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate.
I pray you are in good faith and health. Thank you for your question.
Feathers that fall from live birds, such as pigeons, are considered pure and do not render birdbath water impure.
In the Hanafi school, feathers of any animal are pure, regardless of whether they were plucked when the animal was alive or dead.
Compost Consisting of Impurities
Compost with impurities will decompose over time and become pure unless the impurities are visible, for example, if they are thrown in to decompose freshly. Generally, items left to compost eventually dry up and won’t retain their original form. [Ibn ‘Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar]
Related: Fertilizer Archives
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I pray this helps with your question.
Wassalam,
[Mawlana] Ilyas Patel
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Mawlana Ilyas Patel has received a traditional education in various countries. He started his schooling in the UK and completed his hifz of the Quran in India. After that, he joined an Islamic seminary in the UK, where he studied secular and Aalimiyya sciences. Later, he traveled to Karachi, Pakistan, and other Middle Eastern countries to further his education. Mawlana has served as an Imam in the Republic of Ireland for several years and taught the Quran and other Islamic sciences to both children and adults. He also worked as a teacher and librarian at a local Islamic seminary in the UK for 12 years. Presently, he lives in the UK with his wife and is interested in books and gardening.
