Waswas and Dogs

Answered by Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat

Question: Assalamu alaykum

I am suffering from waswas about purity.
My neighbour’s dog got into my back garden, and I keep thinking the dog could have put some clothes in his mouth and dirtied it with his saliva. Also my sibling put my clothes in his mouth and I keep thinking he swallowed impurity.

What can I do?

Answer: Wa ‘alaykum assalam wa rahmatullah wa barakatuh.

I pray you are well.

You do not need to worry; you can assume the clothes are all clean and pure. Also, you sibling’s putting them in his mouth is inconsequential.

The basis is that the default ruling for things is that they are pure, and, unless you are certain that the dog’s saliva reached the clothing, there is nothing to make you treat them as impure. (Shurunbulali, Maraqi al Falah)

Don’t let the waswas make things difficult. Remember that the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, told us that, “The [practice of] the religion is ease itself.” (Bukhari)

This ease is only seen when you study the religion properly, with experienced teachers. I suggest you take one of our courses and get a good grasp of these matters so they don’t pose a problem for you anymore.

May Allah facilitate the matter for you.

Wassalam,
[Shaykh] Abdul-Rahim Reasat

Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat began his studies in Arabic Grammar and Morphology in 2005. After graduating with a degree in English and History he moved to Damascus in 2007 to study and sit at the feet of some of the most erudite scholars of our time.

Over the following eighteen months he studied a traditional curriculum, studying with scholars such as Shaykh Adnan Darwish, Shaykh Abdurrahman Arjan, Shaykh Hussain Darwish and Shaykh Muhammad Darwish.

In late 2008 he moved to Amman, Jordan, where he continued his studies for the next six years, in Fiqh, Usul al-Fiqh, Theology, Hadith Methodology and Commentary, Shama’il, and Logic with teachers such as Dr Ashraf Muneeb, Dr Salah Abu’l-Hajj, Dr Hamza al-Bakri, Shaykh Ahmad Hasanat, Dr Mansur Abu Zina amongst others. He was also given two licences of mastery in the science of Qur’anic recital by Shakh Samir Jabr and Shaykh Yahya Qandil.

His true passion, however, arose in the presence of Shaykh Ali Hani, considered by many to be one of the foremost tafsir scholars of our time who provided him with the keys to the vast knowledge of the Quran. With Shaykh Ali, he was able to study an extensive curriculum of Qur’anic Sciences, Tafsir, Arabic Grammar, and Rhetoric.

When he finally left Jordan for the UK in 2014, Shaykh Ali gave him his distinct blessing and still recommends students in the UK to seek out Shaykh Abdul-Rahim for Quranic studies. Since his return he has trained as a therapist and has helped a number of people overcome emotional and psychosomatic issues. He is a keen promoter of emotional and mental health.