How does one purify themselves from the saliva of a dog? How does impurity transfer?
Question Summary
How does one purify themselves from the saliva of a dog? How does impurity transfer?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate
I’m sorry to hear about your difficult situation. I pray that Allah Most High eases for you all your difficulties.
I want to preface my answer to your question by mentioning a key verse of the Qur’an, which should always be at the forefront of our minds.
Allah Most High says, “…Allah intends ease for you, not hardship,…” [Qur’an; 02:185]
Most of those we have encountered in a similar circumstance as yourself find Islam difficult due to a lack of knowledge. As one increases in the knowledge and understanding of Islam, the easier and clearer the religion becomes.
The Answer
A dog’s saliva is impure and must be washed; however, washing seven times, once with soil, is not an obligation. It suffices that one washes the saliva off once. [Tahtawi,Shurunbulali; Hashiyat Maraqi al-Falah]
With that being said, just because a dog may have licked you or your clothing does not mean your entire house is impure.
Only the place which the dog licked is impure.
Advice
Please consider taking classes in basic Islamic law. Learning the rulings of purification and prayer will greatly help you.
Consider the Islamic Studies Curriculum:
https://seekersguidance.org/islamic-studies-curriculum/
Allah Most High is not a tyrant waiting to punish us for every minor mistake.
Allah Most High says, “Your Lord has taken upon Himself to be Merciful…” [Qur’an; 06:54]
Hope this helps
Allah knows best
[Shaykh] Yusuf Weltch
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Shaykh Yusuf Weltch is a teacher of Arabic, Islamic law, and spirituality. After accepting Islam in 2008, he then completed four years at the Darul Uloom seminary in New York, where he studied Arabic and the traditional sciences. He then traveled to Tarim, Yemen, where he stayed for three years studying in Dar Al-Mustafa under some of the greatest scholars of our time, including Habib Umar Bin Hafiz, Habib Kadhim al-Saqqaf, and Shaykh Umar al-Khatib. In Tarim, Shaykh Yusuf completed the memorization of the Qur’an and studied beliefs, legal methodology, hadith methodology, Qur’anic exegesis, Islamic history, and several texts on spirituality. He joined the SeekersGuidance faculty in the summer of 2019.
