Is One’s Hand Considered Pure After Istinja?

Answered by Shaykh Irshaad Sedick

Question

We understand that najasa (impurity) can be identified through color, taste, and smell. Following the performance of istinja with water, the hand may retain wetness and carry a trace of najas, particularly in terms of smell.

In this context, it raises the question of whether a person can touch clothing with this damp hand immediately after completing istinja, even if an indication of najas, such as the smell, persists on the hand. Would the contacted part of the clothing be considered impure as a result?

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate. May Allah alleviate our difficulties and guide us to what pleases Him. Amin.

If one’s hand contacts filth during istinja, remove as much of the filth substance as possible, remove the remaining traces with flowing water (and use a cleaning agent if needed). The hand is considered clean if two of three traces (colour, taste, and smell) are removed, and Allah knows best. [Nawawi, al-Majmu‘]

How Does One Clean the Filth (Najasa) After Defecating Using Only Water?

May Allah bless and guide us all.

[Shaykh] Irshaad Sedick
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Shaykh Irshaad Sedick was raised in South Africa in a traditional Muslim family. He graduated from Dar al-Ulum al-Arabiyyah al-Islamiyyah in Strand, Western Cape, under the guidance of the late world-renowned scholar, Shaykh Taha Karaan.

Shaykh Irshaad received Ijaza from many luminaries of the Islamic world, including Shaykh Taha Karaan, Mawlana Yusuf Karaan, and Mawlana Abdul Hafeez Makki, among others.

He is the author of the text “The Musnad of Ahmad ibn Hanbal: A Hujjah or not?” He has served as the Director of the Discover Islam Centre and Al Jeem Foundation. For the last five years till present, he has served as the Khatib of Masjid Ar-Rashideen, Mowbray, Cape Town.

Shaykh Irshaad has thirteen years of teaching experience at some of the leading Islamic institutes in Cape Town). He is currently building an Islamic online learning and media platform called ‘Isnad Academy’ and pursuing his Master’s degree in the study of Islam at the University of Johannesburg. He has a keen interest in healthy living and fitness.