Filth, Carpets and Misgivings

Answered by Ustadh Tabraze Azam

Question: I heard there is a fiqhi opinion whereby the sole of shoes, if it were to be in contact with any liquid najasa (filth), will be purified through the friction of the floor with the sole of the shoe. Is this true?

I was wearing slippers whose insides were contaminated with najasa. I didn’t bother cleaning it since the sole of the shoes weren’t affected. I had gone to my garden wearing them and some water accidentally fell on the slippers. Subsequently affecting the sole of the slippers. Again, I went ahead and walked back into my home wearing the shoes. Moreover, with these contaminated shoes I had walked over our home carpet where siblings and relatives often pray on. I am having difficulty concentrating on dhikr and my prayers out of worrying that I have contaminated the carpet again.

Answer: Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,

I pray that you are in the best of health and faith, insha’Allah.

If there are no traces of filth, you can assume purity. You certainly do not have to have the carpet professionally cleaned.

When a wet, filthy object comes into contact with a dry, pure object, the basis is that the dry object is not deemed filthy except if the traces of filth are clearly visible. [Shurunbulali, Maraqi al-Falah]

Ignore any misgivings including strong possibilities of filth transfer.

As for liquid filth affecting the underside of one’s footgear, if it acquires a body (such as dirt/dust), it can be purified as you describe. [ibid.]

And Allah knows best.

Wassalam,

Tabraze Azam

Checked & Approved by Faraz Rabbani