Does Water Entering the Private Part of a Woman Become Impure?

Answered by Ustadh Sufyan Qufi

Question

I’ve read that in the case of istinja’ (for females), it’s only necessary to wash the outer area of the private part and not between the vaginal lips. But I also read that water that goes into the vagina and comes out is najis. So, in that case, the wet vagina, if it comes in contact with the underwear, makes it najis, right? Is someone supposed to dry their inner vagina with tissue paper, or do they have a concession and can leave it like that? Always using tissue paper can be a hardship.

Answer

In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful,

I pray this finds you in the best of states.

No, the water exiting the vagina after performing Istinja’ or Ghusl is pure because the moisture present inside the vagina is deemed pure, according to the Hanafi school. [Ibn ‘Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar]

The reason for this ruling is that according to Imam Abu Hanifa (Allah, Most High, be pleased with him), the moisture inside the vagina is akin to the saliva inside the mouth, the sweat on our skin, or the moisture inside the nose.[Ibid.]

Allah, Most High, says: “It is not Allah’s Will to burden you, but to purify you and complete His favor upon you, so perhaps you will be grateful.” [Quran, 5:6]

And Allah knows best.
Wassalam
[Ustadh] Sufyan Qufi
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadh Sufyan Qufi is an advanced seeker of knowledge, originally from Algeria, who grew up in France. He began searching far and wide for answers to the fundamental questions of life and was disappointed at the answers he found. Then he connected with various traditional teachers and gradually connected with SeekersGuidance. He embarked on his journey of learning through the various teachers at SeekersGuidance, including his mentor Shaykh Faraz Rabbani. He studied numerous texts in Islamic Law, Theology, Hadith, and other areas with Shaykh Faraz Rabbani and other teachers, including Shaykh Abdurrahman al-Sha’ar, Shaykh Ali Hani, and others. He is an active instructor at SeekersGuidance and answers questions through the SeekersGuidance Answers Service.