How Can I Purify Wood?

Answered by Ustadh Sufyan Qufi

Question

Could you kindly advise how to clean absorbent materials like raw, unvarnished wood and clay of impurities? Is it enough to wash such products once?

Answer

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

I pray this finds you in the best of states.

Washing such items is sufficient. If the filth is visible, you will have to wash this item as much as needed to remove the body of the filth from the item. Remaining traces difficult to remove are excused. As for invisible filth, you will have to wash the item three times. Leaving it under the tap for a few seconds will be enough. [Shurunbulali, Maraqi al-Falah]

What you cannot do with the items you have described is simply wipe them with a moistened cloth. These items will remain impure because they are not smooth. On the other hand, wiping a filthy mirror with a moistened cloth is enough to purify it. [Ibid.]

Please remember that it is not a duty for you to purify every item you own. In terms of ritual impurity, what is obligatory is merely to have your body, clothes, and place of prayer ritually pure, nothing else. [Shurunbulali, Nur al-Idah]

Allah, Most High, says: “Purify your garments.” [Quran, 74:4], i.e., in the prayer. [Laknawi, Hashiya ‘Ala al-Hidaya]

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.