Are Stains of Filth on Washed Clothes Considered Impure?

Answered by Ustadh Sufyan Qufi

Question

If semen remains on clothes after washing them in a washing machine with other clothes, do the other clothes become impure, considering the opinion that water in such cases does not become impure due to difficulty?

Answer

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

I pray this finds you in the best of states.

No, other clothes remain pure despite the presence of stained clothes. [Shurunbulali, Nur al-Idah]

This is because filth stains remaining in washed clothes are to be ignored and have no legal consequences. The above is because of the hardship in removing these stains beyond using regular water to remove the filth.

The Sacred Law demands that we ignore those stains and deem those stained clothes legally pure. This means that clothes mixed with those stained clothes will also remain pure, and no transfer of filth is legally possible. [Shurunbulali, Nur al-Idah]

Allah (Most High) says: “Allah desires ease for you; He does not desire difficulty for you.” [Quran, 2:185]

And Allah knows best.

Wassalam
[Ustadh] Sufyan Qufi
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat 

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.