How Can I Purify an Item Affected by Filthy Oil?

Answered by Ustadh Sufyan Qufi

Question

Is it enough to use water in order to purify an item affected by filthy oil? Or do I have to use soap?

Answer

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

I pray this finds you in the best of states.

It is enough to use water to purify an area affected by oil mixed with filth. You just have to make sure to remove any traces of this filthy oil with the water. [Ibn ‘Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar]

You can also use any liquid other than water that will enable you to remove any traces of this filthy oil physically. Using vinegar, for example, is acceptable. [Ibid.]

The reason for the rulings above is that an object is filthy because of the physical presence of filth. Thus any liquid that will enable you to remove this filth will render the item affected by the filth pure because the filth is no longer there. [Marghinani, Hidaya]

Another way to purify oil affected by filth is to turn this filthy oil into soap. The soap obtained will be deemed pure. [Ibn Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar]

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.