Is It Filth (Najasa)?
Question Summary
Question Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate
May Allah guide every dimension of our lives to that which pleases Him.
The Default State is Purity
Two well-known principles in Sacred Law states: “The default status is, everything is ritually pure (al-asl al-taharatu),” and “Certainty is not removed by doubt.” [Suyuti, Al-Ashba wa Al-Naza’ir]
The laws above entail that everything is pure unless one becomes sure that a particular item has become impure because you saw it come into contact with actual filth (najasa). And as long as you are not sure that it has become ritually impure (najis), it is to be considered pure, and you can apply all the rules of purity to it without any hesitation or doubt.
Calcium Residue
The white residue in question seems to be calcium residue which usually builds up in ablution areas, basins, showers, baths, and anything that remains in a bathroom for a long time. Whether the substance is dead skin cells, soap, or calcium residue, the residue is pure by default and will remain pure until proven otherwise, and Allah knows best.
I pray this is of benefit and that Allah guides us all.
[Shaykh] Irshaad Sedick
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Shaykh Irshaad Sedick was raised in South Africa in a traditional Muslim family. He graduated from Dar al-Ulum al-Arabiyyah al-Islamiyyah in Strand, Western Cape, under the guidance of the late world-renowned scholar, Shaykh Taha Karaan.
Shaykh Irshaad received Ijaza from many luminaries of the Islamic world, including Shaykh Taha Karaan, Mawlana Yusuf Karaan, and Mawlana Abdul Hafeez Makki, among others.
He is the author of the text “The Musnad of Ahmad ibn Hanbal: A Hujjah or not?” He has served as the Director of the Discover Islam Centre and Al Jeem Foundation. For the last five years till present, he has served as the Khatib of Masjid Ar-Rashideen, Mowbray, Cape Town.
Shaykh Irshaad has thirteen years of teaching experience at some of the leading Islamic institutes in Cape Town). He is currently building an Islamic online learning and media platform called ‘Isnad Academy’ and pursuing his Master’s degree in the study of Islam at the University of Johannesburg. He has a keen interest in healthy living and fitness.
