Assalamou Alaikoum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa barakatuhAssalaam alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakaatuh.
If something impure, for example blood, gets to clothes, sheets etc and even after washing them in washing machine the blood stain remains (you can see the mark/s), is the cloth still classified as clean even though the stain remains after washing the cloth or does the stain must be removed completely before the cloth can be classified as clean?
Jazakumullahu khayran.
Question:
I would hope to gain some knowledge about the issue of blood – is it a nullifier of the prayer?
Answer:
All praise is for Allaah alone and may the salaat and the salaam be upon His Messenger and his family and his Companions…
To proceed: We do not know of a sharee’ah proof to prove that the emergence of blood from other than the private parts is from the nawaaqid ul wudhoo (the nullifiers of the wudhoo) – and the asl (basic principle) is that it is not a nullifier.
And the actions of worship – their basis is upon at-tawqeef (being restricted to a proof from the Book or the Sunnah). So it is not permissible for anyone to say this act of worship is Islaamically legislated except with a proof.
And indeed some of the people of knowledge were firmly upon the opinion that the emergence of a large amount of blood from other than the private parts is from that which nullifies the wudhoo.
So if the person from whom this (blood) comes out makes wudhoo due to being cautious and due to avoiding matters of disagreement then this is hasan (something good) - according to the statement of the Prophet (sal Allaahu alaiyhi wa sallam):
Leave that which causes you doubt for that which does not cause you doubt. (An Nasaa’ee and At Tirmidhee)
And with Allaah is the tawfeeq. And may peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and his Companions.
Permanent Committee for Research and Verdicts
Shaykh `Abdul-`Azeez Bin Baz
Shaykh `Abdullah bin Ghudayaan
Shaykh `Abdullaah bin Qu`ood
Shaykh `Abdur-Razzaaq al-`Afeefee
Question 2 from fatwa 2461 P261 volume 5 Fataawa of the Permanent Committee
If certain types of najaasaat are on your clothes and these are an insignificant amount or a trivial amount, then this is overlooked in the sharee`ah. These impurities include blood, prostatic fluid, pus or any repugnant fluid similar to that.
The evidence for all of the above impurities is based on narrations like in the the hadeeth reported by Bukhaari on the authority of `Aa’ishah that: “None of us had more than a single garment and we used to be in a state of menstruation whilst wearing it and if any blood got on it, we used to apply saliva to the blood spot and rub off the blood with our nails.” [Bukhari 312]
This is evidence that the 'trivial' amount of blood is overlooked and even Ibn `Abdil Barr in his al-Istidhkaar, Ibn al-Mundhir in his al-Awsat mentioned that there is an agreement of scholars on this issue.
The above narration mentions about blood, and based on this narration scholars do Qiyaas (analogy) on prostatic fluid, pus etc and apply the same ruling.
Now what does it mean by a 'trivial' or 'insignificant' amount of impurity.
There is a lot of discussion as to what defines an insignifacant amount, which is "حد اليسير".
Ibn Qudaamah mentions that the 'trivial amount' is: حد اليسير هو ما لا يفحش في النفس (It is that which is foul in itself)...i.e. that the small amount is anything that is not repugnant/ foul (قبح) to the people. To understand this better, scholars have given simple distinguishing factors as to how we can understand this. Some of the scholars said that if is any amount of najaasah on your clothes with which you are ashamed to go out in public, then this is not considered to be a 'trivial amount'. Others have mentioned that if you connect your index finger to your thumb and form a ring, then this amount can be considered as a 'trivial amount'.
Assalamou Alaikoum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa barakatuh
Akhi human blood is not impure. There is the hadith about Umar's (radhyallahu anhu) death. I mean he radhyallahu anhu was stabbed whilst praying and continued praying even though he was loosing blood until he lost consciouess.
Shaykh Muqbil was asked which blood is considered impure and he rahimahullah answered that neither the blood of the menstruation woman or of the childbed are impure. The only impure bloods are for example the blood of a dog,pig and what resembles them.
And Allah knows best
wa'alaikoum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh
Evidence for the impurity of human blood
Some of those who hold that human blood is impure claim that it is a matter of consensus (ijmâ`). This claim has been made by Ahmad b. Hanbal, by Ibn `Abd al-Barr in al-Tamhîd, and by al-Nawawî in al-Majmû`.
When Ahmad was asked about the purity of blood, he said: “Blood takes the same ruling as vomit.” He then went on to say: “Blood is a matter that people have not disagreed about, while vomit is something that they have disagreed about.” [Ibn Taymiyah, Sharh al-`Umdah (1/105)]
Ibn Hazm, in his book on matters of legal consensus, writes: “They are agreed that large amounts of blood are impure, regardless of what type of blood it is, with the exception of the blood of fish blood and the blood of animals whose blood does not flow.”
Al-Nawawî writes [al-Majmû` (2/511)]: “The evidences for blood’s impurity are quite obvious, and I do not know of any disagreement among Muslims about the matter, except what the author of al-Hâwî quoted from some of the scholastic theologians who claimed that blood was pure. However, the opinions of the scholastic theologians are not considered when determining whether there is consensus on a matter.”
Al-Qurtubî writes in his commentary on the Qur’ân: “Scholars are agreed that blood is unlawful, impure.”
Ibn Hajar writes in Fath al-Bârî (1/352): “There is agreement that blood is impure.”
Ibn al-Qayyim says the same in Badâ` al-Fawâ’id.
Those who hold this view cite as evidence the following verse of the Qur’ân: “Say: I do not find in that which has been revealed to me anything forbidden for an eater to eat of except that it be what has died of itself, or blood poured forth, or flesh of swine-- for that surely is unclean-- or that which is a transgression, other than (the name of) Allah having been invoked on it.” [Sûrah al-An`âm: 145]
However, in response to this evidence, it can be argued that the prohibition of eating something does not necessitate its impurity. The verse clearly says: “for an eater to eat”.
A third line of evidence advanced in support of the impurity of human blood is the hadîth where Asmâ’ came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and asked: “What must one of us do if her menstrual blood gets on her clothes?”
The Prophet (peace be upon him) replied: “Scratch it off, then rub it off with water, then sprinkle (the area) with water.” [Sahîh al-Bukhârî (227) and Sahîh Muslim (291)]
The argument given here is that this hadîth is absolutely unambiguous in demonstrating the impurity of menstrual blood and other blood takes the same ruling by way of analogy.
They also cite the hadîth where `A’ishah relates:
Fâtimah bint Abî Hubaysh went to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and said: “O Messenger of Allah. I am a woman who has incessant vaginal bleeding, so I never become pure. Should I leave off prayer?”
Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) replied: “No, that is merely a blood vessel and not menstrual blood. When the time for your menstrual period comes, leave off prayer. Then when your period is over, then wash the blood from yourself and start praying.” [Sahîh al-Bukhârî (228) and Sahîh Muslim (333)]
The argument here is that “wash the blood from yourself” is a command to wash off the blood, and it would not be obligatory to wash it off unless it was impure.
This line of argument can be countered by the fact that the washing is a cleansing from blood that the Prophet (peace be upon him) specified as menstrual blood and he made no mention of washing off the other blood that comes outside of the menstrual period.
The opinion that human blood is pure
Some later scholars like al-Shawkânî and Sadîq Hasan Khân (refer to: al-Rawdah al-Nadiyyah 1/81) as well as some contemporary scholars like Ibn `Uthaymîn (refer to: Sharh al-Mumti`) and al-Albânî (refer to: al-Silsilah al-Sahîhah and his comments on Fiqh al-Sunnah) consider human blood that flows from a blood vessel to be pure, regardless of how much blood there is.
They support their view with a considerable body of evidence.
They argue that the Companions engaged in jihad and were often wounded. However, they were never commanded to wash from the blood of their wounds. If human blood was impure, then we should have some clear and unequivocal evidence that it must be washed off. Since no such evidence is forthcoming, this is an indication that human blood is pure.
They also point out that a martyr is buried with the blood on his body. He is not bathed. If human blood was impure, it would be obligatory to wash it off. As for the reasons cited – that they will “be resurrected on the Day of Resurrection with the color of blood on them and the smell of musk” or that “the blood is the sign of their worship” – neither of these reasons is sufficient to leave something impure upon the body of a Muslim. The blood that will be seen on the Day of Resurrection will not be the same blood that was upon them at death, since Allah is going to bring people forth on that Day as a new creation. A “sign of worship” is not a sufficient justification to leave the body steeped in something impure. This shows us that human blood must be pure.
Another point of evidence is that the Prophet (peace be upon him) never discouraged wounded people or women who suffered from incessant vaginal bleeding from attending the mosque. With the wounds, there was a possibility that blood could be shed onto the floor of the mosque. If this blood was impure, the Prophet (peace be upon him) would have prevented such people from attending the mosque.
`A’ishah relates: “Sa`d was wounded during the Battle of the Trench and was bleeding from the vein in his arm. He Prophet (peace be upon him) had a tent set up in the mosque so he could attend to him conveniently. The people were not startled by a tent of Bânû Ghaffâr being in the mosque, but by the stream of blood streaming towards them. They said: ‘People in the tent, what is this coming to us from you?’ It was Sa`d’s wound that had reopened, causing Sa`d to die.” [Sahîh al-Bukhârî (463)]
`A’ishah also relates that the Prophet (peace be upon him) observed the retreat in the mosque along with one of his wives who was suffering at the time from incessant vaginal bleeding, and perhaps she placed something under her on account of the blood. `Ikrimah claims that `A’ishah had seen some yellowish fluid and said: “It is as if this is something that so-and-so has.” [Sahîh al-Bukhârî (309)]
Another piece of evidence that they advance is the permissibility of the husband having intercourse with his wife who suffers from incessant vaginal bleeding. If that blood was impure, sexual relations would be unlawful just like it is when a woman is menstruating, for Allah says: “They ask thee concerning women's courses. Say: They are a hurt and a pollution: So keep away from women in their courses, and do not approach them until they are clean.” [Sûrah al-Baqarah: 222]
This means that incessant vaginal bleeding is not “a hurt and a pollution”, and this is why sexual intercourse is allowed for a woman suffering from it and it is not prohibited for it to stain her clothes.
Another argument is the fact that a human body remains pure after death. Since the human body remains pure, human blood must be pure, in the same way that the blood of fish is pure, since the bodies of fish also remain pure after death.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “A believer never becomes impure.”
Some of the Companions are known to have prayed with blood on them.
It is related in Musannaf Ibn Abî Shaybah with an authentic line of transmission that Bakr said: “I saw Ibn `Umar burst open a pimple on his face and some blood came out. He rubbed it ourt between his fingers then prayed without making fresh ablutions.” [Sunan al-Bayhaqî (1/141)]
Al-Thawrî relates from `Atâ’ b. al-Sâ’ib that he said said: “I saw `Abd Allah b Abî Awfâ and he was bleeding considerably. Then he stood up and prayed.” [Musannaf `Abd al-Razzâq (1/148)] It has a good line of transmission. Though `Atâ’ is a narrator who became prone to confusion in his later years, this narration is being reported from him by al-Thawrî, who only met him in his younger days when his narrations were precise.
Maymûn b. Mahrân said: “I saw Abû Hurayrah put his hand up to his nose and blood came out onto it. He rubbed out the blood between his fingers, and then he prayed without making fresh ablutions.” [Musannaf Ibn Abî Shaybah (1/128)] However, there is a break in its line of transmission.
It has been argued by those who say human blood is impure that in these cases, the amount of blood was small and therefore overlooked. However, this claim is itself the matter under contention, since our initial assumption has to be that the purity or impurity of blood is not affected by the quantity of blood, in the same way a small or large quantity makes no difference with respect to the invalidation of ritual purity.
This is a summary of the disagreement that exists with respect to the purity of human blood. We can see that all scholars are agreed that if a person has a small amount of human blood on his body or clothes, then his prayers are valid. The difference in opinion is only relevant when the amount of blood is substantial.