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Using products with animal ingredients if they are ritually impure

by Posted in All Q&A, Dealing with Laws in non-Muslim Countries, Taharat Tagged , , , , ,

Question 104: I have a question regarding lotions and other beauty products with animal ingredients. I know that if these products have haram ingredients, they are impermissible to use, however, what if we do not know? I emailed some of the companies from which I bought products and several of them said that they use plant ingredients whenever possible. This suggests that they may use animal ingredients at times. Because we are uncertain, are these products permissible to use? JazakAllah Khair

Answer 104: A well-known religious law says: “Everything is ritually pure for you unless you come to know that it is ritually impure.” This law declares everything to be pure unless one becomes sure a particular item has become impure. 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.[1]

Therefore, as you are not sure that such products have been extracted from those animals that are ceremonially unclean or those halal animals that have not been slaughtered canonically (Islamically) nor a lot of changes made on them to be considered as Istihala (chemical transformation)[2], they would be treated as halal. There is no need to be examined from which types of animal they have been extracted.[3]

Note: If a chemical change occurs in the original ingredients during the process of manufacturing such products, it is clean and there is no problem at all in using it, even if the original ingredient may have been pork or meat of an animal which has not been slaughtered according to Islamic laws.

[1] . The official website of the office of Sayyid Sistani (ha), Q&A about Najasat.

[2] . If a najis thing undergoes such a change, that it assumes the category of a Pak thing it becomes Pak; for example, if a najis wood burns and is reduced to ashes, or a dog falls in a salt-marsh and transforms into salt, it becomes Pak. But a thing do es not become Pak if its essence or category does not change; like, if wheat is ground into flour, or is used for baking bread, it does not become Pak; The official website of the office of Sayyid Sistani (ha), rules regarding Mutahhirat, Transformation (Istihala).

[3] . A similar question was sent to the office of grand Ayatollahs: Khamenei, Sistani, Makarem Shirazi, Noori Hamadani, Safi Golpayegani (may Allah grant them long life).

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Doubts (shakk) during prayer whether wudu was performed or not

by Posted in All Q&A, Rules of Prayer, Wudhu Tagged , , , , , ,

Question 036: If one gets Doubts (shakk) during the salah that wudu was not taken, should one break the salah to perform wudu?
Answer 036: If a person doubts during prayer (namaz) whether he has performed wuhu or not, his prayers is void, and he must perform wudhu and then pray. If a person is sure that he has performed wudu but doubts whether he has committed an act which invalidates it or not his wudu would be considered as valid.

If a person doubts whether his Wudhu has become void, he should treat it as valid. But, if he did not perform Istibra after urinating, and performed Wudhu, and thereafter some fluid was discharged about which he was not sure whether it was urine or something else, his Wudhu will be void.

If a person doubts whether he has performed Wudhu or not, he should perform Wudhu.

If a person is sure that he has performed Wudhu, and has also committed an act which invalidates Wudhu (e.g. urinating), but does not remember which happened first, he should act as follows: If this situation arises before his Namaz, he should perform Wudhu. If it arises during Namaz, he should break it and perform Wudhu. If it arises after Namaz, that Namaz will be valid, but for the next prayers, however, he should perform Wudhu.[1]

[1]. Tawzih al-Masael of maraja (with annotation), Sayyid Roohullah al-Moosavi al-Khomeini, Vol. 1, Pg. 179, question 301, eighth edition, 1424 A.H. http://www.sistani.org/english/book/48/2157/;  The Official Website of the Office of Sayyid Sistani, Rules regarding Wudhu.

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Permissibility of using Henna even if it was mixed by a Hindu

by Posted in All Q&A, Islamic Laws, Taharat Tagged , , , , , , , , , 1 Comment

Question 563: Salam. Can henna be applied if it was mixed by a Hindu?

Answer 563: Generally, if a thing like henna comes into contact with moisture from or on body of a Kafir (like Hindus and Buddhists who are polytheists[1] and considered to be idolaters in a way) it would make the thing najas as well. Meaning that we are supposed to wash it according to what mentioned in Tawzih al-Masael.

Although, there would be no problem to use such henna even if it was mixed by a Hindu, because, it is not something related to drinking and eating that we are forbidden to use, but if we want to offer our prayers we have to wash it first (i.e. the henna itself not its ink and color as it doesn’t  prevent water from reaching the skin) then offer our prayers as taharat is one of the conditions must be fulfilled for offering prayers.[2]

Note: the important issue we are recommended to take it into consideration is that we are not allowed to eat the food prepared by a non-Muslim who is not from Ahle Kitãb [for example, a Hindu or a Buddhist], provided that we certainly know that the non-Muslim touched the food with wetness; and provided that the food consists of what is forbidden to us like intoxicating drinks. As for meat, fat and their extracts, the food cooked by non-Muslims should not contain any of these. If the food contains meat and animal fat, we should be sure that they are halal.[3]

[1] – Serat al-Nejat by Ayatollah al-Shaikh al-Tabrizi, vol.6, pg. 373.

[2] . Tawzih al-Masael of maraja (annotated by Imam Khomeini), Vol. 1, Pg. 95-873.

[3] . Adopted from answer 537 (Index: Eating food has been cooked by a Hindu or Buddhist).

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Offering Qada Prayer if you forget to clean the dress carelessly

by Posted in All Q&A, Rules of Prayer, Taharat Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Question 033: I had wudu before suhoor yesterday and then I ate. After eating, my stomach was hurting so I went to the toilet and I saw light brownish marks from feces on my underwear. There wasn’t any actual feces on it, but just a faint mark. I wanted to clean it but I forgot and ended up doing wudu and praying Fajr. I only remembered when I was going to bed. I wasn’t sure whether I have to make up this prayer or not. In the morning, when I woke up, my menses started. What is the rule of Offering Qada Prayer?

Answer 033: If you were sure that the light brownish mark was from the feces and forgot to clean it, you have to make your Fajr prayer up (Qada). However, there wasn’t any actual feces on your underwear!

Otherwise, if you were not sure whether it was from feces and Najas or not your prayer is treated as valid.[1]

In Minhaj Ul Saliheen, Grand Ayatollah Sistani (ha) said, “According to an obligatory precaution, if it was due to carelessness, his prayer is treated as invalid whether he remembered after prayer or during prayer. Otherwise, if it wasn’t due to carelessness his prayer is valid.[2]

[1] . Tawzih al-Masaiel of Maraja’, Vol. 1, Pg. 85, Question 121;Ibid, Pg. 87, Question 123.

[2] . Minhaj al-Saliheen, Vol. 1, Pg.144, Question 422 & 426.

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Number of things which invalidate Wudhu (ablution)

by Posted in All Q&A, Taharat, Wudhu Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Question 556: Can you please let us know those things that invalidate Wudhu (ablution) and their Causes?

Brief answer 556: Things that invalidate wudu are: Passing of urine. Excretion. Passing wind from the rear. A sleep, deep enough to restrict sight and hearing. However, if the eyes do not see anything, but the ears can hear, Wudhu does not become void. Things on account of which a person loses his sensibility, like insanity, intoxication or unconsciousness. Istihaza which will be dealt with later. Janabat, and, as a recommended precaution, every state which requires Ghusl.[1]

 

Detailed answer 556: There are several Unclean Things which invalidate wudu (ablution) and cause the necessity for its repetition.

 

1 & 2: Effusion of urine or what falls under its category, such as the suspected wetness coming out before istibrã’ or excretion of feces from the natural or unnatural passage, regardless whether the natural passage is blocked or not, and whether its amount is large or small, and whether it is accompanied, for example, by worms or lumps.

3: Passing out of wind from anus, if it comes out of the stomach or bowels, whether it is accompanied with sound and bad odor or not. But the wind that comes out of the front organ (vulva) of a woman, and not from the stomach or bowels is like the wind that enters from outside and then comes out. (It will not nullify ablution).

4: A sleep which overwhelms the senses of sight and hearing (as a result of which the eyes do not see, and the ears do not hear).

5: Everything which stuns human reason such as insanity, swooning, drunkenness or the like.

6: The minor or medium Istihädah (undue menstruation), rather to be more cautious, the abundant one too, though we have declared ritual bath to be obligatory in such cases.

Note: If the water of enema comes out without being accompanied by something like it would not invalidate ablution.

Likewise, if there is suspicion of the water of enema being accompanied by something, Or when some worm or lump comes out without being sullied by feces, (the ablution shall not be void)[2]

[1] . Tawzih al-Masael of maraja’ (annotated by Imam Khomeini), Vol. 1, Pg. 188.

[2] . Tahrir al-Wasilah of Imam Khomeini, Vol. 1, Things that invalidate Ablution & Their Causes.