that is crushed into granules like grains of sugar, or smaller. It was formerly used to wash clothes. It is rough like soil, and it cleanses and removes dirt. Hence the author says, “Soapwort and the like suffice in place of soil” in purifying the impurity of a dog.
This, however, is open to objection for the following reasons:
-
The Lawgiver specifically stipulated soil, so it is obligatory to adhere to the text.
-
Sidr and soapwort existed during the time of the Prophet ﷺ, yet he made no mention of them.
-
Soil may contain a substance that kills the germs emitted from a dog’s saliva.
-
Soil is one of the two means of purification, since it takes the place of water in the matter of tayammum (dry ablution) when water is unavailable. The Prophet ﷺ said: “The earth has been made for me a place of prayer and a means of purification.” (1) Thus, the Lawgiver may have had considerations regarding soil that led Him to choose it over other substances, since it is one of the two means of purification—unlike soapwort and the like.
The correct view, therefore, is that nothing suffices in place of soil. However, if soil were unavailable—though this is unlikely—then using soapwort or soap is better than using nothing at all.
The apparent meaning of the author’s words is that if a dog hunts, or holds game in its mouth, the meat touched by its mouth must be washed seven times, one of them with soil, soapwort, or soap. This is the established position of the madhhab.