that was legally binding, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, would have stated it. This is why, when the blood was dry, he said: “First scrape it off,” rather than saying, “Wash it,” even though repeated washing could remove it, even if it were dry. Yet he began with the easier course.
- An impurity is a filthy substance: once it has been removed, its ruling ceases. This is a very clear rational proof. Accordingly, no specific number is required for removing an impurity, except in the case of a dog’s impurity, which must be removed by seven washings, one of them with soil, due to the explicit textual evidence.
Two responses have been given to the hadith of Ibn Umar:
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It is weak and has no basis.
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Even assuming it is authentic, Imam Ahmad narrated a hadith—though there is some question regarding it—that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was commanded to wash impurities seven times; then he asked Allah for leniency, and he was commanded to wash them once. (1) Thus, Ibn Umar’s hadith—if authentic—is understood to have preceded its abrogation, and so it can no longer be cited as evidence.
The correct view is that one washing is sufficient if it removes the substance of the impurity, thereby purifying the affected area, except in the case of a dog, as explained above.
If the impurity is not removed by one washing, a second and then a third washing should be added, and so on, even if