Chapter on Impurities

Removing impurity from the worshipper’s body, his clothing, and the place where he prays is obligatory.

It is permissible to cleanse impurity with water or with any pure liquid that can remove it, such as vinegar or rose-water.

If an impurity that has a tangible substance falls on a khuff (leather sock) and then dries, it is enough to rub the sock against the ground.

Semen is impure: when it is still moist it must be washed, but if it has dried on a garment, rubbing it off suffices.

When impurity touches a mirror or a sword, wiping the surface is sufficient.

If impurity falls on the ground, and the sun dries it so that its traces disappear, praying on that spot is permissible, though tayammum may not be taken from that soil.

If a severe impurity—such as blood, urine, feces, or wine—affects a person in an amount no larger than a dirham (about the size of a small coin), the prayer is valid; if it exceeds that, it is not.

If a light impurity, like the urine of an animal whose flesh is lawful to eat, affects him, the prayer remains valid so long as it does not cover more than one-quarter of the garment.

The cleansing of an impurity that must be washed is of two kinds:
• If it has a visible substance, purification is achieved by removing that substance itself, though any remaining trace that is difficult to eliminate may be overlooked.
• If it has no visible substance, it is purified by washing until the washer is reasonably confident that it is clean.

Istinjaʾ (cleansing oneself after relieving) is a sunnah. A stone, or anything that serves the same purpose, is sufficient provided one wipes until the area is clean; there is no set number of wipes, and using water is better. If the impurity spreads beyond its point of exit, only water may be used.

One must not perform istinjaʾ with a bone, dung, food, or