ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Elements of Islamic Studies Lesson 20: Mutahhirat (I) Mutahhirat i.e., the things which make a najis thing clean. These are 12 in number: (1) Water; (2) Earth; (3) Sun; (4) Istihala ; (5) Intiqal ; (6) Islam; (7) Taba’iyat : (8) Istibra ; (9) Ghaybah (disappearance) of a Muslim; (10) Zawal al-‘Ayn ; (11) Inqilab and (12) Flowing of blood in normal quantity from a lawfully slaughtered animal.

Water (a) According to purity or impurity, water is of two kinds: mutlaq i.e., pure water; and mudaf i.e., mixed water. Mixed water cannot make anything clean. Instead, it itself becomes unclean by coming into contact with anything unclean. (b) Mutlaq is of 5 kinds: (1) Rain water; (2) Running water; (3) Well water; (4) Still water about a kur or more than a kur ; (5) Still water less than a kur .

Water cleanses a najis thing on condition that the water is (1) Mutlaq and (2) Clean ( tahir ), and (3) Does not become mudaf by coming into contact with that najasah , and (4) All the najasah is washed away from that najis thing. Rain water, running water (like sea, river, stream, spring etc.) and well water make things clean if washed once after removing the najasah . But if anything becomes najis by urine it must be washed twice. It is better to wash it twice even in other najasah .

Clothes should be squeezed after every washing as described above. Still water which is just a kur or more than a kur , also makes things clean in the same way. These waters cannot be unclean by mere contact with najasah . They will be unclean if either their taste, color or smell is changed by that contact. Kur means water which takes 27 cubic span space (3x3x3). It is better to make it 42 7/8 cubic span (3 1/2 x 3 1/2 x 31/2). 1 span = 9 in.

Still water which is less than a kur becomes unclean by just coming into contact with a najasah . To cleanse with clean still water, it is necessary to wash twice after removing the najasah , and it is better to wash thrice. The water running from the pipes in the houses is treated as river water so long as it is running. Pots must be cleansed three times with the water which is less than a kur , and once if it is washed in kur or running water.

If a pig licks the pot, then it should be washed seven times whether the water is running or kur or less than that. The same is the rule if a rat dies in a pot.