Najis

In Islamic law, najis (Arabic: ‫ )ﻧﺠﺲ‬means ritually unclean.[1] According to Islam, there are two kinds of
najis: the essential najis which cannot be cleaned and the unessential najis which become najis while in
contact with another najis.

Contact with najis things brings a Muslim into a state of ritual impurity (Arabic: ‫ ﻧﺠﺎﺳﺔ‬najāsa, in
opposition to ṭahārah, ritual purity). Ritual purification is then required before religious duties such as
regular prayers are performed.

Contents
Islamic law
Muṭahhirāt ('purifying agents')
Nature
Physical change
Spiritual change
Sources of law
See also
References
External links

Islamic law
According to the Shafi'i school of Sunni Islamic jurisprudence, as systematised by Al-Nawawi in his book
Minhadj, the following things are najis: wine and other spirituous drinks, dogs, swine, dead animals that
were not ritually slaughtered, blood, excrements, and the milk of animals whose meat Muslims are not
allowed to eat. Spirituous drinks are not impure according to the Hanafi school, while living swine and dogs
are not impure according to the Malikis.[1] There is a difference of opinion as to whether alcoholic drinks
are najis.[2]

To the list of impure things enumerated by al-Nawawi, Shi’a jurists traditionally add dead bodies and non-
believers.[1][3]

Additionally, meat of any animal which is killed in a manner other than that prescribed by Islam is najis.

Najis things cannot be purified, in contrast to things which are defiled only (mutanajis), with the exception
of wine, which becomes pure when made into vinegar, and of hides, which are purified by tanning.[1]

Muṭahhirāt ('purifying agents')

It is possible to purify a thing which has become najis. These muṭahhirāt agents that can purify najis can be
divided into three groups:
Nature
water

The Qur'an says: “He [Allah] is the one who sends the winds as good news before His mercy; and We send
down pure water from the cloud." (25:48) According to the shari'ah, water can be of two types: muṭlaq and
muḍāf. Muṭlaq is pure water without putting it to a scientific test. The five forms of muṭlaq are the
following: rain, well water, running or flowing water (river or stream), kur water (lake, sea or ocean), and
less than kur. Muḍāf is diluted water

the Earth
the Sun

Physical change
istiḥālah (chemical change)
inqilāb (change in properties)
intiqāl (change in place)
zawāl li-ʿayni n-najāsah (disappearance of the source of najāsah)
istibrāʾ (quarantining)

Spiritual change
Islam
tabaʿīyyah (following)
ghaybat al-muslim (absence of a Muslim)

Not all of these agents can purify every najis. However, among the agents water is the most universal
purifying agent while the other agents are limited.

Sources of law
The notions of ritual impurity come mainly from the Qur'an and ahadith. Swine and blood are declared
forbidden food in the Qur'an.

See also
Ghusl
Tahir
Ritual purification
Taharah
Wudu
Dhimmi
Kafir

References
 1. Weinsinck, A.J. "Nadjis". In P.J. Bearman; Th. Bianquis; C.E. Bosworth; E. van Donzel; W.P.
Heinrichs (eds.). Encyclopaedia of Islam Online. Brill Academic Publishers. ISSN 1573-3912
(https://www.worldcat.org/issn/1573-3912).
2. "Intoxicants - Oxford Islamic Studies Online" (http://www.oxfordislamicstudies.com/article/opr/t
349/e0152?_hi=7&_pos=2). www.oxfordislamicstudies.com. Retrieved 2018-07-27.
3. Lewis (1984), p.34

External links
Laws of Islam concerning ritual purity (http://www.religiousrules.com/Islampurity00table.htm)
Purifying Agents (Mutahirat) (http://english.bayynat.org.lb/Fatawa/s1ch6.htm)

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This page was last edited on 19 September 2019, at 19:46 (UTC).

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