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OCD with cleanliness

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Question

I am 19 years old. For a long time, I haven’t been a good Muslim, I’ve not read namaaz. During ramadhan, I tried to change my ways and began reading namaaz and Quran, but I then realized a lot of things. A long time ago (over 2 years) I was in the bathroom and had gotten a lot of urine on the floor and on the clothes basket. The clothes basket is on top of a small bucket facing upside down with a rim. I mopped the floor, strained the mop, mopped again and put the mop in the mop bucket filled with water. I don’t remember cleaning the clothes basket other than wiping the mop on it and I don’t remember cleaning the small bucket. The bucket has a rim on it which would’ve collected urine in it if urine went on the basket as it would’ve dripped down. My problem now is I think everything in the house is now impure because the mop bucket and the bucket which the clothes basket is on would have had urine on them, and when the mop is used, it would touch both buckets and transfer urine onto everything it touches (floors (laminate, tiles, carpet), slippers, sofas, tables etc). I don’t see or smell any traces of urine anywhere but I feel as though everything has become impure.

Until Over a year ago, I also didn’t used to practise caution after using the toilet and would get urine drops on my trousers. I would put on and remove these trousers with wet legs meaning my foot and legs would become impure transferring impurity to slippers and floors and carpets etc.

I can’t see or smell any impurity anywhere but I feel as though almost everything is impure. Please advise me on what to do.

Thank you


Answer

It is pleasing to see that you are rectifying your ways. May Allah keep you steadfast.

If something is impure and dry, wetness will transfer this impurity onto the other surface ONLY if the traces of impurity can be found on the other surface. For example, someone had urinated on a car seat, and it had dried. A wet hand would only transfer the impurity onto the hand if the traces of urine – smell, taste, colour – have transferred onto the hand. Similarly, if this car seat were to become wet again through sweat, the impurity would only transfer onto the other if traces of urine are found on the individual.[1]

In the cases described above relating to the dirty mop or dirty clothes, the transfer of impurity is highly farfetched. As you have admitted, no signs or traces of the impurities have transferred. Therefore, put aside your worries and focus on the hard facts: can impurities be perceived? No, so there is nothing to worry about.

Many people suffer from anxiety and severe doubt in matters of purity. The following video might be of use to you: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ok7Byi9u8Z0

And Allah knows best.

[1]              حاشية الطحطاوي على مراقي الفلاح شرح نور الإيضاح (ص: 158) ولو ابتل فراش أو تراب نجسا” وكان ابتلالهما “من عرق نائم” عليهما “أو” كان من “بلل قدم وظهر أثر النجاسة” وهو طعم أو لون أو ريح “في البدن والقدم تنجسا” لوجودها بالأثر “وإلا” أي وإن لم يظهر أثرها فيهما “فلا” ينجسان….  “من عرق نائم” قيد اتفاقي فالمستيقظ كذلك كما يفهم من مسألة القدم ولو وضع قدمه الجاف الطاهر أو نام على نحو بساط نجس رطب إن إبتل ما أصاب ذلك تنجس وإلا فلا ولا عبرة بمجرد النداوة على المختار كما في السراج عن الفتاوى قوله: “عليهما” أي على من نام على الفراش أو التراب النجسين قوله: “أو كان من بلل قدم الخ” أي كان ابتلال الفراش أو التراب الخ قوله: “لوجودها بالأثر” أي لوجود النجاسة بوجود أثرها في جنب النائم أو قدمه قوله: “فلا ينجسان” أي البدن والقدم

Answered by:
Maulana Ikramul Hoque Miah

Checked & Approved by:
Mufti Abdul Rahman Mangera
Mufti Zubair Patel

This answer was collected from FatwaCentre.org, which is overseen by Dr. Mufti Abdur-Rahman Mangera.

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