Answered by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
I was given a very nice jacket (used) by a brother who drinks and doesn’t pray (to my knowledge). I’m afraid that there might be some impurities on it that I’m unaware of and whose nature I have no way of finding out. The jacket was worn for many years and I doubt it has ever been washed with water — its a dress jacket. What should I do? Wash it? How many times? And if I should wash it, must I let it dry before I rewash. Problem is, if I wash too much, it’ll probably shrink. (Also, I can only use cold water).
Walaikum assalam,
The default assumption with all things is that they are pure unless proven otherwise. This default assumption is our operating certainty, and the fuqaha tell us that, “Certainty is not lifted by doubt. Rather, it is only lifted by certainty.”
In you case, you only have doubts, with nothing back them up, about filth having touched the jacket. As such, you should assume it is pure, as long there are no signs (= colour, smell, or taste) of filth (= najasa) on it.
Wassalam,
Faraz Rabbani.