Is it permitted to give clothes to wash in the general laundrettes?

Walaikum assalam wa rahmatullah,

Yes, it would be permitted, and pure clothing would not be considered to have thereby become filthy, unless we are certain that the clothing of non-Muslims or others (of those who do not avoid filth) was in fact filthy.

It is established in Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim from Imran ibn Husayn (Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and his Companions performed ablutions (wudu) from the leather container of a polytheist woman.

However, it is best (afdal) to exercise caution and to avoid such matters. As for the actions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), they were to show permissibility.

Amjad Rasheed

(Translated by Faraz Rabbani, edited by Hamza Karamali)

السؤال الثالث : هل يجوز أن أعطي ملابسي للغسل في غسالات عامة مع ملابس الكفار مع احتمال نجاستها ؟ الجواب : نعم يجوز ذلك ولا يحكم نجاسة الملابس الطّاهرة ما لم نتيقن نجاسة ملابس الكفار ونحوهم ممن لا يتحرزون عن النجاسة ؛ فقد ثبت في الصحيحين عن عمران بن حصين رضي الله عنه : ” أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم وأصحابه توضئوا من مزادة امرأة مشركة “. والمزادة هي الإناء من الجلد . لكن الأفضل الاحتياط وعدم التعرض لمثل ذلك وفعله صلى الله عليه وسلم كان لبيان الجواز .