SECTION ON PURITY · 140 – THE RULING REGARDING IMPURITY STAINING CLOTHING
383 – Umm Waleda (may Allah be pleased with her) said, "I am a woman who wears long garments and walks in soiled places. What should I do with the hem of my garment?" Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) said that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings upon him) replied, “The clean earth which comes after the filth cleanses it.” [268]
EXPLANATION
This hadith indicates that the soiled places referred to are dry places. It is reported that dry filth touches the hem of the garment, then if the same hem is dragged across clean earth, it will be cleansed. If wet filth touches the garment, only water can cleanse it. However, a subsequent hadith addresses the question of whether the wetness of the ground will cause filth to adhere to the hem. It is stated that in soiled places, filth mixes with the soil, becoming like muddy dirt and adhering to the garment. Then, if it is dragged across clean areas, the dirty mud will be replaced by clean mud, and it can be cleansed by rubbing. But if the actual filth itself adheres to the garment, only water can cleanse it. Filth that adheres to a covering (miste) can be cleansed by rubbing according to the Hanafi and Maliki schools of thought. (Maalim-us-Sunnah, vol. 1, p. 227)
According to Imam al-Shafi’i, filth can only be purified by washing. One should be meticulous regarding purification. Especially in places where water is plentiful, those who pass through soiled areas should wash off the muddy dirt that adheres to their garments.
From a woman of the Banu Abdil ‘Ashal: I said, "Messenger of Allah, part of our way to the mosque is foul-smelling." I said, “When it rains, it gets on our garments, what should we do?” The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Is there not a clean portion of the road after the foul one?” I replied, "Yes.” The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) then said, “That which is soiled in the impure place is purified by the clean place.”