Summary: Allahu 'alim, both sides--those that say alcohol is najas, and those that don't--have strong proofs. Having said that, all four madhahib say alcohol is najas. The main proof--and there are a few proofs--is the ayah:

Translation: O you who believe! Intoxicants and gambling, (dedication of) stones, and (divination by) arrows, are rijs of Shaytan's handwork; eschew such (filth), that ye may prosper. [Surah Ma'idah, verse 90]

The word Allah uses--rijs--means filth, which is najas by default. Gambling and divination are spirituall najas, and alcohol is physically najas! (Those who say alcohol is not najas use this ayah too--gambling and divination are spiritually najas. If you walk into a gambling machine, you don't go wash it off! And alcohol is mentioned here too. But the refutal is that it's common sense that gambling and divination aren't physically najas.)

Another proof: Abu Tha'labah Al-Khushani asked the Prophet: "We are in a land inhabited by people of the book. Can we eat from their inaa'?" The Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم) said: "Don't eat from them, unless you can't find an alternative; in that case, wash them and eat from them." The word used, inaa', refers to dishes (plates, bowls), utensils (knives, forks, spoons), AND cups! If alcohol wasn't najas, the Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم) wouldn't have mentioned inaa', only plates/bowls/etc. and utensils! So the majority of scholars use this proof, too, to say alcohol is najas.

And follow Imam Malik--who says that even though alcohol is najas, if it's mixed into something--as long as it doesn't change the colour, smell, or taste of the thing--then that thing is pure.

But don't cook with it--because there's a hadith, that "whatever intoxicates in large amounts is haraam even in small amounts."

Wallahu ta'ala 'alim.

Abdul-Bary Yahya. Lecture. AlMaghrib. The Purification Act. University of Toronto, Toronto. November 2006.

(Before you read this, read about the three-fold categorization of water; in summary, water can either be purifying (tuhoor), pure (taahir), or impure (najas), and we can only use purifying water for wudoo and ghusl.)

Scholars agree that, if the water changes--the colour, smell, or taste change due to najaasa--then the water is najas, and you can't use it. And water that remains free of impurity is recyclable.

But what if some najas falls into it, and it doesn't change colour? For example, you're washing your son/nephew/grandson, and a few drops of urine fall into your bucket of wudoo water--but the water doesn't change in it's three characteristics.

Is it pure?

Scholars disagree on this. Let's blitz through some of the opinions:

Opinion 1: the water remains pure even if 100 people make wudoo with it 100,000 times--because as long as the three characteristics are the same, it's still purifying water! They quote the following proofs:

Hadith: Water is purifying, and nothing will defile it.

Hadith: Aisha (رضالله عنها) narrates that she used some water to wash when she was in a state of janabah. The Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم) said: "Water does not come into the state of janabah," i.e. it doesn't carry impurity or become impure and remains purifying. [Musnan of Ibn Ahmad]

Hadith: Urwa ibn Mas'ood As-Sa'id met the Prophet, then said to the Quraish: "When the Messenger of Allah (صلي الله عليه وسلم) performed his wudoo, his companions rushed to share the water he used." [Bukhari, Musnad of Imam Ahmad]

Also, the default opinion with water is that it's purifying, until proven impure.

Opinion 2: Water becomes pure, but not purifying (like tea or coke). While it's not najas, you can't make wudoo or ghusl from it. They quote the following proofs:

Hadith: Don't urinate in stagnant water and wash yourself with it.

(Meaning, even if the water looks pure, you can't make wudoo with it.)

Opinion 3: Water already used for purifying becomes najas. (So if you make wudoo and drip water from your elbow onto your clothes, you need to re-wash them.) They use the same hadith above as proof--because one of their principles is "Any time Allah or the Prophet put two things together in a sentence, they take the same ruling." But there are many ayaat in the Qur'an where this isn't true, so this is a very weak proof.

So what's the conclusion? Allahu 'alim, scholars put forward opinion one--you can reuse wudoo water so long as it's characteristics don't change--because the ahadith that speak directly about this topic are many and strong; you can't get a better proof then that.

So if a little bit of something najas falls into your bathtub or wudoo bucket, don't freak out--remember, it's all good! (It's still purifying.)

Wallahu ta'ala 'alim.

Abdul-Bary Yahya. Lecture. AlMaghrib. The Purification Act. University of Toronto, Toronto. November 2006.

Scholars agree that all utensils made from pure and clean things--other then silver and gold, because we're prohibited from eating from those--are pure and clean. So throw out your silverware, even if it's only partially silver; gold plating is not allowed, either.)

Is it halal to eat from the cutlery (vessels--plates, cups, etc.) and utensils of non-Muslims? This issue most impacts Muslims living in non-Muslim localities, such as North America. What's the answer? Scholars disagree on this. Let's look at the opinions.

Opinion 1: We can eat from their utensils, because Allah made the food of non-Muslims lawful--the only things that make their utensils najas is najas stuff.

Opinion 2: We can eat from their utensils--when necessary. Abu Tha'labah Al-Khushani asked the Prophet, "we're in a land inhabited by People of the Book. Can we eat from their utensils?" The Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم) said: "Don't eat from them, unless you can't find an alternative, in which case, wash them and eat from them."

Opinion 3: We can use them if we don't see non-Muslims eating pork or driking wine on them. Because in one hadith--a long hadith--the Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم) ran out of wudoo water. He used water from a water-skin of a mushrik and made wudoo with that (as did all his companions--because of barakah).

So what's the conclusion? Allahu 'alim, scholars put forward opinion three--you can use their utensils--so long as they're not used for wine or eating najas stuff--because of the hadith of the water-skin.

What about eating at non-Muslim restaurants? If you go, and they serve alcohol, pork, or najas things, and they cook it on the same skillet/pan/grill/pot/container as your food, then it's haraam. But if it's, for example, a seafood restaurant, and the majority of their food is ok, then it's ok. (But, it's preferable to avoid this situation if you can.)

Wallahu ta'ala 'alim.

Abdul-Bary Yahya. Lecture. AlMaghrib. The Purification Act. University of Toronto, Toronto. November 2006.

There are differences of opinion in some of these issues. I encourage everyone to study the evidences in details.

Want to know the differences between different fluid discharges and their rulings? Inshallah in the next post, we will provide a summary of these rulings. Stay tuned!

References (contain proofs for the above):
http://www.islamqa.com/index.php?ln=eng&QR=10672
http://www.islamqa.com/index.php?ref=2564&ln=eng
http://www.islamqa.com/index.php?ref=4643&ln=eng&txt=mushaf

The Purification Act is an AlMaghrib Institute course taught by Abdul-Bary Yahya. If you think you know wudoo, think again! This course teaches you the ins and outs of tahara (purity and purification) and salaah (prayer)--everything from whether one adhaan or two is more correct, to the proper way to purify dog-slobber from your best china, to whether a pigskin football (or for that matter, a leather jacket) is najas or not. In addition, you get a firm grasp of scholarly opinions, and learn which opinion--or opinions--are the strongest, and why.

• AlMaghrib
• Is Alcohol Najas?
• Manly Awrah
• The Purification Act
• Reusing Purification Water
• Signing on Behalf of Allah
• Talk Ain't Cheap
• The Sock-Wiping Test
• Utensils and Vessels

• Salaah
• Tahara

Abdul-Bary Yahya. Lecture. AlMaghrib. The Purification Act. University of Toronto, Toronto. November 2006.

Then you're in luck! Pass this quick test, and you can just wipe over your socks for wudoo!

1. Wudooified feet: Were you in a state of purity (post-wudoo) before you put on your socks?
2. Permanent socks: Did you leave your socks on after losing wudoo? You can't take them off if you want to wipe!
3. Smellified socks: Are you within 24 hours (72 for travellers) of when you first broke wudoo after putting on your socks?

And that's it! Wipe over the top of your socks, and you're good to go!

Some other things to keep in mind:

• You only need to wipe over the top of your socks.
• Removing your socks if you wipe over for wudoo breaks your wudoo!
• You can make wudoo over leather socks or any ol' socks--because the Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم) used to wipe over his shoes, according to some ahadith.
• You can safely wipe regardless of how "holey" your socks are.

And Allah Almighty knows best.

Abdul-Bary Yahya. Lecture. AlMaghrib. The Purification Act. University of Toronto, Toronto. November 2006.