Doubt About the Purity of Wetness on Clothing After Urination

Question

A person is unsure whether a spot on their clothing after urination is impure or just water. They seek guidance based on the principle that everything is pure until proven otherwise. [AR_ID:459]

Answer 1

Peace be upon you.

According to Sayyid Sistani and Sayyid Khamenei:

Firstly, in such a case, the clothing is deemed pure.

Sayyid Sistani: (This is also applicable to followers of Sayyid Khamenei)

Secondly: Regarding the issue of waswas (obsessive doubt)

All scholars clearly state, based on religious texts, that the duty of someone with waswas is to disregard their doubts and assume the purity of anything they are uncertain about. Even if they are certain of something being impure—unlike others who have knowledge of it—they should not consider that knowledge and must assume purity. If the person with waswas follows this religious ruling and assumes the purity of everything they doubt, even if they are certain of its impurity, they are excused before God, even if their actions do not reflect reality.

Third: Advice

The person with waswas should recognize that this state is both mentally and religiously blameworthy, as it deviates from moderation and wastes human energy without yielding any benefit. Waswas is not a form of piety or care for religious rulings; rather, it indicates a disturbance in a person's perception, weakness in their will, and submission to the whispers of the evil one, as mentioned in the hadiths. If they understand this well and recognize the true nature of this state, they can move to the next stage.

This next stage is to strive hard to control themselves, take charge of their will, and prevent the devil from manipulating them. They should resolve to do this, certain that God will not punish them for disregarding what they doubt on the Day of Judgment. If they doubt impurity, they should not pay attention and assume purity, following the usual practice. The more they repeatedly disregard their doubts, the weaker the influence of imagination will become until it disappears, and the devil will despair of holding onto them, allowing them to maintain a balanced approach to purity and impurity. They should be assured that if they enter this arena with determination, they will prevail, and God will assist them, weakening the devil's schemes against them, as He says in the Quran: ‘Indeed, the plot of the devil is weak.’ May God guide us to what is right.

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Source:

Sayyid Sistani: Official website: 1, 2, 3.