hadath

Hadath is an Arabic term used in Islamic jurisprudence to denote ritual impurity that affects a worshipper's state of purity. Etymologically, hadath comes from the root meaning to occur or to happen, and in classical Arabic it also means an event or incident. In fiqh, hadath designates a state that makes certain acts of worship, especially those requiring ritual purity, invalid until purified.

There are two categories: minor hadath (hadath al-asghar) and major hadath (hadath al-akbar). Minor hadath refers to a lighter state of ritual impurity that is removed by performing ablution (wudu), whereas major hadath refers to a more extensive impurity that requires a full ritual bath (ghusl). Purification may be complemented by tayammum if water is unavailable or impermissible.

Hadath affects worship practices: prayers, circumambulation, and other rites typically require purification. Jurists discuss the specifics across Sunni and Shia schools, and there are differences in how and when purification is required, when tayammum is permissible, and what constitutes nullifiers of wudu or ghusl.

In everyday use, hadath can also appear in non-ritual senses as an event or incident, but in Islamic jurisprudence the term specifically denotes ritual impurity. The concept is part of a broader framework of ritual purity and cleanliness in Islam, alongside tahara, wudu, ghusl, and related practices.