najasa

Najasa, from the Arabic نجاسة, is a term in Islamic jurisprudence describing impurity that invalidates ritual purity (tahara). It refers to substances or states that must be cleansed before performing acts of worship, most notably the ritual prayer. Najasa is a legal rather than moral category; it does not denote dirtiness in ordinary life, but a specific status within fiqh that requires purification.

Common examples cited in Islamic legal texts include the excrement and urine of humans and many animals, blood, vomit, pus, and the carcasses of dead animals that are not slaughtered according to Islamic law. The exact scope of najasa and the methods of purification vary somewhat among Islamic schools (madhahib), but they share the principle that contact with or presence of najasa renders purification necessary for ritual acts.

Purification typically involves removing the impurity and washing the affected area with clean water until no trace remains. In cases where water is unavailable or insufficient, alternative purifications such as dry purification using earth (tayammum) may be prescribed, followed by the appropriate ritual cleansing (wudu or ghusl) for prayer.

Najasa is addressed within the broader concept of taharah (purification) in Islam, and understanding its rules is part of compliance with Islamic practice.