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Is the act of pouring water seven times over something intended for washing (like clothes or meat), while counting and uttering the two Shahadas, with the intention of purifying it from impurity or dirt, considered a Bid'ah (innovation) that was not authentically reported from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, or the Companions?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

A Muslim must adhere to the rulings of Sharia without negligence or extremism, for the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, forbade excessiveness (ghuluw), and the Sharia has shown the ease and simplicity of the religion. Washing things three or seven times has not been reported except in specific cases, such as washing a vessel that a dog has licked. No attention should be paid to the mere possibility of impurity, for the default status of things is purity unless their impurity is certain, and washing as a precaution merely due to doubt is not legislated. Uttering the two testimonies of faith when washing things is an innovation that has no basis in religion.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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