Is the water used in a front-loading automatic washing machine suitable for purification, or does it become ritually impure upon contact with impurity? What is the ruling on water splashes or ritually impure garments that get caught between the door and the drum opening of the washing machine and are not submerged in water? What is the method for washing clothes with a small amount of water, and what are the rulings on the wash cycle and the water separated from it? What type of automatic washing machine is better (front-loading or top-loading)?

The madhhabs of the Hanbalis and Shafi'is, and the relied-upon opinion (mufta bihi), is that water less than two qullas becomes impure if impurity falls into it. The water from the first wash (ghassalah) is less than two qullas, so it becomes impure upon contact with the impurity if the water is put in first and then the impure clothes are thrown into it. The madhhab of Malik is that water does not become impure unless its characteristics change, whether it is a small or large amount, and this is a strong madhhab that offers facilitation. We advise anyone who wishes to purify clothes in a washing machine to wash the impurity outside the machine first, and then put the clothes in it. If contact between the impurity and the internal parts of the washing machine is confirmed, then it is obligatory to purify it by pouring water over it. However, if there is doubt, nothing is required.