Fatwaa ID: 185

Question:

AssalamOAlaykum

I leaked some motor oil in the car and on my belongings.  It is very difficult to wash everything out completely.  I don’t know the ingredients of the motor oil but I know that animal products are very common in so many things in non-Muslim countries.  I am worried maybe I have to purify eveyrthing because it might be napaak.  And then if I put something in the car it becomes napaak because it touches oil and then it spreads the napaak.  Do i have to find a way to 100% wash everything properly or can i assume it is not napaak and the ingredients are okay?

Answer:

In the Name of Allaah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

We are not aware of any motor oil which contains animal derivatives[1].

The fact that animal products are common does not necessarily mean that there are animal products in the motor oil. In the absence of certainty, you should not regard the motor oil to be impure and entertain thoughts of najaasah in the car. That is waswasah and whispers of Shaitaan that are misleading. You may consider reciting the isti’aazah frequently to free yourself from unwarranted doubts.

And Allaah Ta’aala Knows Best.

Muajul I. Chowdhury
Student, Darul Iftaa
Astoria, New York, USA

Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.

وصل اللهم وسلم وبارك على سيدنا محمد وعلى ءاله وصحبه أجمعين

[1] Most motor oils are made from a heavier, thicker petroleum hydrocarbon base stock derived from crude oil, with additives to improve certain properties. The bulk of a typical motor oil consists of hydrocarbons with between 18 and 34 carbon atoms per molecule. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motor_oil

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