Mutahhirat

Mutahhirat (cleaners) is a jurisprudential term means the eleven things that make Mutanajjis Tahir (clean a thing that was in contact with Najis). Taharat (purification) from Nijasat is condition for validity of some ‘Ibabat (acts of worship), such as Salat and Tawaf. Also, eating Najis and Mutanajjis is Haram (forbidden).
Terminology

Taharat means cleaning the inside and the outside from dirt and vices. The term is used in Fiqh (jurisprudence) and Akhlaq (ethics). The jurisprudential Taharat has two kinds: Apparent (al-Zahiri): which is obtained from Mutahhirat and Hidden (al-Batini): which is obtained from Wudu, Ghusl and Tayammum. Mutahhirat is a plural form of Mutahhir and a derivative from Tuhr and Taharat. Lexicologically, Taharat means cleanliness, purification and cleanness. Terminologically, is it a declaratory law (al-Hukm al-Wad’i) which includes everything except for Najis and Mutanajjis things. It is obvious that a thing can only be Mutahhir when itself is Tahir (clean).
General Ruling

In Islamic jurisprudence, Taharat of cloths and body is a validity condition of some ‘Ibadat (acts of worship), such as Salat and Tawaf. Mosques and shrines of prophet Muhammad (s) and the Infallible Imams (a) must be Tahir. This kind of Taharat is Taharat from Khabat (filth). Most of Shi’a Faqihs (jurists) mentioned 10 things as essentially Najis things that never can become Tahir, and if something touches them while being wet, it will be Mutanajjis. These things are: 1- Blood 2- Urine 3- Feces 4- Semen 5- Dead body (Mita) 6- Dog 7- Pig 8- Unbeliever (Kafir) 9- Wine 10- Fuqqa’ (beer)

If something becomes Mutanajjis, it can be purified by Mutahhirat, which are: 1- Water 2- Earth 3- The Sun 4- Istihala (transformation) and Inqilab (change) 5- Intiqal (transfer) 6- Islam 7- Taba’iyya (subjection) 8- Removal of Najis 9- Istibra of an animal which eats Najis 10- Disappearance of a Muslim 11- Flowing out of blood of a slaughtered animal in normal quantity
Mutahhirat

1- Water Water is the most common Mutahhir among Muslims. Only pure water is Mutahhir. The only sect that believes Mudaf water (mixed water) such as: rosewater, vinegar are Mutahhir is Hanafi of Sunnis. 2- Earth Dry and clean earth makes Mutanajjis things, such as Mutanajjis sole of feet and shoes, Tahir. However, the Najis substance should be removed by walking or rubbing or other ways. 3- The Sun In Shi’a jurisprudence (Fiqh) getting dry by the sun makes immovable things, such as trees, buildings, earth and walls, Tahir. On the other hand, Hanafis believe that however (by the sun or air flow) the above-mentioned things get dry, they become Tahir. Shafi’is, Hanbalis and Malikis believe that these things can not become Tahir by getting dry even by the sun; rather they can only become Tahir by water. 4- Istihala and Inqilab (transformation and change) Istihala means transformation of the essence of something to another thing completely, for instance a Mutannajis wood burns and transforms to ashes or a dog falls in a salt-marsh and transforms into salt. Shafi’is and Hanbalis from Sunnis believe that the smoke and ashes of essential Najis things are Najis as well. According to the viewpoint of majority of Shi’a scholars, Inqilab means the change of wine to vinegar. Inqilab makes the previous wine Tahir. 5- Intiqal (transfer) Intiqal means a Najis become part of a Tahir thing, for instance the blood that a mosquito has sucked from a human or a Najis fertilizer absorbed by a tree. 6- Islam Unbelievers are Najis and Islam makes them Tahir. 7- Taba’iyya (subjection) Taba’iyya means a Mutanajjis become Tahir, in subjection of another thing becoming Tahir, for example the container of wine becomes Tahir after that it transferred to vinegar or Islam of the parents makes their child Tahir. 8- Removal of Najis In some cases, removal of Najis causes the Mutanajjis to become Tahir, for instance the body of an animals or the inner parts of human body (inside the nose and mouth). 9- Istibra of an animal which eats Najis Urine and feces of a Halal animal which get used to eat Najis are Najis. Istibra’ makes that animal Tahir. Istibra’ means not letting that animal eat Najis for a specific time, which differs between different animals. 10- Disappearance of a Muslim If body, dress or things that are in the possession of a Muslim become Mutanajjis; the next time that one encounters the Muslim these things are Tahir; provided that, the one believes the Muslim has cleaned them, and there is no need to ask the Muslim whether he has cleaned the things or not. However, the Muslim should be Mumayiz and know the rulings of Taharat. 11- Flowing out of blood form a slaughtered animal in normal quantity After slaughtering a Halal animal in accordance with the rulings prescribed in Islam, and flowing out of blood from its body in normal quantity, the blood which remains in the body of the animal is Tahir.