Question:
I found out that you keep fishes as pets. I have the same hobby. Here, I want to ask, when I do the routine cleaning of the aquarium, some water will splash on the floor. Is this water considered as najis since it is mixed with fish excrements and if it is considered as najis, what is the right way to clean it? Thank you.
Answer:
Alhamdulillah, praise and thanks to Allah for the countless blessings He has blessed us all with. Blessings and salutations to the Prophet Muhammad PBUH, his wives, his family, companions and all those that follow his teachings to the day of judgement.
Thank you to the questioner for asking. Keeping pets is a permissible and honoured act. However, there is great responsibility that comes along with keeping pets. According to fiqh books, the nafaqah (maintenance) of pets must be fulfilled by their owners. For example, fishes need food and a place to stay, while other animals would need 3 things; a place to stay, food and drink. [1]
Referring back to the question, in madhab al-Syafi’e Rahimahullah, animal excrements are considered as najis. This is in accordance with the hadith of the Prophet PBUH:
From Ibnu Mas’ud RA, the Prophet PBUH said:
عَنْ ابْنِ مَسْعُوْدٍ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: أَتَيْتُ النبيَّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِحَجَرَيْنِ وَرَوْثَةٍ فأخَذَ الحَجَرَيْنِ وأَلْقَى الرَّوْثَةَ وَقَالَ: هَذَا رِكْسٌ
“I found two stones and searched for the third but could not find it. So took a dried piece of dung and brought it to him. He took the two stones and threw away the dung and said, "This is a filthy thing."
Sahih Imam al-Bukhari (155)
In al-Majmuk Syarah Al-Muhazzab (2/550) Imam al-Nawawi Rahimahullahu Taala said:
ان مذهبنا أن جميع الارواث والدرق والبول نجسة من كل الحيوان سواء المأكول وغيره والطير وكذا روث السمك والجراد وما ليس له نفس سائلة كالذباب فروثها وبولها نجسان علي المذهب وبه قطع العراقيون وجماعات من الخراسانيين وحكي الخراسانيون وجها ضعيفا في طهارة روث السمك والجراد وما لا نفس له سائل
“Indeed, in our madhab, all excrements, bird droppings and urine is considered as najis, whether the animal is permissible to be eaten or not. The same is applicable to birds. The same ruling is on the excrement of fish and grasshopper and other animals who do not have flowing blood, such as the mosquito. All excrements from animals are najis. This is the decided opinion (madhab) by scholars (Shafi’i) of Iraq and some scholars of Khurasan. There is a weak opinion from scholars of Khurasan regarding the purity of excrements from fish and grasshopper and other animals without flowing blood…”
Conclusion
Hence, according to the final opinion, if small aquarium water (of less than two qullahs of water) mixed with excrements, then the splash of that water is considered as najis and it must be cleansed, until the characteristics (smell, colour, texture) of the najis disappeared. However, if the najis cannot be seen by the naked eye, even if it is a mughallazah najis, it is forgiven according to syarak. The same for a minute amount of splashed water where it cannot be seen, it is also forgiven in syarak.
Walllahua’lam.