Is Animal Urine and Dung Pure?

Praise be to Allah.

Which animal urine and dung is pure?

If these birds are a kind whose flesh it is permissible to eat according to Shari`ah, such as sparrows, chickens and ducks and so on, then their faeces is pure. The same ruling applies to any animal whose flesh may be eaten, such as sheep, cows, horses and so on. 

There is a great of evidence that the urine and dung of animals whose flesh may be eaten is pure, such as the following: 

• The basic principle concerning all things is that they are pure, and there is no authentic Shar`i evidence to suggest that these things are impure. 
• It is proven in the books of Al-Bukhari and Muslim that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) told a group of people who came to Madinah and became sick, to drink the urine and milk of camels. If the urine of camels was impure he would not have told them to drink it, because it is not permissible to use prohibited things as medicine. 
• It is proven in the book of Muslim that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was asked about praying in sheep pens and he said: “Pray in them for they are a blessing.” And he did not tell the one who prayed there to avoid the urine and dung, even though he would usually find some of that. 

There is a great deal of other evidence, which was discussed at length by Shaykh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him). (See Majmu` Al-Fatawa, 21/542-586) 

Ibn Qudamah (may Allah have mercy on him) said in Al-Mughni (2/492): 

“The urine and faeces of animals whose flesh may be eaten is pure. … Malik said: The scholars do not regard the urine of animals whose meat is eaten and whose milk is drunk as impure. … Ibn Al-Mundhir said: Everyone from whom we acquired knowledge among the scholars unanimously agreed that it is permissible to pray in sheep pens, apart from Ash-Shafi`i who stipulated that it should be free of dung and urine.”  

It says in Fatawa Al-Lajnah Ad-Da’imah (6/414): 

“The urine of animals whose meat may be eaten is pure, and if it is used on the body for some purpose, there is nothing wrong with praying in that state.” 

But if these birds are of a type whose flesh may not be eaten, such as birds that have talons, like falcons, then their faeces is impure and there is no difference of opinion among the scholars concerning that. (See Al-Mughni, 2/490) 

Is it necessary to wash clothes if urine and dung get on them? 

As it is proven that the faeces of birds whose meat may be eaten is pure, then it does not have to be washed off if it gets onto one’s clothes or body, or on the carpet, and there is nothing wrong with praying in these clothes or on this carpet . 

But you should advise your mother to allocate a special place for these birds so that they will not bother other members of the household, because even if this faeces is pure, it is still off-putting to people. 

For more details, please refer to the following category: Removing Impurity.

And Allah knows best.