ABSTRACT
The Muslim Laws of ritual purity, as ought to be fairly widely known, are connected with the Jewish laws of ritual purity. The general rule at the basis of the fiqh system is very simple. There are things that are in themselves impure (najis), and these contaminate other things (mutanajjis) when they come into physical contact with them. Water is used for cleansing in both religions; if there is no water available, it is permissible to use sand. Besides the ghusl Islam knows a less rigorous kind of washing involving the face, hands and feet. Judaism also knows this alleviated form of the bath. It already appears in the Mishna: "Ten people may dry their faces, hands and feet in one and the same linen cloth". There are traditions rejecting the triple washing, which shows that this was an innovation in Islam.
