A comparative analysis of sertu for pork contamination across the four Sunni madhhabs and accommodating the al-Nawawī position in al-Majmūʿ regarding international halal certification

Abstract

The Islamic legal concept of sertu refers to the ritual purification process required for objects contaminated by najs mughallaẓah (heavy impurities), specifically involving dogs and swine. This article examines the jurisprudential positions of the four major Sunni schools of law, Ḥanafī, Mālikī, Shāfiʿī, and Ḥanbalī, regarding the purification of pork contamination. While pork is unanimously classified as ḥarām and impure (najs), the four madhhabs diverge significantly on the methodology, necessity of soil, number of required washes, and the permissibility of modern alternatives. Through comparative analysis of primary legal sources and contemporary fatwa literature, this article identifies that the Shāfiʿī school maintains the strictest requirements (seven washes including one with soil), Ḥanbalī doctrine permits alternatives to soil, while Ḥanafī and Mālikī schools consider standard purification sufficient. These divergences have substantial implications for halal certification, food safety protocols, and inter-madhab compliance in the global halal industry.