It's a legit question; in Islam a substance can be clean or unclean, depending on the circumstances of its creation/method of obtaining. For example, meat prepared non ritualistically is considered halal, and considered unfit to ingest in a lordly body. No different than the concept of kosher/non kosher.

I'd certainly want to know if something in my life was affecting my chances at eternal salvation 

I'm Christian, btw, just aware of the other Abrahamic faiths