Some Ablution Fatwa

Does nail polish invalidate wudoo’ and do the prayers have to be repeated?

A woman was away from the city, and did not know that the nail polish must be removed to make wudu’ and pray. When she knew she must remove it, she tried to find a nail varnish remover to use but she could not find it. She could not go to the city to buy it either. She was making ablution and praying with it on for one week. What is the ruling on this?.




One of the conditions of tahaarah (purification) being valid is that the water must touch the skin. If there is any barrier such as grease, paint, wax or glue that prevents water reaching the skin, then the tahaarah is not valid and prayers offered in that case are not valid.

The evidence for that is the words of the Prophet to Abu Dharr “If you find water, then let it touch your skin, for that is good.” Narrated by Abu Dawood (332); classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood.

Imam al-Shaafa’i (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

If there is on him any mastic or anything thick that will prevent the water from reaching the skin, his washing of that part for wudoo’ is not valid, unless he removes it or removes enough so that he knows that there is no barrier to the water touching the skin. End quote.

Al-Umm (1/44).

Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

If there is wax, dough, henna and the like on one of his limbs, which prevents water from reaching any part of it, then his tahaarah is not valid, whether the amount is large or small. If there are traces of henna and its colour left on the hand, without there being any solid material left, or elsewhere, or traces of liquid grease whereby water flows over the limb but does not stay there, his tahaarah is valid. End quote.

Al-Majmoo’ (1/529).

It says in Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah (5/218):

If the colour is impermeable, then wudoo’ is not valid unless it is removed before doing wudoo’. If it is not impermeable, then wudoo’ is valid, as is the case with henna. End quote.

Hence this woman should have tried to find something to remove this nail polish, even if she had to go far away to find a place that sold it. She could also have removed it by using a strong kitchen cleaning agent or by rubbing it with a cloth dampened with liquid fuel, and so on.

We do not think that this woman has any excuse for praying with wudoo’ that was invalid because of this nail polish. Ignorance may mean that she is free of sin but it does not make the prayer valid.

She has to repeat the prayers that she offered with wudoo’ that was invalid because of this nail polish.


Source: I s l a m q a. com

Uncertainty as to whether wind has been passed

Can you give me exact details from hadeeths on the passing of wind after or during making ablution, and also on the idea that one should definitely make ablution when one has a movement in the stomach and hears a sound from the anus which is the passing of wind (I haven't personally read this hadeeth but I have been told about it, and don't really know about it's authenticity)?



If a person is sure that he has passed wind, then he has to do wudoo’, but if it is simply the movement of gas in the stomach, or he imagines that he may have passed wind, then he should not pay any attention to it. The evidence that the mere movement of gas in the stomach or imagining that one may have passed wind does not invalidate wudoo’ is the hadeeth whose authenticity is agreed upon, narrated from ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Zayd, who said:

“The Prophet was asked about a man who felt something during his prayer – should he stop praying? He said, ‘No, not unless you hear a sound or detect an odour.’” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1915; Muslim, 540). Al-Nawawi said: this hadeeth sets out the principle that things should remain as they are unless one is certain that they have changed; doubt does not affect the status quo.

Ibn Hajar said: the majority of scholars followed this hadeeth.

Paying attention to these doubts may lead to one being affected by insinuating whispers of the Shaytaan (waswaas), so we must not pay attention to that, except in cases where wind is definitely passed. Then wudoo’ is required. Al-Nawawi said, concerning the phrase “unless you hear a sound or detect an odour”: “it is sufficient to know that one or the other is present; it is not a condition that both the sound and the odour be present, according to the consensus of the Muslims.” What is meant here by knowing is being certain. And Allaah knows best.


Source: I s l a m q a. c o m

Continuous wind and breaking wudoo’

I have a problem of almost continuous releasing of gas. I want to know whether I need to refresh ablution for fajir prayers after offering my tahajud prayers-and again for ishraq prayers? It is difficult for me because I fall ill very soon because of excess exposure to water. Please answer my question as soon as possibe as I am really upset that whether my prayers and my fasts are acceptable to God or not. I am really worried about my prayers. Please tell me. I'll be grateful to you.


Firstly:

If using water will make you sick, then it is permissible for you to do tayammum.

The Standing Committee for Research and Issuing Fatwas was asked:

What is the definition of sickness whereby it is permissible to do tayammum even though water is available?

The Committee replied:

It is sickness where there is the fear that using water may make the sickness worse or delay the healing of wounds.

Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 5/345

Secondly:

The ruling on urinary incontinence and continual passing of wind is the same as the ruling on istihaadah (prolonged non-menstrual vaginal bleeding). Urine, wind and vaginal bleeding all invalidate wudoo’, and Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Allaah does not want to place you in difficulty, but He wants to purify you, and to complete His Favour to you that you may be thankful”[al-Maa'idah 5:6]

“Allaah intends for you ease, and He does not want to make things difficult for you”[al-Baqarah 2:185]

So people suffering from these problems are allowed to do wudoo’ for each prayer when the time for that prayer has begun, then they should pray as they are, even if some wind, urine or blood comes out of them whilst they are praying.

This ruling is for one who passes wind continually. If that is intermittent, and he can do the prayer during the time when it stops, then he has to do wudoo’ and pray at the time when the wind has stopped.

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said: There are two scenarios with regard to one who suffers from urinary incontinence:

1 – If it is continual and does not stop, and every time something collects in the bladder it comes down, then he should do wudoo’ when the time for prayer has begun, then put something over his private part and pray, and it does not matter what comes out.

2 – If that happens after he urinates, or ten minutes or quarter of an hour after that, then he should wait until it stops, then do wudoo’ and pray, even if he misses the prayer in congregation.

The basic principle is that wudoo’ should be done after the time for the prayer has begun.

It was narrated that ‘Aa’ishah said: Faatimah bint Abi Hubaysh :radiyallahanh came to the Prophet and said, “O Messenger of Allaah, I am a woman who suffers from istihaadah (prolonged non-menstrual vaginal bleeding) and I never become pure. Should I give up praying?” The Messenger of Allaah said: “No, rather that is a vein and it is not hayd (menstruation). When your period comes, stop praying, and when it goes away, wash the blood from yourself and pray, then do wudoo’ for every prayer until that time [of menstruation] comes.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 226; Muslim, 333

With regard to prayers where doing wudoo’ after the time for them begins is difficult, such as Jumu’ah and Eid, it is permissible to do wudoo’ shortly before the time begins.

The Standing Committee was asked about a man who passes wind continually – how should he do wudoo’ and pray?

The Committee replied:

If your situation is as you describe, and you suffer from continual wind, then you have to do wudoo’ for each prayer after the time for the prayer begins, then it does not matter what comes out of you after that. With regard to Jumu’ah, do wudoo’ for it before the khateeb comes in, which will enable you to listen to the khutbah and perform the prayer.

Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah. 5/412

If it is difficult for you to do wudoo’ for every prayer and offer the prayer on time, then it is permissible for you to join Zuhr and ‘Asr and pray them at the time of either with one wudoo’, and to join Maghrib and ‘Isha’ similarly with one wudoo’

The Prophet granted a concession to the women who suffered from istihaadah, allowing her to join her prayers. This was classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood, 284

You can pray qiyaam al-layl – Taraaweeh – with the wudoo’ you did for ‘Isha’.

See the rest of the answer here, islamqa.com

Imam nullifies his ablution during prayer

What happens if the Imam nullifies his ablution during the prayer? Or what if he suddenly recalls that he in fact was not in a state of wudu’ in the first place? What should he do? Is the prayer of the people praying behind him still valid or do they need to make up all or part of it?


If the Imam enters the state that nullifies his ablution or prayer, or remembers during the prayer that he did not perform ablution, then he should come out from prayer and appoint someone from the attendees who can lead them to completion. This has been narrated from ‘Umar, ‘Ali, ‘Alqamah and ‘Ataa’ . If he did not appoint anyone and the people prayed individually, this would be acceptable, and this is the opinion taken by Imam Al-Shafi‘i. If he elected someone and advanced him to lead them, that is also permitted. The evidence for this is what has been narrated regarding ‘Umar when he was stabbed. He took Abdur Rahman bin ‘Auf who led the prayer to completion.1

And the reason for this deduction is that ‘Umar did so in the presence of a number of Companions and others and no one opposed this act, so it became a consensus (ijma‘).2

If the Imam remembers that he is not in a state of purity, he should indicate to the followers to remain as they are and purify himself and come back to lead them. The evidence for this is the following narration of Abu Dawud from Abu Bakrah :

The Prophet entered into the Fajr prayer and indicated to the people that they should stay in their places. Then he came back to lead them and water was dripping from his head.
(Sunan Abi Dawud, No. 233; Sahih Sunan Abi Dawud, 1/45)

Commenting on this hadith, Imam Al-Khatabi says:

In this hadith there is an evidence that if one is leading the people in prayer while in a state of impurity and the people do no know of it, then their prayer is unaffected and there is no need for them to repeat it. But the Imam has to repeat his prayer.3

If one is praying (either as Imam or follower or individually) and recalls that he had wiped over his socks during wudu’ while the duration of wiping had expired, he should terminate his prayer because his ablution is incorrect. This is what has been quoted from Imams Ahmad and Al-Shafi‘i.4

1 Sahih Al-Bukhari/Fath Al-Bari, 7/60.

2 Ahkam Al-Imamah by Al-Muneef, 234, 1st Edition.

3 Ma‘alim As-Sunan by Al-Khatabi (Collected by Al-Da‘as) 1/159.

4 Al-Mughni, 2/505.

Washing a child’s diapers does not invalidate wudoo’

Is wudoo’ invalidated if I clean a child’s urine and wash his diaper?.

Wudoo’ is not invalidated by cleaning a child’s urine or washing his diaper, because touching najaasah does not invalidate wudoo’, but it is essential to wash off the najaasah if one wants to pray.

It says in Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah:

Wudoo’ is not invalidated by washing najaasah from the body of the person who has wudoo’ or elsewhere. End quote.

Majallat al-Buhooth al-Islamiyyah (22/62).

In Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn Baaz it says (10/139):

Touching medical equipment or the floor of the washroom barefoot does not invalidate wudoo’, but if there is any najaasah on the floor and a woman or man steps in it, this does not invalidate wudoo’, but they must wash their feet if they stepped in it when it was wet, or if there is any wetness on the foot.

Touching a child’s clothes that are wet with urine does not invalidate wudoo’, but the one who touched it when it was wet has to wash his hand. The same applies if it was dry but his hand was wet – he has to wash his hand. End quote.

Shaykh Ibn Baaz also said: (10/141):

As for touching blood, urine and other impure substances, that does not invalidate wudoo’, but he must wash off whatever gets onto him. End quote.

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked about a woman who washed her child when she is in a state of purity. Does she have to do wudoo’?

He replied:

If a woman washes her child, boy or girl, and touches the child’s private part, she does not have to do wudoo’, rather she only has to wash her hand, because touching the private part without desire does not necessitate wudoo’. It is known that when a woman washes her children, desire does not even enter her mind, so if she washes her child she only needs to wash her hands to get rid of any najaasah that has got onto them, and she does not have to do wudoo’. End quote.

Majmoo’Fataawa Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (11/203).

She is pregnant and cannot lift up her feet to wash them when doing wudoo’

I am three months pregnant and the specialist has advised me not to lift up my feet to do wudoo’ in the sink, because this is very dangerous for me. When I am at home, I do wudoo’ in the bath, but I work and there is no way that I can wash my feet at work except by lifting them up to the sink.
My question is as follows: Is it haraam for me to wipe my feet on the top only as a temporary solution until I give birth, in sha Allaah?.


Praise be to Allaah.

Washing the feet is one of the obligatory parts of wudoo’, without which it is not valid, according to the consensus of the companions of the Prophet

You can ward off hardship from yourself by doing one of two things:

1 – Pour water over your feet with a cup or your hand, etc, without lifting them up. If the water reaches the entire foot then you have washed them as required, and your purification is valid. You do not have to rub them with your hand.

Al-Nawawi said: Our view is that rubbing the parts of the body when doing ghusl and wudoo’ is sunnah and is not obligatory, If he pours water over it and does not wipe it with his hand, or he immerses it in a large amount of water, that is sufficient and his wudoo’ and ghusl are valid. This is the view of all the scholars except Maalik and al-Muzani, who stipulated that this is a condition of ghusl and wudoo’ being valid. End quote from al-Majmoo’ (2/214)

2 – You can do wudoo’ at home and wash your feet, then put on socks. Then if you want to do wudoo’ after that, it is sufficient to wipe over the socks, for 24 hours, so long as you stay in the same city, and for 72 hours if you are travelling.