The Official Website of the Office of His Eminence Al-Sayyid Ali Al-Husseini Al-Sistani

Books » Islamic Laws

THINGS THAT INVALIDATE WUḌŪʾ → ← CONDITIONS FOR THE VALIDITY OF WUḌŪʾ

LAWS OF WUḌŪʾ

Ruling 298. Someone who frequently doubts about the acts of wuḍūʾ and its conditions – such as the water being pure and not being usurped – must not heed his doubts.

Ruling 299. If someone doubts whether his wuḍūʾ has become void or not, he must treat it as still being valid. However, if after urinating one does not perform istibrāʾ and performs wuḍūʾ, and after performing wuḍūʾ some fluid is discharged about which he does not know if it is urine or something else, his wuḍūʾ is void.

Ruling 300. If a person doubts whether he has performed wuḍūʾ or not, he must [deem that he has not and] perform wuḍūʾ.

Ruling 301. If someone knows he has performed wuḍūʾ and also knows that he has done something that invalidates wuḍūʾ – for example, he has urinated – but he does not know which one was first [i.e. he does not know whether he performed wuḍūʾ and then urinated, for example, or he urinated and then performed wuḍūʾ], then in the event that he has this doubt before prayers, he must perform wuḍūʾ for those prayers. If he has this doubt during prayers, he must break his prayer and perform wuḍūʾ. And if he has this doubt after prayers, the prayer he performed is valid but he must perform wuḍūʾ for subsequent prayers.

Ruling 302. If a person becomes certain after or while performing wuḍūʾ that he has not washed or wiped some necessary places, in the event that the moisture on the previous parts has dried up due to the passing of time, he must perform wuḍūʾ again. If the moisture has not dried up, or it has dried up on account of hot weather and suchlike, he must wash or wipe the part that he forgot and the parts that follow it. If during wuḍūʾ one doubts whether or not he has washed or wiped a place, he must follow the same instructions.

Ruling 303. If a person doubts after prayers whether he had performed wuḍūʾ or not, his prayers are valid but he must perform wuḍūʾ for subsequent prayers.

Ruling 304. If a person doubts during prayers whether or not he had performed wuḍūʾ, then based on obligatory precaution, he must perform wuḍūʾ and perform the prayer again.

Ruling 305. If a person realises after prayers that his wuḍūʾ has become void but doubts whether his wuḍūʾ became void before or after prayers, the prayers performed by him are valid.

Ruling 306. If a person suffers from an illness that causes urine to be discharged drop by drop [i.e. urinary incontinence], or if he cannot control faeces from being discharged [i.e. faecal incontinence], in the event that he is certain he will have some respite from a discharge between the beginning and the end of the prayer time such that he will be able to perform wuḍūʾ and the prayers during the period of respite, he must perform prayers at the time he has the respite. If the respite is long enough to perform only the obligatory acts of prayers, then at the time he has the respite, he must perform only those acts of the prayer that are obligatory and leave the recommended acts, such as the call to prayer (adhān), the call to stand up for prayer (iqāmah), and the supplication that is recited with the hands placed in front of the face (qunūt).

Ruling 307.* If a person finds respite [from the illness mentioned in the previous ruling] to perform wuḍūʾ and only part of the prayer, and during prayers some urine or faeces is discharged once or a few times, the obligatory precaution is that in the respite period he must perform wuḍūʾ and prayers. Furthermore, it is not necessary that he renew his wuḍūʾ on account of a discharge of urine or faeces during or after prayers; rather, one wuḍūʾ will suffice for several prayers unless he does something else that invalidates his wuḍūʾ, such as sleeping, or he discharges urine or faeces in a normal manner. However, it is better that he perform wuḍūʾ for the next prayer.

Ruling 308. If urine or faeces is discharged with such frequency that the person does not find a long enough respite to perform wuḍūʾ and part of the prayer, then one wuḍūʾ will be sufficient for several prayers unless he does something else that invalidates his wuḍūʾ – such as urinating or defecating in a normal manner, or sleeping – although it is better that he perform wuḍūʾ for every prayer. However, for a lapsed (qaḍāʾ) prostration (sajdah), a qaḍāʾ tashahhud (testifying), and the precautionary prayer (ṣalāt al‑iḥtiyāṭ), performing another wuḍūʾ is not necessary.

Ruling 309. If urine or faeces are discharged continuously, it is not necessary for the person to perform prayers immediately after performing wuḍūʾ, although it is better that he make haste to perform the prayers.

Ruling 310. If urine or faeces are discharged continuously, it is permitted for the person – after he has performed wuḍūʾ – to touch the writing of the Qur’an even if he is not in the state of performing prayers.

Ruling 311. Someone whose urine is discharged drop by drop must use a bag in which there is some cotton or something else that prevents the urine from splashing onto other areas; and the obligatory precaution is that before every prayer, he must wash with water the urinary outlet that has become impure. If someone cannot control the discharge of faeces, he must prevent the faeces from spreading onto other areas during prayers if it is possible for him to do so; and the obligatory precaution is that if it is not excessively difficult, he must wash the anus with water before every prayer.

Ruling 312. If someone cannot control the discharge of urine or faeces, he must prevent their discharge during prayers if it is possible for him to do so; and it is better that he prevents it even if he incurs an expense in doing so. If his illness can be treated easily, it is better that he is treated.

Ruling 313. If someone cannot control the discharge of urine or faeces, then after recovering from his illness, it is not necessary for him to repeat the prayers he performed in accordance with his religious duty while he was ill. However, if he recovers from his illness during the time of prayers, then based on obligatory precaution, he must repeat the prayer he performed at that time.

Ruling 314. If someone suffers from an illness that does not allow him to stop passing wind [i.e. excessive flatulence], he must act in accordance with the duty of those who cannot control the discharge of urine and faeces.
THINGS THAT INVALIDATE WUḌŪʾ → ← CONDITIONS FOR THE VALIDITY OF WUḌŪʾ
العربية فارسی اردو English Azərbaycan Türkçe Français