Fatwa ID: 08353
Answered by: Alimah Maryam Badshah
Question:
I am seeking clarification on a Hanafi Fiqh ruling regarding the excusable amount of impurity in prayer.
Specifically, I would like to ask:
- Is the excusal of impurity up to the size of a dirham unconditional, or does it only apply when removing it is difficult?
- If someone deliberately places a small amount of impurity on themselves (within the excusable limit), would their prayer still be valid?
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
To not clean an impurity off yourself and then pray salah would result in the prayer being invalid if the impurity is more than the size of a dirham. Deliberately leaving an impurity that is less than a dirham would be makhruh (disliked) but the salah will be accepted. However, to clean an impurity which is less than a dirham if one is aware of it and able to clean it would be mustahab.
References:
عَنْ عُمَرَ أَنَّهُ سُئِلَ عَنْ الْقَلِيلِ مِنْ النَّجَاسَةِ فِي الثَّوْبِ فَقَالَ: إذَا كَانَ مِثْلَ ظُفْرِي هَذَا لَا يَمْنَعُ جَوَازَ الصَّلَاةِ … أَنَّ غَسْلَ الدِّرْهَمِ وَمَا دُونَهُ مُسْتَحَبٌّ مَعَ الْعِلْمِ بِهِ وَالْقُدْرَةِ عَلَى غَسْلِهِ، فَتَرْكُهُ حِينَئِذٍ خِلَافُ الْأَوْلَى، نَعَمْ الدِّرْهَمُ غَسْلُهُ آكَدُ مِمَّا دُونَهُ، فَتَرْكُهُ أَشَدُّ كَرَاهَةً…
وَالْحَاصِلُ أَنَّ مَا جَاوَزَ الْمَخْرَجَ إنْ زَادَ عَلَى الدِّرْهَمِ فِي نَفْسِهِ يُفْتَرَضُ غَسْلُهُ اتِّفَاقًا…
Raddul Muhtar (Vol.1, pg.316-7 & 339, Dār Al-Fiqr)
Only Allah (عز و جل) knows best.
Written by Alimah Maryam Badshah
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
