Fatwa ID: 05952

 

Answered by: Alimah Habiba Akhtar

 

Question:

 

 

A person has IBS that causes him to continuously break his wudu during some prayer times. However, at other prayer times, it doesn’t break at all.

 

So he is essentially fluctuating in and out of being a ma’dhur.

 

This is very difficult for him given the difficulty to qualify for being a ma’dhur (i.e. that the excuse must be continuously present during prayer time). In order to be sure that he qualifies, he tries praying again and again during prayer time, with the wudu breaking again and again. Sometimes he manages to complete a prayer, and other times not (he then becomes ma’dhur again).

 

This also affects his praying in the masjid, reading Quran etc and it has come to a stage where he feels like giving up praying salah. Is there any solution for him?

 

 

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

 

Answer:

 

 

IBS illness which results in wind flatulence can be the cause of stress for some people. The issue relates to the breaking of Wudu.

 

Based on the occurrence and interference in one’s life, it can prove to be detrimental to one’s prayer and keeping wudhu.

 

When one is unable to keep their wudu for long durations, this is called Mazur.

 

When the flatulence is such that it doesn’t allow one to keep a full wudu and pray for the duration of the prayer, then one is considered a Ma’zur and thus can pray in the midst of the interruptions.

 

Thereafter, it suffices one that he is considered a Ma’zur thereon by the occurrence of the illness part of the time or at least one more time than the usual. This is due to the difficulty of handling the issue and the stress it may cause you. (1)

 

The rule will be to renew one’s wudhu every Salah time and pray the fardh and nafl prayers and worship.

 

Thus, when he equates to being Ma’zur then he can pray and when he doesn’t have flatulence then he will pray with full wudhu. Using the criteria mentioned above will assist one in determining when he is Ma’zur and when he isn’t.

 

 

 

Only Allah knows best

Written by Alimah Habiba Akhtar

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham

 

 

 

 

 

(1)

وصاحب عذر من به سلس بول لا يمكنه إمساكه أو استطلاق بطن أو استحاضة …..إن استوعب عذره تمام وقت صلاة أو انفلات مفروضة بأن لا يجد في جميع وقتها زمنا يتوضأ ويصلي فيه خاليا عن الحدث. وهذا شرط العذر في حق الابتداء ، وفي حق البقاء كفى وجوده في جزء من الوقت ولو مرة وفي حق الزوال يشترط استيعاب الانقطاع تمام الوقت. وحكمه الوضوء لكل فرض ثم يصلي فيه فرضا ونفلا فإذا خرج الوقت بطل

Raddul Mukhtar, Volume 1, Page 305, HM Saeed