Fatwa ID: 01449

Answered by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Question:

If a person is in a big mosque in the front saff and he breaks his wudu but he is too shy to go out or he thinks it will cause fitnah because the people won’t understand what’s this about then can he stay in front saff and carry on praying knowing he’s not in salah not getting reward for it.  I was told in hanafi books there is authorisation for this.

Answer:

In the name of Allah, the most Beneficent, the most Merciful.

Being ritually clean and in the state of wudhu is one of the necessary conditions of Salah, without which the Salah would not be accepted. Saaiduna Abu Hurairah narrates that the Prophet of Allah confirmed this when he said, “Allah does not accept the prayers of the one who is in a state of ritual impurity until they perform wudu.” (Sahih Bukhari p.25 v.1)

With regards to your question, if you do break your wudhu in Salah then to save you from embarrassment hold your nose as if there is a nosebleed and then leave. The on lookers would think that it is just a nosebleed.

The Prophet of Allah said: “If one of you makes something (passes wind) in Salah, he should hold his nose (as though it is bleeding) and leave (the Salah)” (Sunan Abi Dawud & Sunan Ibn Majah)

As for praying Salah without wudhu with the intention to mock or believing that it is allowed, then he is considered a disbeliever. Similarly, if he prays without wudhu due to negligence or laziness, then according to the Hanafi Fiqh there is a danger that such an action can lead to person becoming a disbeliever, as it is a form of mocking as well. (Aapke Masaail p.456 v.2)

I have not come across any Hanafi books which authorises what you have mentioned in the question.

Only Allah Knows Best

Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham