How Can I Purify Myself While Suffering from Incontinence?

Answered by Ustadh Sufyan Qufi

Question

I have been suffering from penile leakage for two decades. I spend quite a lot of time doing istibra’ to ensure everything dries up before I wash.

I don’t know what to do now because I keep checking all day every 10 min to ensure I don’t have any leakage. Previously I could feel something was coming out, but now I don’t feel anything. Is this leakage of urine?

Answer

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

Anything that appears at the tip of the male organ after exiting the body breaks wudu, whether it is urine or not. [Shurunbulali, Nur al-Idah]

It is an obligation to prevent the leakage of urine as best as you can. This could entail inserting something at the tip of the urethra. [Ibn Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar]

Please consult a doctor to see if there is a safe way to perform this. A doctor might even be able to fix your incontinence issue for good through medical treatment or teach you a better technique to perform istibra’ (the action to ensure that no urine will leak).

You are not yet an excused person because 10 minutes is more than enough to perform your ritual ablutions and pray. [Ibid]

You won’t be deemed an excused person if you can perform your ablutions and pray during an entire prayer once without being affected by urine leakage. And if this happens to you while you can prevent the leakage by inserting something into the urethra, you won’t be deemed excused. [Ibid]

Please see the answer below for the details regarding chronic excuses:

The Fiqh of Chronic Excuses and Ablution

And Allah knows best

[Ustadh] Sufyan Qufi
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani