How to Maintain Purity for Prayer With a Non-Excused Urine Dripping Problem

Answered by Ustadh Tabraze Azam

Question: I have trouble keeping wudu because of a medical issue resulting in the dribbling of small amounts of urine after going to the bathroom. I end up holding my bladder for the entire afternoon and I pray dhur, asr, and maghrib on the same wudu instead of using the bathroom and taking the extra 10-15 minutes each time I use the bathroom and need to make istinja and wudu.

What advice is there? I have been seeing the doctors for 25 years and they cannot cure it. I am certain that it is not waswasah. Yes, it really does take about 10-15 minutes to be sure of having emptied but even this does not stop the odd droplet once out of the bathroom. I suppose the key question is does one have to do istinja always?

Answer: Wa alaikum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,

I pray that you are well, insha’Allah.

One does not have to perform istinja (wash filth from the private parts) after  every time one wishes to perform the ritual ablution.

Istinja is a sunna act, optimally performed using water, though completely valid to do so using tissue paper. Therefore, one can, confidently, act upon this. [Shurunbulali, Maraqi al-Falah; `Ala al-Din `Abidin, al-Hadiyya al-`Ala’iyya]

If one is not in a state of ritual ablution (wudu) and one does not need to use the washroom, one does not have to repeat one’s istinja; rather, one simply goes ahead and performs one’s ritual ablution.

Chronic Excuses and Misgivings

If it is not established that one has a chronic excuse, then one does need to repeat one’s ritual ablution for every prayer (salat). Having to wait ten minutes does not make one an excused person (ma`dhur), therefore, such rulings would not apply. Hence one can pray, of the obligatory and supererogatory prayers, whatever one wishes, within the time and beyond (as long one’s ritual ablution is not nullified).

Moreover, we have a legal principle that: Certainty is not lifted by subsequent doubts; therefore, unless one is absolutely certain that ‘the odd droplet’ has come out, one completely ignores this as such doubts, and mere suppositions, are of no legal consequence. Thinking that this may have happened is opening the door to satanic misgivings and a means of causing undue hardship for oneself in one’s religious practice.

“Verily this religion is ease; and none make this religion difficult except that it overwhelms them.” [Bukhari]

Please see the following related links:

[1] The Fiqh of Chronic Excuses and Ablution

[2] What is the Best Way to Clean Oneself After Using the Toilet?

[3] How Can I Maintain Purity and Pray When I Have a Weak Bladder That Constantly Leaks

[4] Is Washing Filth From the Private Parts (Istinja) Necessary After Passing Gas?
And Allah knows best.

Wassalam,

Tabraze Azam

Checked & Approved by Faraz Rabbani