Am I Impure If I Am Suffering from Constant Urine Leakage?

Answered by Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat

Question

I suffer from urinary incontinence and don’t have the money to treat it. Drops of urine keep coming out of me all the time. Previously I used to wear underwear and wash it when making wudu and praying.

But now, I am suffering from a fungal infection of the inner thighs and need to avoid wearing underwear as it can increase the problem. The urine leakage is constant. What do I do?

Answer

I pray you are well. I’m very sorry to hear about your situation. You should keep praying even with impure clothes if the urine is constantly leaking. I want to draw your attention to a couple of points:

Suppose you get to a stage where you can wash your clothes and pray without any leakage, do that. But, until then, it’s fine to carry on with the impurity. [Izmiri, Kamal al-Diraya]

Chronic Excuses

You have what is known as a chronic excuse. The Shari’a relaxes the rules of purity for someone in this situation. This will make it easier for you to perform and maintain your wudu. We have several answers to chronic excuses. Please refer to the below-given link and other related answers on the matter. May Allah facilitate the matter for you.

When Do I Make Wudu When I Have a Chronic Excuse

Healing

The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, said, “Allah has not made an illness except that He has also made a cure for it.” [Bukhari] There are ways to treat your issue, and you should make getting it fixed a priority as it affects your relationship with Allah.

An excellent place to start is Keegals or Pelvic Floor Muscle Exercises. This entails contracting the muscles used to control urination for about ten seconds (or working up to this time) and then relaxing for ten seconds. Do ten repetitions of this, and work up to doing this ten times a day. You’ll see a considerable improvement, God willing. I know people who got rid of this problem with just this.

See if you can find a doctor who specializes in this and has helped others heal in the past. Cut back on other expenses if need be. May Allah grant you complete healing.

The Prayer

One of the wisdom of this test is to turn to Allah Most High and desperation and to seek His help. Allah Most High loves the voices of certain people who call out to Him, so their trials are prolonged and intensified.

The prayer is there as a means to turn to Allah. Yes, the purification may be frustrating, but it’s a challenge that has been alleviated to some degree. Ask Allah Most High for help, pick yourself back up, and pray that this test becomes a means of drawing closer to Him. May Allah facilitate all matters for you.

[Shaykh] Abdul-Rahim Reasat
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat began his studies in Arabic Grammar and Morphology in 2005. After graduating with a degree in English and History he moved to Damascus in 2007 where, for 18 months, he studied with many erudite scholars. In late 2008 he moved to Amman, Jordan, where he continued his studies for the next six years in Sacred Law (fiqh), legal theory (Usul al-fiqh), theology, hadith methodology, hadith commentary, and Logic. He was also given licenses of mastery in the science of Quranic recital and he was able to study an extensive curriculum of Quranic sciences, tafsir, Arabic grammar, and Arabic eloquence.