Does Pus Oozing from Eczema Break Wudu?

Answered by Shaykh Abdullah Anik Misra

Question

I have eczema and I know that in the Hanafi madhab blood or pus, depending on how much came out or if it flowed out, breaks the wudu. I was wondering if I could follow a different Madhab in this matter as it would generally bring me ease and not make me stressed?

Answer

In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful and Compassionate

Firstly, you should not assume your wudu is automatically broken because of oozing from eczema. Wudu is only broken if the impurity has flown beyond the point of exit, which in your case is the entire area affected. Smudging of the moisture remaining on the surface of the affected area does not break wudu nor is it impure. You should never assume it has flowed nor should you be checking or stressed about it given the unlikelihood of an actual flow of such little moisture appearing on the area with eczema. [Shurunbulali, Maraqi al-Falah]

Yes, in the Shafi’i school, the flowing of blood and pus from a wound does not break wudu, and in a situation where you feel stressed or anxious despite the above explanation, if it puts your mind at ease to know you are adopting this dispensation, then that is permissible to do. [Ba Fadl, al-Muqaddima al-Hadramiyya]

Wassalam,
[Shaykh] Abdullah Anik Misra
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat

Shaykh Abdullah Anik Misra was born in Toronto, Canada, in 1983. His family hails from India, and he was raised in the Hindu tradition. He embraced Islam in 2001 while at the University of Toronto, from where he completed a Bachelor of Business Administration. He then traveled overseas in 2005 to study the Arabic language and Islamic sciences in Tarim, Yemen, for some time, as well as Darul Uloom in Trinidad, West Indies. He spent 12 years in Amman, Jordan, where he focused on Islamic Law, Theology, Hadith Sciences, Prophetic Biography, and Islamic Spirituality while also working at the Qasid Arabic Institute as Director of Programs. He holds a BA in Islamic Studies (Alimiyya, Darul Uloom) and authorization in the six authentic books of Hadith and is currently pursuing specialized training in issuing Islamic legal verdicts (ifta’). He holds a certificate in Counselling and often works with new Muslims and those struggling with religious OCD. He is an instructor and researcher in Sacred Law and Theology with the SeekersGuidance The Global Islamic Seminary. Currently, He resides in the Greater Toronto Area with his wife and children. His personal interests include Indian history, comparative religion, English singing, and poetry.