How Do I Determine Whether the Blood Under My Toenail Is Flowing?

Question: How do I determine whether the blood under my toenail is flowing? If it is flowing and moving makes it come out more, how do I perform wudu?

Answer:

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate,

Blood Invalidates Wudu

If the blood underneath your toenail does not come forth to the outside of your body, it does not break your wudu. [Tahtawi/Shurunbulali, Hashiyat Maraqi al-Falah]

If it does come forth to the outside of your body and flows from its exit point to another place on your toe, the wudu is broken. If the wound is constantly oozing, place a bandage over it and when washing that area, with a wet hand, wipe over the bandage. [Ibid.]

Spreading Of Impurity

Impurity is only spread if the following conditions take place:

(1) The blood flowed from its exit point to other parts of the toe. If it did not flow, it is pure. [Ibid.]
(2) The blood was wet and not dry; dry blood does not transfer. [Ibid.]
(3) Traces of the blood are manifest in the object that it came in contact with. Traces are color and smell. If you do not see any color or sign on the place that the blood came in contact with, the place is pure.

I hope this helps,
Allah knows best.
[Shaykh] Yusuf Weltch

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Shaykh Yusuf Weltch is a graduate from Tarim; a student of Habib Umar and other luminaries; and authorized teachers of the Qur’an and the Islamic sciences