How Do I Retain My Wudu with Urinary Incontinence?
Hanafi Fiqh
Answered by Ustadh Sufyan Qufi
Question
What is the ruling on minor urinary incontinence occurring shortly after urination? If I wrap the area to contain any discharge, is my prayer valid if:
a) The urine hasn’t touched outer clothing b) The affected area is less than 5cm in diameter c) I’m praying individually or leading the prayer?
Answer
In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, Most Merciful,
I pray this finds you in the best of states.
Wrapping the area will be of no consequence in preventing wudu from being broken. This is because urine will have exited the body. [Shurunbulali, Nur al-Idah]
If you can achieve this without harm, you can block the urethra by using cotton at the point of exit so that urine doesn’t exit the body at all.
Indeed, it is necessary to take all reasonable means to stop that which makes one unable to retain one’s wudu. So, for example, if it is possible to pray sitting without the excuse (such as passing wind) occurring, one must pray sitting.
If it is too difficult for you please look at the rulings of an excused person:
And Allah knows best.
Wassalam
[Ustadh] Sufyan Qufi
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat
Ustadh Sufyan Qufi is an advanced seeker of knowledge, originally from Algeria, who grew up in France. He began searching far and wide for answers to the fundamental questions of life and was disappointed at the answers he found. Then he connected with various traditional teachers and gradually connected with SeekersGuidance. He embarked on his journey of learning through the various teachers at SeekersGuidance, including his mentor Shaykh Faraz Rabbani. He studied numerous texts in Islamic Law, Theology, Hadith, and other areas with Shaykh Faraz Rabbani and other teachers, including Shaykh Abdurrahman al-Sha‘ar, Shaykh Ali Hani, and others. He is an active instructor at SeekersGuidance and answers questions through the SeekersGuidance Answers Service.
