What Should I Do about My Inability to Maintain Wudu for Very Long?
Hanafi Fiqh
Answered by Ustadh Sufyan Qufi
Question
I have flatulence issues. Most of the time, I have to repeat Wudu 2-3 times. I prayed Fajr but had to repeat some verses due to mispronunciation, and then Wudu broke in the final Rak’at. When I prayed for the second time, wudu broke through once more, and it was sunrise.
Also, there were times when I thought I heard a fart but didn’t feel it.
Answer
In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful,
I pray this finds you in the best of states.
Mistakes in Recitation Are Excused
Your main issue is not your difficulty in maintaining wudu. The most obvious issue in your situation is that you keep repeating verses to make sure they are pronounced correctly.
Later scholars have mentioned that no mistakes invalidate the prayer because many people are unlearned and often make pronunciation mistakes.
Please follow this position. Especially since you have difficulties maintaining wudu for long periods of time.
The Messenger of Allah (Peace and blessings upon him) said: “None makes the religion difficult except that it overcomes him.” [Bukhari]
Baseless Misgivings (Waswas)
As long as you are not sure that your wudu is broken you should assume that it is not. Doubts about your wudu being broken should thus be ignored.
This is the direct application of the following Fiqh principle: “Certainty is not lifted by a doubt.” [Ibn Nujaym, al-Ashbah wa’l Nadha’ir; Majallat al-Ahkam al-‘Adliyya]
This Fiqh principle is based on the following verse of the Quran:
“Most of them follow nothing but conjectures. Surely, conjectures are of no avail in the matter of truth at all.” [Quran, 10:36]
And Allah knows best.
Wassalam
[Ustadh] Sufyan Qufi
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
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.
