Nullifiers of Wudu
Does bleeding break wudu?
Question:
Does bleeding break one’s wudu?
Country: United States
Answer:
Four things invalidate the ablution. They are:
1) Something exiting from the front or rear private parts (except for sexual fluid [mani]).
2) Losing consciousness, except for sleeping firmly seated.
3) Skin to skin contact between a man and a woman, except for an unmarriageable relative or a pre-pubescent child.
4) Touching the privates with the inner part of one’s hand.
(Minhaj al-Talibin v. 1, p. 86-87)
Any of these four invalidates the ablution. Therefore, bleeding does not invalidate it.
And Allah knows best.
Shafiifiqh.com Fatwa Dept.
Read MoreIs Vaginal Moisture Pure?
Question:
Asslaamu alaikum wa Rahmatullah
Women often have moisture emanating from the private parts, during her pure period (after full cessation of menstruation and before the next period). The exiting of this, I understand, will lead to breakage of wudhu. This is more intense during the mid cycle period due to ovulation and when sexually stimulated. However, what is the ruling regarding this fluid which may be from either the portion of the female genital tract that is reached by the male organ during intercourse or could be from the cervix or could be from the uterus? If this fluid, falls on the undergarments, is she obligated to wash this off prior to prayer or can she assume this from the portion of the genital tract that is considered pure?
Jazak Allah Khair.
Answer:
Wa alaykum salam wa rahmatuLlahi wa barakatuHu,
Regarding vaginal moisture, or in Arabic رطوبة الفرج, as mentioned it does nullify the ablution when it exits. When it comes from what is exposed when a woman squats (i.e. where it is obligatory to wash in a ghusl), it is pure. When it comes from where the male part reaches during intercourse, it is pure. When it comes from behind where the male part reaches during intercourse, it is impure. (Tuhfat al-Muhtaj v. 1, p. 300-01) If she doubts regarding where it came from, then it is assumed to be pure.
And Allah knows best.
Shafiifiqh.com Fatwa Dept.
Read MoreDoes the Discharge of Vaginal Moisture Break Wudu?
Question:
Does vaginal discharge, like moisture, nullify wudu? Does this mean I should check regularly to see if wudu has been nullified?
Answer:
Wa alaykum salam wa rahmatuLlahi wa barakatuHu,
Everything (except for sexual fluid) that exits from the front or rear private parts nullifies one’s ablution. (Minhaj al-Talibin v. 1, p. 85)
Thus, when moisture exits from one’s private, ablution is nullified. Sh. al-Bakri al-Dimyati mentioned,
ولو خرجت منه رطوبة وشك أنها من الظاهر أو الباطن فإن لا تنقض كما نص عليه ابن حجر في شرح الإرشاد الكبير اه
“When moisture exits, and one doubts if it is from the internal or the external, then it does not nullify [the ablution], like what Ibn Hajar stated in Sharh al-Irshad.” (Hashiyat I’anat al-Talibin v. 1, p. 103)
Therefore, it should be noted that if one doubts as to whether the moisture is from inside or not, then as such the ablution is intact. If one is certain that something exited, then it is nullified.
And Allah knows best.
Shafiifiqh.com Fatwa Dept.
Read MoreNullifying Ablution by Touching a Member of the Opposite Sex
Question:
Does touching one’s husband without any emotional feeling breaks wudu of a wife? What about touching her brother, father, or son?
Answer:
Wa alaykum salam wa rahmatuLlahi wa barakatuHu,
According to the Shafi’i School’s relied-upon opinion [al-azhar], skin to skin contact between marriageable members of the opposite sex nullifies ablution, while touching unmarriageable kin does not. The majority of the As-hab maintained this view, from amongst them are Sh. Abu Hamid, Mawardi, Jurjani, Baghawi, Rafi’i, Abu Abd Allah al-Zubayri, Sh. Nasr al-Maqdisi, and others.
Touching a pre-pubescent girl (who does not incite sexual attraction) does not nullify ablution. Yet, touching others (with or without attraction), even unintentionally, does break ablution. Ablution is not invalidated by touching hair, teeth, or fingernails.
Regarding unmarriageable relatives, from nursing [rada’] or marriage [musaharah] relationships, the Madhhab has been transmitted in two different ways:
1) Imam Shafi’i has two views [qawlayn], the relied-upon is that ablution does not break. This is related by Baghawi, Rafi’i, and others.
2) Ruyani related that it breaks.
Additionally, two alternate views are found in the School:
The first alternate view [muqabil al-azhar] maintains that skin to skin contact with unmarriageable kin, like one’s mother or father, nullifies one’s ablution. This was related by Harmalah from Imam Shafi’i. Only Furani from amongst the As-hab preferred the view.
In the second alternate view [muqabil al-azhar], only the ablution of the one touching [lamis] is nullified, not that of the one touched [malmus]. Ruyani and Shashi authenticated that the malmus’s ablution is not nullified. Harmalah transmitted it from Imam Shafi’i, even so, in most of Imam Shafi’is works and also in the qadim the other view [azhar] is maintained.
Mughni al-Muhtaj 1/145-46: Rawdat al-Talibin 1/185-86: Sharh al-Muhadhdhab 2/29-30.
And Allah knows best.
Shafiifiqh.com Fatwa Dept.
Also see:
http://www.shafiifiqh.com/?p=23
Read MoreVarious Questions Asked by a former "salafi": standing back up after sajdah, breaking wudu by touching wife, perfume during fasting
Question:
asalamu’alikum sheikh
I can’t seem to settle my mind so I have been researching and changing thoughts about salafy and madhab for 2 years. I now know that the salafy akeedah is wrong so I want to be shafi’i but some things puzzle me hope you can help…
1st q: why do we get straight back up after the second sajdah instead of sitting back up then standing?
2nd q: why does it break our wudu when we touch our wives skin?
3rd q: why is perfume forbidden when fasting?
If you can help with that for now I will be so happy
jazakallah khairun.
Answer:
The madhahib (sing. madhhab) should not be construed as four walls that surround its adherents, preventing them from any kind of exit. Rather, it should be looked upon as guidelines which allow an individual to follow the sacred law with consistency under a well revised framework strengthened by the minds of thousands of jurists over the past 14 centuries. Since the madhāhib – or should I say, the Shāfi‘ī madhhab – is not four walls, departure from the school under certain circumstances has been permitted. The great 7th century scholar, al-Imam an-Nawawī discusses certain instances where departure has been permitted. He says in his Majmū‘, a masterpiece in Islamic jurisprudence, quoting and affirming ibn as-Salāh, an earlier scholar:
قال الشيخ أبو عمرو: فمن وجد من الشافعية حديثا يخالف مذهبه نظر، إن كملت آلات الاجتهاد فيه مطلقا أو في ذلك الباب أو المسألة كان له الاستقلال بالعمل به، وإن لم يكن وشق عليه مخالفة الحديث بعد أن بحث فلم يجد لمخالفته عنه جوابا شافيا فله العمل به ان كان عمل به إمام مستقل غير الشافعي ويكون هذا عذرا له في ترك مذهب إمامه هنا. اهـ وهذا الذي قاله حسن متعين والله أعلم
Shaykh Abū Amr said: Any adherent of the Shafi‘ī school who comes across a hadīth that contradicts his madhhab should consider [the following:]. He either possesses the tools of ijtihad without restriction; or for that specific chapter [of fiqh]; or for that specific instance. When he possesses the required tools of ijtihad he may, independently, act according to the hadīth; When he does not possess the required tools and finds it difficult to act contrary to the hadith after researching and not finding an adequate convincing solution, he may then act according to the hadith, provided that another independent Imam, other than Shāfi‘ī, has acted done so. This will constitute a valid excuse for this individual to depart from the madhhab of his Imam. [Imam Nawawi then affirms and says:] What he (Shaykh Abū Amr) has stated is good and applicable.
Accordingly, the layman who stumbles across a Prophetic tradition which apparently contradicts his madhhab should consult the scholars of the school. If the scholars provide the layman with an adequate answer – which happens to be the case most of the time – the layman will, consequently, continue following his school. However, when the answer provided is not convincing enough, the layman may depart from his school provided the purport of the hadith has been acted upon by one of the other major schools.
The reason for this backdrop of the Shāfi‘ī school specifically, is for questioner to appreciate primacy and importance that the school affords to the sunnah. It obviates the need to adopt the “salafī” approach and abandonment of the madhāhib. It allows one to benefit from a sound system of thought; from a school based on consistent principles and maxims; and from the dependable contributions of thousands of scholars over the past 13 centuries – while still opening the door and creating leeway for one to depart from the school and follow the hadith of Rasūlullah sallAllahu alayhi wasallam at times of contradiction. As previously stated, instances of contradiction are minimal and cases where no adequate convincing arguments exist are even less.
In light of the above we now turn to your questions:
1. Why do we get straight back up after the second sajdah instead of sitting back up then standing?
The preponderant view in the Shafi‘ī school, based on a number of authentic traditions, considers the jalsah al-istirāhah (a short sitting after the second sajdah before standing up to the second or fourth raka‘āts respectively) as a highly recommended sunnah. Adherents of the Shafi‘ī school who does not uphold this sunnah should be advised to practice it.
2. Why does it break our wudu when we touch our wives skin?
Refer to a brilliant piece that also touches on the issues of contradiction, the Shafi‘ī madhhab and hadith; and leaving the bounds of the madhhab by our Shaykh, ash-Shāfi‘ī as-Sagīr1 Taha Karaan, here.
3. Why is perfume forbidden when fasting?
The Shāfi‘ī school states that it is recommended for the one fasting to refrain from all forms of luxuries and desires. This would include the application and smelling of perfumes2. They would in all probability be taking their cue from the hadith narrated by Imam al-Bukhari on the authority of Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet sallAllahu alayhi wasallam said:
Fasting is a shield. [Let the person observing fast] not commit rafath (conjugal relations) and let him not behave ignorantly and impudently … [Allah subhānahu wata‘ālā says], ‘He [the fasting person] has left his food, drink and desires for My sake. The fast is for Me and I will [personally] reward [the fasting person] for it. And each good deed is multiplied ten times.
In another version of the hadith of Abū Hurayrah narrated by ibn Khuzaymah in his Sahih, Rasulullah sallAllahu alayhi wasallm says, “He [the fasting person] leaves his luxuries (ladhdhatahū) for My sake…”
Consequently in keeping with these traditions, the jurists advised the fasting person to refrain from all sorts of luxuries and desires, even though permissible and encouraged at other times, similar to the muhrim or the one in a state of ihram.
And Allah knows best
Answered by Shaykh Abdurragmaan Khan
Note: Regarding the nullification of wudu’ by touch, also see the following article.
- A title given to Ml. Taha by the renowned Shaykh, Khalil Ibrahim Mula Khatir from Madinah al-Munawwarah [↩]
- Accordingly, the application of perfume is not forbidden as suggested by the questioner, rather, its usage is merely not recommended. [↩]
The Proofs that Touching A Woman Breaks Wudu'
Compiled By Abul Layth
Unfortunately many Shafi’is do not know the proofs, and legal reasonings or rationale behind the verdict that touching a woman nullifies wudu’. The following article is a collection of proofs that stem from the sources of Islamic Law supporting the Shafi’i position.
Read More
Recent Comments