Illness is called a state of excuse. In this state, a person cannot perform his duties as usual. It is Allah’s great mercy upon His servants that He has not obligated a person to any command beyond his capacity. He said:
فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْ
So fear Allah as much as you are able.
To perform acts of worship, He has made concessions in the state of excuse. Prayer is a routine performed five times daily. Therefore, in the state of illness, it is most necessary to understand its rulings. Women often ask about ablution and prayer in various states of illness. Keeping their needs in mind, this booklet has been compiled.
Instead of giving lengthy hadiths, only references have been provided to keep the booklet concise. Full references have been given so that one can refer to the original sources. May Allah grant spiritual and physical healing to all the sick.
اَللَّهُمَّ رَبَّ النَّاسِ أَذْهِبِ الْبَاسَ وَاشْفِ أَنْتَ الشَّافِي لَا شِفَاءَ إِلَّا شِفَاؤُكَ شِفَاءٌ لَا يُغَادِرُ سَقَمًا
“O Allah! Lord of the people, remove this hardship and grant healing, for You are the Healer. There is no healing except Your healing, a healing that leaves no illness behind.”
State of Continuous Impurity
Some illnesses are such that a person can never remain pure at any time. Some of these illnesses are as follows:
● Continuous dripping of urine
● Continuous discharge of stool
● Continuous bleeding in women
● Continuous discharge of pre-seminal fluid (madhy)
● Continuous white discharge in women
● Continuous passing of wind (flatulence)
The ruling for all these cases is the same:
① In these illnesses, if there is a break during the time from the beginning to the end of any prayer, then during the break, one must purify oneself and perform the prayer.
② If there is no break, then at the time of each prayer, one must perform istinja (cleaning of private parts) (however, in the case of wind or white discharge (leukorrhea), istinja is not necessary), and ③ immediately after istinja, perform wudu (ablution). In case of continuous discharge of urine, stool, blood, or fluid after istinja, one should use a cloth pad or diaper to prevent other clothes from becoming impure.
④ After performing wudu, the prayer of the current time should be performed immediately. If this is not done and some time passes, then one must purify oneself again and perform wudu.
⑤ With one wudu, all the obligatory, Sunnah, and Nafl prayers of the current time can be performed.
⑥ If two prayers are combined, both prayers can be performed with one wudu.
⑦ If wudu is broken due to any reason other than the continuous illness, then a new wudu must be performed, but there is no need to perform istinja or change the cloth or pad.
The ruling for all these illnesses will be analogous to the ruling of mustahadha (a woman with continuous non-menstrual bleeding). As the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) told Fatimah bint Jaish (may Allah be pleased with her), who had the illness of mustahadha: When the menstrual blood, which is dark in color and recognizable, appears, stop praying. When the other blood appears, perform wudu and pray; that is the blood of istihada.
It is appropriate that a person with an illness like continuous urination and a mustahadha woman tie a cloth around their private parts so that other clothes do not become impure, as mentioned in the hadith of Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her), which is found in Muwatta Imam Malik, Kitab al-Mutahhirah, and Abu Dawood, etc.
Bleeding from any part of the body:
If blood flows from any part of the body after performing ablution, for example, if a nosebleed occurs, blood comes with phlegm, blood starts flowing from a wound, or blood comes from the gums, the ablution is not broken because the flowing of blood does not invalidate ablution, and blood does not make clothes or the body impure. Blood is only forbidden to eat; it is not impure in itself such that it would make clothes, body, or place impure.
Blood that comes out from سبيلين (the urinary and anal passages) is both impure and invalidates ablution.
During prayer, if pus or blood is flowing from a wound, cotton, tissue paper, or any other item can be used with one hand to clean it.
Before prayer, the wound should be bandaged in such a way that pus or blood does not flow out.
If pouring water on the wound is harmful, wiping (masah) can be done.
If there is a bandage, plaster, medicinal ointment, or any other thing on the wound, wiping over it is sufficient.
A person may sit on a chair but cannot bend; if there is no one to help him perform ablution, it is sufficient to pour water on his feet without the need to wash them. While performing ablution, a piece of cloth can be soaked in water and placed under the feet and pressed so that water splashes and wets the heels, etc., or the feet can be dipped in a container filled with water.
If a person cannot wipe the head or ears and there is no helper, ablution will be valid without doing so.
Tayammum
Tayammum is obtaining purity using soil. It is stated:
وَإِن كُنتُم مَّرْضَىٰ أَوْ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍ أَوْ جَاءَ أَحَدٌ مِّنكُم مِّنَ الْغَائِطِ أَوْ لَامَسْتُمُ النِّسَاءَ فَلَمْ تَجِدُوا مَاءً فَتَيَمَّمُوا صَعِيدًا طَيِّبًا فَامْسَحُوا بِوُجُوهِكُمْ وَأَيْدِيكُم مِّنْهُ
And if you are ill or on a journey or one of you comes from the bathroom or you have been intimate with women and you do not find water, then take clean soil and wipe your face and hands with it (perform tayammum).
This can be done in the following situations:
● Water is so far away that by the time you reach or bring it, the time for the prayer will have passed.
● Water is in a place that is difficult to reach, such as a forest on the way, or there is a dangerous animal or enemy blocking the path.
● There is so little water available that after performing wudu, there will be no water left for drinking. And there is no certainty of getting more water soon.
● Using water may cause severe illness or risk of death.
● There is a risk that using cold water will cause severe illness and there is no means to heat the water.
● Water is available but due to illness, a person cannot reach it and there is no one to help.
Method of Tayammum:
Say بسم الله, then strike the clean soil with your hands and wipe the back of the right hand and the front fingers from the fingers to the palms or elbows; both ways are correct. Then, wipe the back and front of the left hand with the right hand, moving from the fingers to the palms or elbows.
Strike both hands on the soil again and wipe the face with both hands as you do when performing ablution, i.e., from the forehead to both ears and down to the area below the chin. It is also correct to strike the soil once without striking the soil again and wipe both palms and the face once.
In case of Ghusl:
The body parts that can be washed should be washed, and those that might be harmed by water should be wiped (masah) instead.
While performing ablution (wudu), the parts that can be washed should be washed, and those that might be harmed should be wiped.
The above-mentioned method of tayammum is sufficient for ghusl (ritual bath) as well. Also, one tayammum fulfills the need for both wudu and ghusl; there is no need to perform a separate tayammum for ghusl.
Just as multiple prayers can be performed with one wudu, similarly, multiple prayers can be performed with one tayammum.
Tayammum ends with the things that break wudu.
As soon as water becomes available or the patient’s illness moves out of a life-threatening stage, the ruling of tayammum ends, and now when water is available, wudu or ghusl must be performed as required.
What kind of soil should be used:
The entire earth is pure, so its soil is also pure; however, if dirt is clearly visible in a place or it is known that people throw filth on it, then tayammum should not be performed with the soil of that place.
If the land is sandy, then tayammum should be done with sand; if soil is available, that is better.
If the area is rocky or mountainous, wherever dust or soil has settled, that is sufficient for tayammum.
Dust that accumulates on utensils, walls, and other objects can also be used for tayammum.
If it is a snowy mountain with neither soil nor water, then lightly passing the hand over the snow is sufficient for tayammum.
If there is a risk of the hand sticking to the snow, then the prayer should be performed without wudu or tayammum. Tayammum can be done by striking the hand on a clean tree or similar object.
Istinja with soil:
Cleaning with soil is permissible both with and without an excuse.
Purification is achieved by cleaning with soil even if water is available.
If water is not used after cleaning with soil, it is still correct to perform ablution with water and then offer prayer.
It is obligatory to use three handfuls for cleaning, and similarly three separate handfuls for urine and three separate handfuls for defecation, even if cleanliness is achieved with just one handful.
If cleanliness is not achieved with three handfuls, then more handfuls can be used.
Handfuls are only for cleaning; if impurity spreads from its place to the surrounding skin, it must be cleaned with water. Cleaning with handfuls is not correct.
Cleaning with tissue paper or any cloth:
The primary means for istinja (cleaning after relieving oneself) are soil and water. If neither of these is available, or if there is a risk of harm in using them, then something else that cleans can be used, provided it is not something respectable, such as food items, leaves of trees, peels of food items, bones, paper, and dung, etc. Bones, dung, and coal are the food of jinn.
Tissue paper is made specifically for cleaning, so it also purifies. Pieces of clean cloth can also be used for istinja.
Tissue paper or cloth should be used three times each, and the condition is that the impurity should not spread from its place; otherwise, purification must be achieved with water.
If there is illness or fear of disease from water, then the impurity on the body can be cleaned with tissue paper or cloth.
If a person cannot purify themselves with water:
One person will purify another person with water in such a way that the hand does not directly touch the private parts; he should wear a cloth, plastic bag, or glove on the hand.
If no one is present or able to perform this task, then a cloth should be wetted and wiped over the impure parts of the body. This cloth should be washed with water and then used again to wipe the impure parts of the body a second time.
If using water causes hardship:
In such a case, instead of water, a wet cloth will be used to clean the impurity.
If wiping with a wet cloth is not possible, the person is considered disabled, and in this condition, he can still perform the prayer.
For a person who cannot avoid impurity:
A person who, due to illness and weakness, is unable to maintain cleanliness and keep their clothes pure, and there is no one to assist them, is considered disabled and may pray in those same clothes. Because delaying prayer is not permissible.
Ruling on Wudu and Ghusl with Artificial Limbs:
If artificial limbs can be easily removed from the body, they should be removed for wudu or ghusl. For example, removing a tooth from the mouth for rinsing.
If artificial limbs cannot be easily removed, then their ruling is like a bandage or a splint used in case of a broken bone. Therefore, wiping (masah) will be done over them.
Wiping over Socks:
Those who fear that using water may cause illness or for some reason their wudu breaks frequently should perform wudu once, wear socks, and when they need to perform wudu again, they should wipe over the socks.
Wiping over the socks while standing can be done for up to twenty-four hours, and in the state of travel, wiping is permitted for up to three days.
Remember that for performing ghusl, it is necessary to remove the socks and wash the feet. Wiping is only for wudu.
Remember that whether the socks are thin or thick, made of leather or cloth, and even if the shoe is closed, wiping over all of these is permissible.
Suspicion of urine drops:
If a person doubts after performing ablution that drops of urine or anything else have come out from his urinary tract, he should sprinkle water on the clothes covering his urinary tract after ablution.
It is also recommended to sprinkle water on the clothes in normal circumstances.
