Does Unconsciousness Invalidate Wudu?
Source: Fatāwā Amunpūrī by Shaykh Ghulām Muṣṭafā Ẓahīr Amunpūrī
❖ Question
Does wudu break if a person becomes unconscious?
❖ Answer
Yes, wudu is invalidated by unconsciousness, and performing ghusl afterwards is mustahabb (recommended).
❖ Evidence from Hadith
◈ ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿUtbah (رحمه الله) narrates:
دخلت على عائشة رضي الله عنها، فقلت: ألا تحدثيني عن مرض رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم؟ قالت: بلى، ثقل النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم، فقال: أصلى الناس؟ قلنا: لا، هم ينتظرونك، قال: ضعوا لي ماء فى المخضب، قالت: ففعلنا، فاغتسل
“I visited ʿĀ’ishah (RA) and said: Will you not tell me about the illness of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ? She said: Yes. When the Prophet ﷺ became seriously ill, he asked: ‘Have the people prayed?’ We replied: No, they are waiting for you. He said: ‘Put water for me in a vessel.’ We did so, and he performed ghusl.”
— (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 687; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 418)
❖ Scholarly Consensus
◈ Imām al-Nawawī (676 AH) said:
((أجمعت الأمة على انتقاض الوضوء بالجنون وبالإغماء وقد نقل الإجماع فيه ابن المنذر وآخرون))
“The Ummah has reached consensus that insanity and unconsciousness invalidate wudu. This ijmāʿ has been reported by Ibn al-Mundhir and others.”
— (al-Majmūʿ: 2/21)
Conclusion
- Unconsciousness breaks wudu.
- After regaining consciousness, wudu must be renewed.
- Ghusl is recommended but not obligatory.
