purity for prayer

[laylashah]

Assalam O Alaykum,

I have been suffering with a lot of OCD and waswas and i've read that some scholars (like Shawkani) say that praying with impurity is sinful but prayer is still valid and that purity of the place is also not a condition for the validity of prayer, is this for invisible impurities you can't see as well or menstrual blood if u think you have been contaminated by it? I never feel pure so this is the only ruling that puts ease to my mind and I just want some further clarification.

Thanks

 

[laylashah]

Thread 'Purity from Major and Minor Impurities: A Prerequisite for Prayer'

Jul 2, 2025

✿ Purity from Major and Minor Impurities is a Condition for the Validity of Prayer​

Written by: Imran Ayub Lahori

◈ Evidence from Hadith​

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
ولا يقبل الله صلاة أحدكم إذا أحدث حتى يتوضا
[Bukhari 135, Abu Dawood 60, Tirmidhi 76, Ahmad 308/2, Ibn Khuzaymah 11]
❝Allah does not accept the prayer of any one of you when he is in a state of impurity until he performs ablution (wudu).❞


Hazrat Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه also narrated that a Bedouin began urinating while standing in...

• Abdullah
• Replies: 2
• Forum: Purification, Ablution (Wudu), and Ghusl in Islam

Thread 'Conditions of Purity for the Validity of Salah'

Jul 2, 2025

✿ Conditions of Purity for the Validity of Salah​

Written by: Imran Ayub Lahori

◈ Linguistic Explanation​

The word "شروط" is the plural of "شرط", which literally means “to make something obligatory”.
[Al-Qāmūs al-Muḥīṭ, p. 605]

◈ Technical Definition​

ما يلزم من عدمه عدم الحكم ولا يلزم من وجوده وجود المحكم
[Al-Iḥkām by Al-Amidi 12/1, Al-Muwāfaqāt by Al-Shāṭibī 187/1, Al-Baḥr al-Muḥīṭ by Al-Zarkashī 309/1]
❝That whose absence necessitates the absence of a ruling, but whose presence does not necessarily ensure the...

• Abdullah
• Replies: 0
• Forum: Purification, Ablution (Wudu), and Ghusl in Islam

these are the 2 articles i got this from

 

[Danial]

Walaikum Salam, Yes. According to Imam al-Shawkānī and others who hold that purification of body, clothes, and place is wājib (obligatory) but not a sharṭ (condition), the prayer remains valid even if impurity was present—whether visible or invisible—though leaving purification intentionally is sinful.

This applies to unseen impurities you think are present as well as to possible traces like menstrual blood, if not confirmed by clear sight or certain knowledge. Doubt, suspicion, or obsessive thoughts do not establish impurity in fiqh.

Key points:

1. Certainty is not removed by doubt.
   “Do not leave your prayer until you hear a sound or find a smell.” (Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 362)
   This principle applies to wudu and purity.
2. Impurity that is not verified does not invalidate prayer.
   If impurity cannot be seen, smelled, or known with certainty, it is ignored.
3. If impurity is real and known, purification is obligatory, but if one prayed without realizing, the prayer is valid according to the preferred opinion (rājih) derived from the hadith of the Prophet ﷺ removing his shoes mid-prayer.
4. Menstrual blood—if truly present—is najis, but if one only suspects its transfer or cannot confirm it, the suspicion carries no legal weight.

In short:

• Purity of body, clothing, and place is obligatory (wājib).
• Its absence due to forgetfulness, ignorance, or baseless fear does not invalidate the prayer.
• Certainty of impurity is required before acting.

For OCD or waswas, scholars advise ignoring recurring doubts after normal effort to verify cleanliness. Islam does not obligate what exceeds human capacity:

لَا يُكَلِّفُ اللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا (Al-Baqarah 2:286)

In short: if you cannot see or confirm impurity—visible or invisible—pray and disregard the doubt; your ṣalāh is valid.

 

[laylashah]

Would my prayer still be valid according to Imam Shawkani if I did have menstrual blood on my body or clothes but I would just be sinful? (After ghusl)

 

[Danial]

Yes.
According to Imam al-Shawkānī and those who hold his view, if menstrual blood were truly present on the body or clothing, the prayer would still be valid, though committing it knowingly would be sinful because purification is wājib (obligatory) but not a condition for validity.

 

[laylashah]

Thanks, I have another question but its not related to this, if i do ghusl or wudhu with a waxy residue that is really difficult to remove and its causing harm due to lots of scrubbing and irritation (but still not coming off) what do i do? is this pardoned and do i just do my ghusl and wudhu like normal? what if it isn't a small amount?

 

[Danial]

Water must reach the skin for wudu and ghusl to be valid. If a substance such as wax, paint, or thick cream creates a barrier that prevents water from reaching the skin, the purification is invalid until it is removed.

If only a light trace remains that does not block water — for example, colour or a thin residue — it is pardoned and wudu or ghusl remains valid.

In cases where removing the substance would cause harm or significant hardship, scholars mention that the person is excused. One should remove what can be removed without injury, then perform wudu or ghusl as normal, and rely on Allah’s statement: “Allah does not burden a soul beyond its capacity” (2:286).

 

[laylashah]

would this include earwax found on the external ear?

 

[Danial]

would this include earwax found on the external ear?

Yes. Natural earwax on the outer ear is normally slight and does not prevent water from reaching the skin. It is pardoned unless it forms a thick, solid layer that clearly blocks water. In normal cases, wudu and ghusl are valid without removing it.