Ruling on Prayer and Wudu for a Person Suffering from Continuous Urine Drops (
Source: Fatāwā Rāshidiyyah, p. 246
❖ Question:
A man suffers from continuous discharge of urine drops. While walking or moving, drops keep coming out and he cannot remain pure. Out of concern, he performs wudu before every prayer and sprinkles water on his private parts because he does not want to abandon prayer.
However, one scholar told him that since the Prophet ﷺ said: “مفتاح الصلاة الطهور” (“The key to prayer is purification”), and this man cannot remain pure, his prayer is invalid.
What is the correct ruling according to the Qur’an and Hadith?
❖ Answer:
الحمد لله، والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله، أما بعد!
Prayer is obligatory under all circumstances and can never be abandoned. If one cannot pray standing, he may pray sitting or lying down, but complete abandonment is never permitted.
Similarly, purification (ṭahārah) is a condition for prayer. However, Allah ﷻ has laid down a principle:
﴿لَا يُكَلِّفُ ٱللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا﴾
(al-Baqarah: 286)
“Allah does not burden a soul beyond its capacity.”
Thus, if a person cannot remain pure due to illness or a medical condition (such as continuous urine drops), he is excused beyond his control. He must strive for purification as much as possible, and Allah ﷻ, out of His grace, will not hold him accountable for what is beyond his ability — provided negligence or laziness is not involved.
✿ Evidence from Hadith
Narration of ʿĀʾishah رضي الله عنها:
Fāṭimah bint Abī Ḥubaysh said to the Prophet ﷺ: “O Messenger of Allah, I do not become pure (i.e., bleeding continues constantly). Should I stop praying?”
The Prophet ﷺ replied:
“Indeed, that is not menstruation; rather, it is blood from a vein. When your menstruation begins, then stop praying, but when it ends, wash the blood and pray. This blood should not prevent you from prayer.”
In another narration:
“ثم توضئي لكل صلاة”
“Then perform wudu for each prayer.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim)
From her words “I do not become pure”, it is understood that if someone cannot remain pure due to illness (like continuous urine drops or bleeding), he is still not excused from prayer.The Prophet ﷺ did not allow the woman to abandon prayer; rather, he instructed her to pray in that state with wudu for each prayer.
✿ Ruling for a Person with Continuous Urine Drops
✔ Prayer remains obligatory in all circumstances.
✔ This illness does not prevent one from performing prayer.
✔ Such a person must perform fresh wudu for every prayer.
✔ He should wash his private part and strive for cleanliness.
✔ His prayer will be valid and accepted by Allah ﷻ, inshāʾAllāh.
Summary
A person suffering from salas al-bawl (continuous urine drops) should:
◈ Never abandon prayer.
◈ Perform a new wudu for every prayer.
◈ Wash his private part before prayer.
◈ Try his best to maintain cleanliness.
InshāʾAllāh, his prayer will be accepted, and Allah ﷻ will forgive what is beyond his control.
