Written by: Ash-Shaykh Mubashshir Ahmad Rabbani (ḥafiẓahullāh)
If a person feels the urge to urinate while in prayer, is it permissible to continue the prayer in that condition?
If a person feels the urge to relieve themselves (urination or defecation) during prayer, then the prayer should be discontinued, and relieving oneself should take precedence. After fulfilling this need, the person should then perform the prayer.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
لا صلاة بحضرة الطعام، ولا هو يدافعه الأخبثان
“There is no (valid) prayer in the presence of food, nor while a person is resisting the two unclean things (urine and feces).”
— [Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Kitāb al-Masājid: Chapter on Dislike of Praying in Presence of Food, 560]
The ‘two unclean things’ (الأخبثان) refer to urine and feces.
Zayd ibn Arqam (رضي الله عنه) narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
إذا أراد أحدكم الغائط فليبدأ به قبل الصلاة
“When one of you needs to relieve himself, he should do so before the prayer.”
— [Al-Muwaṭṭaʾ 1/159; Musnad Aḥmad 3/483]
✔ If the urge to relieve oneself arises during prayer, it is better to pause the prayer, fulfill the need, and then pray with tranquility
✔ A person must not offer Salah while being distracted or uncomfortable due to the need to urinate or defecate
✔ Islam emphasizes that prayer should be offered with full presence of mind and serenity
And Allah knows best.
❖ Question:
If a person feels the urge to urinate while in prayer, is it permissible to continue the prayer in that condition?
❖ Answer:
If a person feels the urge to relieve themselves (urination or defecation) during prayer, then the prayer should be discontinued, and relieving oneself should take precedence. After fulfilling this need, the person should then perform the prayer.
❖ Prophetic Instruction:
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
لا صلاة بحضرة الطعام، ولا هو يدافعه الأخبثان
“There is no (valid) prayer in the presence of food, nor while a person is resisting the two unclean things (urine and feces).”
— [Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Kitāb al-Masājid: Chapter on Dislike of Praying in Presence of Food, 560]
The ‘two unclean things’ (الأخبثان) refer to urine and feces.
❖ Additional Evidence:
Zayd ibn Arqam (رضي الله عنه) narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
إذا أراد أحدكم الغائط فليبدأ به قبل الصلاة
“When one of you needs to relieve himself, he should do so before the prayer.”
— [Al-Muwaṭṭaʾ 1/159; Musnad Aḥmad 3/483]
❖ Conclusion:
✔ If the urge to relieve oneself arises during prayer, it is better to pause the prayer, fulfill the need, and then pray with tranquility
✔ A person must not offer Salah while being distracted or uncomfortable due to the need to urinate or defecate
✔ Islam emphasizes that prayer should be offered with full presence of mind and serenity
And Allah knows best.
