Does Blood Break Wudu?

Ustadh Tabraze Azam is asked if wudu is broken when one comes in contact with blood.

After coming home from a long day I went to the bathroom to make wudu. After doing wudu I noticed small bloodstains on the rug near my toes. I realized that some of my toes had dried blood on it which I hadn’t noticed before, and because of wetting my feet, the blood which didn’t wash away came off on the rug in the bathroom.

My question is: does this blood affect the wudu of other people when they step on it with their wet or damp feet? I am not sure if this dried blood is from bleeding or from a wound. I would wash this rug but it has a sticky film underneath, so it is hard to remove from the floor without leaving marks. I have told someone senior in my family but they don’t seem to think it’ll affect their wudu? Please answer my question clearly and directly.

Jazak Allah khayr.

No, the ritual ablution (wudu) is unaffected by coming into contact with blood or other ritually impure substances. Rather, the ablution is nullified by the exiting of filth from your own body.

Nevertheless, impure substances can transfer to something pure, such as a hand or foot, if certain conditions are met. If somebody is affected by filth, they simply need to wash it away under the tap, for instance.

The solution, here, would be to clean up the blood stain so that its traces are no longer visible. If you would like to purify it, then you should wash the affected area by pouring a little water over it thrice, and then drying it up.

Please also see Filth, Carpets and Misgivings and A Reader on Waswasa (Baseless Misgivings).

And Allah Most High knows best.

Wassalam,

Tabraze Azam

Checked and approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani.