Invalid Wudu Due to Feeling of Urine

Ustadh Tabraze Azam is asked about wudu, what invalidates it, feelings of having urinated, and the excusable amount of filth.

Question:

Assalam alaykum wa rahmat Allah wa barakatuh.

I don’t know if this is the right place to ask questions, but I’m just going to try. I often get the feeling that maybe some urine has exited.

In prayer I had that feeling and wanted to check on my underwear, whether something really happened. But I was in the masjid and forgot. Then the next prayer time came and I took my ablution and prayed, because I wasn’t sure and had no chance to check if something really exited.

Also a woman told me that if I am not sure my wudu is still valid. I want to know whether that’s true, even when getting a feeling of a drop exiting. That feeling often convinces me, but afterwards there is no drop or anything in my underwear.

The Imam at the masjid also apparently said that urine just breaks the wudu if it is in the size of a hand. Now, since I wasn’t sure whether there was really urine and my prayer was invalid or whether it was just a feeling (because in sajda I didn’t feel any wetness afterwards), and because of what the imam said, I prayed the next prayer without washing the private parts.

And I kept on praying the following prayers. If these two prayers are invalid, do I have to repeat them and all the prayers I prayed afterwards? Or do I just have to repeat these two? If your answer came in two weeks, would I have to repeat the prayers from two weeks?!

Please help me, I have that problem a lot.

Answer:

Wa alaykum assalam wa rahmat Allah wa barakatuh.

No, you don’t have to make up any prayers.

Your ritual ablution (wudu) is only invalidated if something exits from your private parts. In the absence of certainty, the basic assumption is that your wudu is intact. Feelings, even if strong, are of no legal consequence.

As for the excusable amount of liquid filth, it is approximately the extent of 4-5cm in diameter. The expectation is to make a reasonable judgement and not to start doing measurements. Ask Allah to ease this matter for you.

Please also see A Reader on Waswasa (Baseless Misgivings).

And Allah Most High knows best.

Tabraze Azam

Checked and approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani.