Is It Permissible to Marry if One Lives with Urinary Incontinence?

Answered by Mawlana Ilyas Patel

Question

I had a childhood illness and still have incontinence, but can engage in a marital relationship normally. Is it permissible to marry while wearing incontinence diapers? Does Islam allow marriage in this case?

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate.

I pray you are in good faith and health. Thank you for your question.

Yes, it will be permissible for you to marry and live a normal married life. It would be wise to discuss this thoughtfully with the potential spouse or family, reassuring them and clarifying the matter before marriage.

One of the key aspects of marriage is trust and honesty. Each partner intends to entrust the other for life. So, it would be good to mention this aspect of yours to the potential spouse or family.

Physical Conditions Do Not Bar Marriage

Physical conditions do not bar marriage, like in your case.

“It is stated in Nur al-Ayn: among the factors that may affect legal capacity is illness. However, illness does not negate the capacity for obligation, whether these obligations are owed to Allah (Most High) or to other people. Nor does it negate the capacity for expression. Therefore, the marriage and divorce of a sick person are valid, as are all matters that depend on verbal expression.” [‘Ala’ al-din Ibn Abidin, Takmilat Radd al-Muhtar]

Rulings of an Excused Person

In your case, you seem to be a Shariah excused person (madhur). Incontinence has established accommodations in fiqh for prayer and purity.

If someone has a chronic excuse (‘udhr), such as being unable to stop intermittent drops of urine, one whose bowels have become loose, etc, they should:

1. Perform wudu at the time of every fard prayer, and
2. Pray with that wudu as many fard or nawafil as one wishes.

As mentioned in the hadith of ‘A’isha (Allah be pleased with her) reporting from the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) that he told Fatima bint Hubaish, “Perform wudu at the time of every prayer.” [Bukhari]

The wudu of one suffering from a chronic excuse becomes void only with

1. The expiry of the prayer time or
2. The occurrence of that which invalidates the wudu, other than the current reason. [Tahtawi, Hashiyat Maraqi al-Falah]

Please see the link below for details.

Religion is Based on Ease

Allah ( Most High) said, “Allah does not burden a soul beyond its capacity.” [Quran, 2:286]

Abu Hurayra reported the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said,

“Religion is very easy, and whoever overburdens himself in his religion will not be able to continue in that way. So you should not be extremists, but try to be near to perfection and receive the good tidings that you will be rewarded; and gain strength by worshipping in the mornings, the afternoons, and during the last hours of the nights.” [Bukhari]

And Allah alone knows best.

[Mawlana] Ilyas Patel
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

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Mawlana Ilyas Patel has received a traditional education in various countries. He started his schooling in the UK and completed his hifz of the Quran in India. After that, he joined an Islamic seminary in the UK, where he studied secular and Aalimiyya sciences. Later, he traveled to Karachi, Pakistan, and other Middle Eastern countries to further his education. Mawlana has served as an Imam in the Republic of Ireland for several years and taught the Quran and other Islamic sciences to both children and adults. He also worked as a teacher and librarian at a local Islamic seminary in the UK for 12 years. Currently, he resides in the UK with his wife and is interested in reading and gardening.