What Are the Consequences of Performing Istinja’ during Wudu?
Hanafi Fiqh
Answered by Ustadh Sufyan Qufi
Question
I used to do istinja’ as part of wudu and wash my private parts three times, but I would just take water in my hand and wash over the area. Is that okay? Or was I supposed to pour water and wash at the same time because now I feel like I just spread najasa everywhere and I don’t know how to clean it. I have already washed myself everywhere, but I still feel like there is always najasa left when I think of something I used to do. I would even keep my clothes on and just put water on my hand and wash over my private part with my hand in my clothes so now I feel like the najasa is everywhere. How do I fix this?
Answer
In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful,
I pray this finds you in the best of states.
There is no need to perform istinja’ (cleaning the rear private part) or istibra (washing the front private part) if you have not relieved yourself in the toilet. [Shurunbulali, Nur al-Idah]
Thus, if you were to wash your private parts during your wudu without having relieved yourself beforehand, you won’t be spreading any impurity because your body in this situation, is deemed pure. This includes your private parts. [Ibid.]
Thus your prayers were valid, and you have not spread any impurity on your body.
If you have poured water over your private parts after relieving yourself, then this water will be impure if traces of filth (such as the color of urine) are manifested in it.
If this is your situation, you simply need to wash your clothes and your body parts affected by this water before performing a regular wudu (i.e. a wudu without istinja’ or istibra’).
This is how you should perform istinja’ and wudu from now on: How Should One Properly Do Istinja and Wudu?
And Allah knows best.
Wassalam
[Ustadh] Sufyan Qufi
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Ustadh Sufyan Qufi is an advanced seeker of knowledge, originally from Algeria, who grew up in France. He began searching far and wide for answers to the fundamental questions of life and was disappointed at the answers he found. Then he connected with various traditional teachers and gradually connected with SeekersGuidance. He embarked on his journey of learning through the various teachers at SeekersGuidance, including his mentor Shaykh Faraz Rabbani. He studied numerous texts in Islamic Law, Theology, Hadith, and other areas with Shaykh Faraz Rabbani and other teachers, including Shaykh Abdurrahman al-Sha‘ar, Shaykh Ali Hani, and others. He is an active instructor at SeekersGuidance and answers questions through the SeekersGuidance Answers Service.
