Does Bleeding Invalidate Wudu (Ablution)?

Answered by Shaykh Dr. Muhammad Abu Bakr Badhib

Question

Does bleeding invalidate wudu (ablution)?

Answer

In the name of Allah, and all praise is due to Allah, and blessings and peace be upon our master Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, his Family, his Companions, and those who follow him.

Blood is considered impure. Allah (Most High) says:

“Say, (O Prophet,) ‘I do not find in what has been revealed to me anything forbidden to eat except carrion, running blood…’” [Quran, 6:145]

Despite the differing opinions among scholars on the interpretation of “running forth,” it is established in the Shafi‘i School that blood is impure. The ruling on blood exiting the human body varies depending on its amount and the place from which it exits.

First: Bleeding from the Two Orifices (Anus and Urethra)

This invalidates wudu, whether during prayer or outside of it, due to the place of exit. Anything that exits from the two orifices invalidates wudu, such as blood, a worm, or stone. Malibari said:

“And its invalidators, meaning the reasons for invalidating wudu, are four: The first is the certainty of something exiting other than semen, whether it is a visible object or wind, wet or dry, common like urine, or rare like blood from hemorrhoids or other sources.” [Malibari, Fath al-Mu‘in]

A similar is stated in Ba‘Ishn’s Bushra al-Karim.

Second: Bleeding from Places Other than the Two Orifices

Outside of prayer:

There is no issue as it does not invalidate wudu. In “al-Muhadhdhab” it is stated:

“Anything other than these five things does not invalidate wudu, such as bloodletting, cupping, and vomiting. It is narrated by Anas (Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) underwent cupping and prayed without performing wudu and only washed his cupping sites.” [Nawawi, al-Majmu‘]

This hadith of Anas is narrated by Daraqutni, Bayhaqi in Sunan al-Kubra, and others.

Imam Nawawi stated:

“According to our school, wudu is not invalidated by anything exiting from other than the two orifices, like bloodletting, cupping, vomiting, and nosebleeds, regardless of whether it is little or much. This is also the opinion of Ibn ‘Umar, Ibn ‘Abbas, Ibn Abi Awfa, Jabir, Abu Hurayra, ‘Aisha, Ibn Musayyib, Salim Ibn ‘Abdullah Ibn ‘Umar, Qasim Ibn Muhammad, Tawus, ‘Ata, Makhul, Rabi’ah, Malik, Abu Thawr, and Dawud. Baghawi said this is the opinion of most of the Companions and Tabi‘in.” [Nawawi, al-Majmu‘]

During Prayer

For bleeding from wounds, boils, and similar cases, it is excused under certain conditions:
It must be the person’s own blood, not someone else’s;
It must not be caused by the person’s own deliberate action;
It must not exceed the normal area that it reaches.

If these conditions are met, the prayer is not invalidated. The incident of ‘Umar (Allah be pleased with him) praying after being stabbed and bleeding cannot be used as evidence since it is a rare occurrence. For more details, refer to Khatib’s al-Iqna‘.

Imam Nawawi mentioned:

“A more appropriate hadith is that of Jabir: Two men from the companions of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) guarded the Muslims one night during the Battle of Dhat al-Riqa‘. One of them stood up to pray, and a man from the disbelievers came and shot him with an arrow, which he removed. The man shot another arrow, then a third, and he continued his prayer while blood flowed from him. This hadith is narrated by Abu Dawud in his Sunan with a sound chain of narration, and Abu Dawud used it as evidence. The point of reference is that a lot of blood exited, yet he continued his prayer. If blood invalidated wudu, he would not have been able to continue with bowing, prostration, and completing the prayer. The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) was aware of this and did not object. Our scholars explained that such blood did not soil his clothes excessively, and this minor amount is excused.” [Nawawi, al-Majmu‘]

As for nosebleeds (epistaxis), it is usually minor and excused. However, if it is substantial and continuous, the person must stop the prayer. Haytami mentioned:

“If someone experiences a nosebleed during prayer and only a small amount soils him, he does not need to stop the prayer, even if the bleeding is heavy but separate from his body. If a large amount soils him, he must stop the prayer, even if it is a Friday prayer. If it occurs before the prayer and continues, and he hopes it will stop and there is ample time, he should wait; otherwise, he should protect himself, similar to the case of incontinence.” [Haytami, Tuhfat al-Muhtaj]

The evidence that prayer is invalidated if the nosebleed is substantial is the hadith of Nafi‘: Abdullah Ibn ‘Umar (Allah be pleased with them both) would stop and perform wudu again if he had a nosebleed, then return to complete his prayer without speaking. Its chain of narration is sound. [Malik; Ibn Mulqin, ‘Ujalat al-Muhtaj]

The issue of stopping the prayer due to a substantial nosebleed is well-documented in the statements of Imam Shafi‘i and other scholars, and it is well-known.

Summary

Based on the aforementioned points, it is necessary for a person praying to stop their prayer if they experience a nosebleed. They should wash off the blood from themselves and any part of their body or clothes that it has touched, and then resume their prayer.

However, if they feel something coming from their nose, they should block it with something like a tissue. If it stops, they should continue their prayer, especially if they are praying in a congregation, as long as the blood does not flow and exceed the area. In that case, it is better to leave the prayer as previously mentioned.

If outside of prayer, they should wash off the blood before starting their prayer. We ask Allah (Most High) to grant us understanding in knowledge and religion, and to guide us to the right path.

[Shaykh] Dr. Muhammad Abu Bakr Badhib