Is My Prayer Valid Despite Urinary Incontinence?

Answered by Shaykh Muhammad Carr

Question 

I have urinary incontinence and am classified as a ma’dhur (legally excused) person.

I performed wudu toward the end of the Dhuhr prayer time with the intention of combining Dhuhr and Asr through jamʿ al-taqdim.

I prayed Dhuhr and then immediately began praying Asr while it was still within the Dhuhr prayer time. However, during the first raka’a of Asr, the time for Asr entered.

My questions are:

1. Is my wudu valid for the remainder of the Asr prayer, given that it was performed during Dhuhr time but Asr time began while I was praying?
2. Is my Asr prayer valid in this situation?
3. Does my intention to perform jamʿ al-taqdim make any difference to the ruling?

Answer

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

Allah Most High says, “Allah intends ease for you and does not intend hardship for you.” [Quran, 2:185]

1. Your ritual ablution expires with the performance of an obligatory act
2. Your Asr prayer is invalid according to the relied-upon view. The opposing view holds that your prayer is valid. I advise that you adopt this view.
3. Your intention to join two prayers at the time of the first does not impact the ruling.

The Ritual Ablution of a Legally Excused Person

According to the Shafi’i School, your ritual ablution (wudu) typically expires with the performance of an obligatory act. A ritual ablution does not suffice for more than one obligatory act. [Shirbini, Mughni]

The ritual ablution of a legally excused person is the same as dry ablution. A person may only perform one compulsory prayer with this ablution. [Mughni al-Muhtaj] This applies when joining the prayers as well. Each requires its own ritual ablution.

Jam al-Taqdim

What you described above is effectively an apparent joining of the prayers as you read both at their respective times, albeit back-to-back. According to the relied-upon view, for the Asr to be considered joined to Dhuhr, it must be performed in its entirety during Dhuhr time.

Sulaiman Ibn Umar says, ‘A fifth condition is added: that the time of the first prayer must certainly remain. Thus, if the time certainly expires during the second prayer, or one is doubtful as to whether it has expired, then the combining of the prayers is invalid, as is the prayer, according to what al-Bulqīnī concluded through his juristic analysis. [Sulaiman Ibn Umar, Hashiyat al-Jamal]

The opposing view holds that your prayer is valid. You may adopt this view without compunction. [Ibid]

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I pray this is of benefit and that Allah guides us all.

And Allah knows best.

[Shaykh] Muhammad Carr
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Shaykh Muhammad Carr has dedicated his life to studying and transmitting our beautiful deen. His studies have taken him around the globe, where he has benefitted from many luminaries. Under the guidance of his teachers – Shaykh Taha Karan, Shaykh Yaseen Abbas, Shaykh Muadh Ali and many others – Shaykh Muhammad has grown to appreciate the beauty and benefits of diverse scholarship. He completed his memorization of the Qur’an at Dar al-Ulum Zakariyyah in September 1997 and received an Alimiyya Degree in 2006 from DUAI (Darul Ulum al-Arabiyyah al-Islamiyyah). He is also affiliated with Masjid Auwal in Bo Kaap, Cape Town (the oldest mosque in South Africa), where he serves as a co-imam, and Dar Al-Safa, where he has taught since 2018. As a teacher, he imparts the wisdom of our heritage and tradition by opening the door for students. As an imam, he has the unique opportunity to serve his community in daily life. 

In addition to his roles as a teacher and imam, Shaykh Muhammad Carr has contributed significantly to the administrative and advisory aspects of Islamic institutions. Since 2023, he has served as the Administrative Director at The Imam Kurani Institute, contributing to the institution’s growth and development. He continues to pursue traditional Islamic Sciences, possessing a keen interest in Islamic Contract Law and Finance. Shaykh Muhammad has been a Shari’ah Board Member for Islamic Asset Management & Insurance Companies since 2001, aligning financial practices with Islamic principles.