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Is Everything In My House Impure?

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Question: I was careless in the preventing of spreading impurity, i.e. prostatic fluid. Now it has spread to almost all things in my house. Now on rainy days people come to our house with wet clothes and sit down, so their clothes become soiled. Also, our family goes to masjid, which makes the carpet of masjid impure. What should I do?
Answer:Assalamu alaykum,

Thank you for your question. I pray that you can resolve this issue without any waswasa (baseless misgivings) and that you feel comfortable in your home again.

 

Certainty

A legal principle that you should know is that certainty is not removed by doubt. If you simply doubt that there is filth in some areas, you should ignore it, and you are not responsible to purify it.

If you are certain that there was prostatic fluid in a certain area, simply remove the color and smell of the spot, and then pour clean water over it. The spot is pure. Or if it is small, toss it in the washing machine.
Do not worry at all about the masjid carpet or other areas of your home where filth is not perceptible.

 

Pure

Also, semen is not considered filth in the Shafi’i school but is pure. I only recommended purification because it is considered filth in the Hanafi school.  Please see the links below.

https://seekersguidance.org/answers/purity/spreading-filth-while-asleep/
https://seekersguidance.org/answers/hanafi-fiqh/people-may-have-walked-on-filth-in-my-room-has-it-spread-all-over-my-house/
https://seekersguidance.org/answers/shafii-fiqh/clean-pre-sexual-fluid-floor-shafii/

[Ustadha] Shazia Ahmad

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadha Shazia Ahmad lived in Damascus, Syria for two years where she studied aqidah, fiqh, tajweed, tafseer, and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she completed her Master’s in Arabic. Afterward, she moved to Amman, Jordan where she studied fiqh, Arabic, and other sciences. She recently moved back to Mississauga, Canada, where she lives with her family.

Are There Cures To Stop My Fear Of Wet Dreams?

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Question: Assalamu ‘alaykum. I fear to sleep every time because I fear that I might have a wet dream and discharge. Are there any cures/remedies to stop having wet dreams that will lead to discharge?  Are wet dreams a sign of Jinn possession? If so, what are the cures of it?

Answer:

Wa ‘alaykum assalam wa rahmatullah wa barakatuh.

I pray you are well.

There is no need to be afraid of having a discharge after a wet dream. It is something natural, and it is not harmful nor blameworthy. It is, also, not a sign of jinn possession.

Relax. Enjoy the rest you get from your sleep. See it as a gift from God. As for the wet dream, see it as an opportunity to get closer to Allah. Performing a ghusl is obligatory after a wet dream, and “Indeed Allah loves those who repeatedly repent and those who purify themselves.” (Qur’an, 2:222)

When you feel afraid, see the wet dream as an opportunity to purify yourself, and to get one step closer to being loved by Allah. May Allah remove your anxieties.

[Shaykh] Abdul-Rahim

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat began his studies in Arabic Grammar and Morphology in 2005. After graduating with a degree in English and History he moved to Damascus in 2007 where, for 18 months, he studied with many erudite scholars. In late 2008 he moved to Amman, Jordan, where he continued his studies for the next six years in Sacred Law (fiqh), legal theory (Usul al-fiqh), theology, hadith methodology, hadith commentary, and Logic. He was also given licenses of mastery in the science of Quranic recital and he was able to study an extensive curriculum of Quranic sciences, tafsir, Arabic grammar, and Arabic eloquence.

Is the Dried Discharge That I See In the Morning Mani or Madhi?

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Question: I am a teenage male and often I wake up and see a small white spot (about the size of a dime) near my knee. In addition to this, I see a similar spot near my buttock and another one underneath my thigh. Are they madhi or mani? Could this just be some stain from a laundry detergent that I failed to notice earlier? As for now, I will not do ghusl, as I am not certain that I emitted mani. Is this decision correct?

Answer:

Assalamu alaykum,

Thank you for your question.

In the Reliance of the Traveller, the author, may Allah reward him, says,

“e 10.6  If one does not know whether one’s discharge is sperm or whether it is madhi (def: (1) above), then one may either:

(1) consider its sperm, and perform the purificatory bath (0: in which case washing the portions of clothes and so forth affected with it is not obligatory, as it is legally considered a pure substance);

(2) or consider it madhy, and wash the affected portions of the body and clothes (N: which is obligatory, as it is legally considered filth), and perform ablution, though not the purificatory bath.

The best course in such cases of uncertainty is to do all of the above (0: of bathing, washing the affected portions, and ablution, so as to take due precaution in one’s worship).“

It also mentions in the Reliance of the Traveller that when semen is dry, it smells like egg-white, perhaps you can smell it and see if that helps you determine the source. If you have decided that it is not mani, it is valid, but do try to actively determine what it might be and then stick to your decision.

I hope this helps, may Allah reward you for your efforts and sincere intention to do the right thing.

[Ustadha] Shazia Ahmad

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadha Shazia Ahmad lived in Damascus, Syria for two years where she studied aqidah, fiqh, tajweed, tafseer, and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she completed her Masters in Arabic. Afterward, she moved to Amman, Jordan where she studied fiqh, Arabic, and other sciences. She recently moved back to Mississauga, Canada, where she lives with her family.

Does Chronic Incontinence Invalidate Wudu?

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Question: Is the wudu valid if one splashes water on their undergarments, washes themselves to remove filth, and then makes wudu? If one has incontinence of urine during the prayer, how does one determine whether the amount is within the excusable range if their undergarments already have water on them?

Answer:

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

 

A Valid Wudu

Washing filth off the body and splashing water on the undergarment is irrelevant to the validity of the wudu. The wudu is valid as long as the 4 integrals of wudu are performed, washing the face, both arms, wiping at least one-fourth of the head, and washing the feet. [Tahtawi/Shurunbulali, Hashiyat Maraqi al-Falah]

 

Acute Incontinence Of Urine
 
If one has an acute case of incontinence they may fall under the category of “the excused person.”

 

An Excused Person

People suffering from difficulties, like yours, in purification may be excused from certain rulings – as a dispensation and facilitation to perform the prayer.
Becoming an Excused Person
In order to be considered “excused” the following condition must be met:
An entire prayer time must come and go and in which one does not have enough time to make wudu and pray a full prayer without any urine dripping. [Ibn ‘Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar]

Note that the prayer time used to determine such a ruling can be the shortest prayer time such as that between Fajr and sunrise or Maghrib and ‘Isha.

Also note that it is not a condition to continuously check yourself for urine, rather reasonable surety of the presence of urine is sufficient.

Rulings Regarding the Excused Person
Once you have met the above condition you are excused from certain rulings. This entails the following:
(1) Your wudu is not considered invalid due to urine leakage. However, all other factors that invalidate the wudu still apply. The dispensation only relates to the specific issue. [Ibid.]

(2) Your wudu is invalid when each obligatory prayer time exits. This only applies if you have experienced urine leakage during or after performing the new wudu. [Ibid.]

If you made a new wudu and do not experience any leakage till the prayer time exits you still have wudu as the dispensation was not found. [Ibid.]

(3) You are excused from the presence of urine on your body and/or clothes during the prayer. If there is no difficulty in washing yourself or clothing before each prayer, this is ideal, but if the leakage is continuous this may prove to be difficult – thus it is not obligatory. [Ibid.]
Until When Is An Excused Person Considered Excused?
Once you are established to be an excused person by meeting the aforementioned condition, you will remain to be so until one entire prayer time comes and goes in which no leakage, whatsoever, has occurred. At this point, you will have to act upon the regular rulings of purification. [Ibid.]

Slight Incontinence

If you do not meet the aforementioned condition to be considered “excused,” then any urine leakage breaks the wudu. If this occurs during the prayer, you must repeat the prayer. If there is anything that you can reasonably do – without causing yourself undue difficulty – to prevent urine leakage, you must. This may entail, sitting down during the prayer or using the restroom prior to the prayer, for example. [Ibid.]

Likewise, you are fully excused from the presence of urine on your clothing. However, if the amount of urine on your clothing or body is less than 5cm in diameter, you are not obliged to wash it before praying. You can exercise your judgment in determining the above amount, you are not obliged to check and/or measure. [Ibid.]

 

Summary

Apply the above condition to your circumstance to see if you meet the requirements of “the excused person.” If you do, make a new wudu for each prayer time, and do not put yourself into difficulty worrying about urine on your clothing. If you do not meet the criteria, try to time your prayer such that no drops come out during the prayer, and only wash your undergarments if you are reasonably sure that the urine is a large amount, i.e. 5cm or the size of the hollow part of you palm between the bones.

I hope this helps,
Allah knows best.
[Shaykh] Yusuf Weltch

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Shaykh Yusuf Weltch is a graduate from Tarim; a student of Habib Umar and other luminaries; and authorized teachers of the Qur’an and the Islamic sciences

How Do I Determine Whether the Blood Under My Toenail Is Flowing?

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Question: How do I determine whether the blood under my toenail is flowing? If it is flowing and moving makes it come out more, how do I perform wudu?

Answer:

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

 

Blood Invalidates Wudu

If the blood underneath your toenail does not come forth to the outside of your body, it does not break your wudu. [Tahtawi/Shurunbulali, Hashiyat Maraqi al-Falah]

If it does come forth to the outside of your body and flows from its exit point to another place on your toe, the wudu is broken. If the wound is constantly oozing, place a bandage over it and when washing that area, with a wet hand, wipe over the bandage. [Ibid.]

 

Spreading Of Impurity

Impurity is only spread if the following conditions take place:

(1) The blood flowed from its exit point to other parts of the toe. If it did not flow, it is pure. [Ibid.]
(2) The blood was wet and not dry; dry blood does not transfer. [Ibid.]
(3) Traces of the blood are manifest in the object that it came in contact with. Traces are color and smell. If you do not see any color or sign on the place that the blood came in contact with, the place is pure.

I hope this helps,
Allah knows best.
[Shaykh] Yusuf Weltch

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Shaykh Yusuf Weltch is a graduate from Tarim; a student of Habib Umar and other luminaries; and authorized teachers of the Qur’an and the Islamic sciences

If I Do Not Find Any Wetness, Do I Need To Make a Ritual Bath (Ghusl)?

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Question: If after waking up, one does not find any wetness nor recall a wet dream, however, after urinating, they find a discharge – must they make a ritual bath (ghusl)? How do I address my misgivings (waswasa) relating to matters of purity?

Answer:

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

You are not required to perform the ritual bath. The situation you described confirms that the discharge you found is not a sexual fluid.

 

Post-Urine Discharge

A common discharge that is found after urinating is called wadi – or post-urine discharge. It is defined as a thick, murky fluid that often exits the penis after urination, or could precede it. [Shurunbulali, Ascent to Felicity]

 

Being Cautious

Your suffering with misgivings is due to your caution to properly practice your faith. Its rooted is praiseworthy sincerity and a great sense of importance for Allah’s limits.

However, caution is defined as choosing to do that which is most pleasing to Allah Most High; caution is not choosing the more difficult option. For this reason, caution is only possible with knowledge.

 

Misgivings (Waswasa)

For the one who is constantly in doubt – abandoning caution is often the best cure.

“As for the one who is often inflicted with misgivings, it is necessary for them to sever the cause of the misgivings and not to give it any consideration. This is because it is the doing of Shaytan, and we have been commanded to oppose him.” [Ibn ‘Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar]

 

Knowledge

The long-term cure for these constant doubts is to seek a deeper understanding of Islamic Knowledge. With knowledge, Shaytan can not deceive you with his whispers and plots. I would advise that you find authentic scholars in your area and study with them a basic text in Islamic Jurisprudence.

Please note that SeekersGuidance.org has classes available in Islamic Jurisprudence and many other subjects.

Hope this helps
Allah knows best
[Shaykh] Yusuf Weltch

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Shaykh Yusuf Weltch is a graduate from Tarim; a student of Habib Umar and other luminaries; and authorized teachers of the Qur’an and the Islamic sciences

Do Tiny Threads From Clothing Prevent Wudu?

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Question: Assalamualikum, when I am making wudu my clothes tend to lose some little threads that get stuck in my nails, they are difficult to remove especially in the toenails. My question is do these threads prevent water from reaching the skin and nails. Is my wudu valid if I washed my arms and legs and the threads remained under the nails?

Answer:

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

Assalam’aleykum,I pray this finds you in the best of states.

Jazakum Allah khayr for your question!

You can assume that a thread under one of your nails will not constitute a barrier preventing water to reach the skin.

This is because of the flowing and subtle nature of water.

Nonetheless, you should make a point to keep your nails short. Not cutting nails or trimming pubic and armpit hair past 40 days is sinful.

Trimming the nails is from the prophetic traditions. The fuqaha explain that:

1. It is sunnah to trim them once every week, preferably before the Friday prayer.

2. To delay their trimming for 15 days is permissible.

3. After 15 days, it becomes blameworthy and disliked.

4. To go beyond 40 days without trimming them is sinful.

[Tahtawi’s Hashiya on Maraqi Al-Falah]

And Allah knows best.

I hope that the above answers your question. If something is unclear please do not hesitate to ask again.

May Allah Most High grant you the best of this world and the next. Please keep us in your du’as!

Wassalam

[Ustadh] Sufyan Qufi
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

What Ruling Applies To Someone With Flatulence Issues During Prayer?

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Question: I have been struggling to focus properly during my salah due to flatulence issues. I think it is an anxiety-related IBS. I doubt whether my salah is valid, and it causes a great amount of stress. The minute I enter into salah my stomach starts cramping, and I feel the urge to pass wind. This only happens during salah, so I do nog think I fall under the category of “Daa’imul Hadath.” Would the ruling still apply to me in terms of making wudu for each prayer time and continuing my prayer regardless?
Answer:Assalamu alaykum,

Thank you for your question. I pray that you recover completely from this condition, and I urge you to see a health practitioner, even an alternative one, such as a homeopath or naturopath to address your issue. I personally have had much success with them, by the grace of Allah.

 

Chronic Annulment of Ritual Ablution

If you have flatulence that only occurs during the prayer due to your anxiety, you do fall under the category of ‘Da’im al hadath‘. A person with chronic annulment of wudu (da’im al-hadath) for example, because of the constant release of wind, is not obliged to try praying several times without releasing wind. His prayer is perfectly valid, if he has made wudu with an intention suitable to his state and prays his obligatory prayer once, even if he passes wind during the whole prayer. He is considered to have chronic annulment if he cannot find enough time to be free of breaking his wudu, or if he does find enough time, but is unable to pinpoint when it will occur.

 

The Correct Intention

My teacher, Shaykh Hamza Karamali, summarized the correct intention of a person in the chronic annulment of ablution:

“The da’im al-hadath is like someone who makes tayammum, meaning that they intend one of three things with their wudu. Either (1) to make fard prayers permissible or (2) to make sunna prayers permissible or (3) to make it permissible to touch the Quran and the like. A level 1 intention makes everything below it permissible. A level 2 intention makes level 3 permissible, too. A level 3 intention only makes level 3 permissible.

With a level 1 intention, one can only perform a single fard prayer. After one performs the fard prayer, one can continue to pray sunna prayers or touch the Quran, but if one wants to pray another fard prayer, one needs a fresh wudu. It is only valid to do a wudu for a fard prayer after the prayer time has entered.”

Do not hesitate to follow up if it is not clear.

[Ustadha] Shazia Ahmad

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadha Shazia Ahmad lived in Damascus, Syria for two years where she studied aqidah, fiqh, tajweed, tafseer, and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she completed her Masters in Arabic. Afterward, she moved to Amman, Jordan where she studied fiqh, Arabic, and other sciences. She recently moved back to Mississauga, Canada, where she lives with her family.

How Do I Count the Days Of My Menstrual Period?

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Question: How do I count the days of my menstrual period? How do I distinguish between the days of my menstruation and dysfunctional uterine bleeding (istihada)?

Answer:

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate

Before directly answering your question, it is best that we summarize the rulings of menstruation and dysfunctional uterine bleeding.

 

Menstruation

Menstruation (hayd) is the blood that exits from the uterus through the vagina of a female at least 9 lunars years of age. Its minimum is three days (72 hours) and its maximum is ten days (240 hours). [Shurunbulali, Maraqi al-Falah]

Any bleeding less than the minimum or more than the maximum is not menstruation, rather it is dysfunctional uterine bleeding (istihada). [Ibid.]

 

Dysfunctional Uterine Bleeding

Dysfunctional uterine bleeding is a vaginal bleeding that does not meet the requirements of being menstruation or the requirements of being lochia (post-natal bleeding). [Shurunbulali, Ascent to Felicity]

 

Distinguishing Between the Two

In order to distinguish between menstrual blood and dysfunctional bleeding, you must keep track of your habit.

 

Habit

Your habit is the length of your previous menstrual cycle. If your current cycle is different than the previous (and between the 3-10 days) this new number becomes your new habit. [Maydani, al-Lubab fi Sharh al-Kitab]

For example, if a woman has a five-day menstrual cycle, her habit is five days. If in the next month she sees seven days of bleeding, her new habit is now seven days.

If you know your habit, then any bleeding that exceeds your habit and also exceeds the maximum bleeding of 10 days –  the amount of days commensurate to your habit is menstrual bleeding and the rest is dysfunctional bleeding. [Ibid.]

For example, if a woman’s habit is five days, and this month she has bled for twelve days – five days is menstruation and the remaining seven is dysfunctional bleeding. The bleeding exceeded her habit of five days and a maximum of ten days.

If you do not know your habit, then the ten days is menstruation and the rest is dysfunctional bleeding. [Ibid.]

 

How are the days counted?

The days are counted on the basis of hours, each day being 24 hours. Therefore, if your cycle begins at 11:53 pm, the first day is counted at 11:53 pm of the following day. [Ibid.]

 

Advice

I would strongly recommend taking a course in Islamic Law, especially the chapters of purification. Consider the courses offered here at seekersguidance.org. Also, I would recommend the book – Birgivi’s Manual Interpreted: Complete Fiqh of Menstruation & Related Issues.

I hope this helps,
Allah knows best.
[Shaykh] Yusuf Weltch

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Shaykh Yusuf Weltch is a graduate from Tarim; a student of Habib Umar and other luminaries; and authorized teachers of the Qur’an and the Islamic sciences

Do I Need to Redo Prayers After a Wet Dream If I Was Not Sure?

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Question: Am I required to make-up prayers performed after experiencing a wet dream but not being certain of any discharge due to not checking? I am a convert and have only recently begun to follow the Hanafi school, am I allowed to take the less strict opinions of other schools since I was not a Hanafi at the time of these wet dreams?


Answer:

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

You are only obliged to make-up prayers if you are not certain or reasonably sure that you experienced a wet-dream and did not perform the ritual bath. [Ibn ‘Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar]

You may be reasonably sure that you experienced a dream of a sexual nature but the ruling is based on the presence of wetness not the seeing of a dream. If you are not reasonably sure or certain that wetness was present no bath is obligatory on you. [Ibid.]

For this reason, there is no need for you to resort to the opinions of other schools.

I hope this helps,
Allah knows best.
[Shaykh] Yusuf Weltch

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Shaykh Yusuf Weltch is a graduate from Tarim; a student of Habib Umar and other luminaries; and authorized teachers of the Qur’an and the Islamic sciences