Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Dear Brother

Assalam Alaikum

I am 63 age and due to diabetics my bladder has been affected.

My bladder when full does not contract and the urine is not passed. This causes great pain and difficulty. Doctors have advised me to make use of catheter and a urine bag is always connected. I move around with the bag, this is relief to me. On many occassions the urine bag leaks, or the stopper of the bag accidentally comes down and urine starts flowing. Or the connecter between the bag and the catheter slips away and the urine flows out. One day as I was standing in the mosque to pray and as I bent down to go in Ruku I noticed that my pant is wet and the urine has dripped till my anklet. I was horrified and just rushed out of the mosque breaking the Jamaat. From that day onwards I am  too afraid to go to the mosque. I pray at home. Is this correct or is there any way out in the situation. Kindly guide me.  

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Urine bag prayer congregation

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verse 286:

286 On no soul doth Allah place a burden greater than it can bear. It gets every good that it earns and it suffers every ill that it earns. (Pray): "Our Lord! condemn us not if we forget or fall into error; our Lord! Lay not on us a burden like that which Thou didst lay on those before us; Our Lord! lay not on us a burden greater than we have strength to bear. Blot out our sins and grant us forgiveness. Have mercy on us. Thou art our Protector; help us against those who stand against faith."

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 64 Surah Tagabhun verse 16:

16 So fear Allah as much as ye can; listen and obey; and spend in charity for the benefit of your own souls: and those saved from the covetousness of their own souls they are the ones that achieve prosperity.

Respected brother, if you can do everything in your ability and means to make sure that your urine bag does not leak, then obviously it would be best and more meritorious for you to offer your obligatory prayers in the ‘masjid’. Rest absolutely assured brother that your Lord Most Merciful is well aware of your condition, and He does not put a burden on anyone more than they can bear.

But even after your very best efforts, you fear that the urine might leak from the bag during your prayers in the masjid, which might cause difficulty not only to you but also to the other worshippers….then indeed you have a genuine excuse….and if only because of this you choose to offer your prayers at home, most of the scholars and the jurists in Islam are of the opinion that there is no harm, and it is expected that you will find your Lord Forgiving and Merciful.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan