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:

As-salam-o-alikum Brother,

Recently I was was admitted to a hospital because I was bleeding internally and the blood soiled my under garment and soiled my external body. I also lacked water to wash off and did not have new clothes. I was very upset to the fact that I was unable to perform my prayers. Brother, according to Quran, Hadith and Sunnah of Prophet of Allah, what should have I done to perform my prayers in the condition that I was?

Jazak-kum Allaha Khair.

(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:

Pray with blood soiled clothes

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.

If any impurity, including blood, were to touch one’s clothes or body, the simple washing of that part of the body or clothes where the impurity has touched would suffice to make it pure; one need not wash the full garment or take a full bath of purification to offers ones prayers.

Said al-Hassan narrated that: "The Muslims still prayed even while wounded." (Related by al-Bukhari.) He also reported that "Ibn 'Umar squeezed a pimple until it bled, but he did not renew his ablution. Ibn Abi 'Uqiyy spat blood and continued his prayer. 'Umar ibn al-Khattab prayed while blood was flowing from him. 'Ibbad ibn Bishr was hit with an arrow while praying, but continued his prayers." (Related by Abu Dawud, Ibn Khuzaimah, and al-Bukhari.)

Al-Muwatta Hadith 2.52

Yahya related from Malik from Abd ar Rahman ibn al-Mujabbar that he saw Salim ibn Abdullah (r.a.) with blood running from his nose so that his fingers were all coloured red. Then he rubbed it and prayed without doing wudu.

Al-Muwatta Hadith 2.51

Yahya related that Abd ar-Rahman ibn Harmala al-Aslami said, "I saw Said ibn al-Musayyab (r.a.) with his nose bleeding and blood poured out of it so that his fingers were all red from the blood coming out of his nose, and he prayed without doing wudu."

In light of the above quoted actions of the noble companions of the Prophet (saws), neither the wudu is invalidated by bleeding, nor should the one who is bleeding leave his prayers.

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