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:

Asalamoeliqum Brother, lately i`ve been having problem with my prayers. whenever i do vudu, and start prayer, it feels like i get pressure in my stomach, and get a urge to realase gas. I have often broken my prayer and did vudu again, but the minute i start praying again, it happens again. i dont realse the gas, i do control it. but the fact its their make be believe that my prayers will be not accept. What should i do? i think its a medical problem with me of having gas that often. please tell me, as long as i am not realising it, can i still pray? thankyou

(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:

Release wind

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.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 1.139 Narrated by Abbas bin Tamim

My uncle asked Allah's Messenger (saws) about a person who imagined to have passed wind during the prayer. Allah' s Messenger (saws) replied: "He should not leave his prayers unless he hears sound or smells something."

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 310 Narrated by Abu Hurayrah

Allah's Messenger (saws) said: “No ablution is necessary except in the case of sound (of wind), or the foul smell (of wind).”

From the moment one raises their hand and declares the ‘takbeer’ to signal the start of one’s prayer until the time one declares the two ‘tasleems’ to signal the end of prayer, one will be considered in the state of prayer. If one simply has a doubt that one might have passed wind, one should not act on one’s doubt but rather continue their prayer.

If one is absolutely convinced that one has released wind, through its sound or its foul smell, then and only then should one break their prayer, re-do the wudu, and offer the prayer again.

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