Psoriasis and Wudhu

17th July 2024

 

السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته

Question: I suffer from psoriasis which makes my skin intensely itchy and when scratching (itching can be unbearable) I sometimes I get small cuts that bleed. The bleeding sometimes doesn’t flow but stays in one place, or it looks pink with clear fluid (also not flowing), my question is in relation to wudhu in this state.

  1. I understand flowing blood from wounds break wudhu, however where its not flowing but wound is not dry – does clothing Touching the wet blood/clear fluid and therefore moving or absorbing it break the wudu? Eg if on my knees, i kneel and it absorbs into trousers?
  2. If there is some blood not flowing from the original place e.g. on my elbow , but water from wudhu washes it out and moves it, does this affect wudhu?
  3. As this is a lifelong condition that gets better or more severe throughout the year, is there any concessions due to illness for my wudhu?
  4. I understand some madhabs don’t view bleeding from skin as impure and not breaking wudhu, so can I temporarily adopt this view when I have flare ups?

 

الجواب حامداً و مصلياً

In the name of Allāh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

 

Answer:

Thank for your query. We appreciate the severity of the situation in dealing with psoriasis and keeping up with your spiritual responsibilities. We pray that Allah Almighty grants you a permanent recovery and improves your condition, Ameen. Concerning your query, when blood becomes visible on a wound, it does not automatically render the wudhu invalid until it flows. As you mentioned in your case that blood or clear fluid becomes visible but does not flow then it does not break the wudhu. If the blood or clear fluid is absorbed by the clothes then its quantity will be examined. If it is to the extent that it could have flowed by itself then wudhu shall be invalid, otherwise the wudhu remains intact if it is a small, tiny amount without the possibility of flowing, unless those tiny amounts appear on different parts of the clothes in a single time amount to the possibility of flowing, only then the wudhu breaks. [1] This will also be considered when the water enters the wounds during wudhu as in, whether the blood ends up flowing or not from its place. There is however a concession in such scenarios that if a person has cuts in his limbs and washing those affected limbs during wudhu is not possible due to pain and difficulty that you may perform masah over those affected limbs during a flare up and if masah is also not possible and all of the wudhu limbs are severely affected, then you may  perform tayammum as a last resort. [2] Given the above concessions, there is no need in resorting to the opinions of  different schools of thought.

 

[Allāh Knows Best]

   

Written by:  Mufti Anas Mullah        Reviewed by: Mufti Abdul Waheed

Attested by: Shaykh Mufti Saiful Islam

JKN Fatawa Department

 

 

[1] Al Bahr Al Raa’iq, Kitabut Taharah, Nawaqidhul wudhu, vol 1, p 34

 

وَلَوْ كَانَ الدَّمُ فِي الْجُرْحِ فَأَخَذَهُ بِخِرْقَةٍ أَوْ أَكَلَهُ الذُّبَابُ فَازْدَادَ فِي مَكَانِهِ، فَإِنْ كَانَ بِحَيْثُ يَزِيدُ وَيَسِيلُ لَوْ لَمْ يَأْخُذْهُ بِنَفْسِهِ بَطَلَ وُضُوءُهُ، وَإِلَّا فَلَا وَكَذَلِكَ إذَا أُلْقِيَ عَلَيْهِ تُرَابٌ أَوْ رَمَادٌ ثُمَّ ظَهَرَ ثَانِيًا وَتَرَّبَهُ ثُمَّ وَثُمَّ فَهُوَ كَذَلِكَ يَجْمَعُ كُلَّهُ قَالَ فِي الذَّخِيرَةِ قَالُوا، وَإِنَّمَا يَجْمَعُ إذَا كَانَ فِي مَجْلِسٍ وَاحِدٍ مَرَّةً بَعْدَ أُخْرَى أَمَّا إذَا كَانَ فِي مَجَالِسَ مُخْتَلِفَةٍ لَا يَجْمَعُ، وَلَوْ رَبَطَ الْجُرْحَ فَنَفَذَتْ الْبِلَّةُ إلَى ضَاقَ لَا إلَى الْخَارِجِ نَقَضَ قَالَ فِي فَتْحِ الْقَدِيرِ وَيَجِبُ أَنْ يَكُونَ مَعْنَاهُ إذَا كَانَ بِحَيْثُ لَوْلَا الرِّبَاطُ سَالَ؛ لِأَنَّ الْقَمِيصَ لَوْ تَرَدَّدَ عَلَى الْجُرْحِ فَابْتَلَّ لَا يَنْجُسُ مَا لَمْ يَكُنْ كَذَلِكَ

 

Fatawa Hndiyyah, Kitabut Taharah, Babul Wudhu’, Fasl fi nawaqidhil wudhu, vol 1, p 10

ومنها) ما يخرج من غير السبيلين ويسيل إلى ما يظهر من الدم والقيح والصديد والماء لعلة وحد السيلان أن يعلو فينحدر عن رأس الجرح. كذا في محيط السرخسي وهو الأصح. كذا في النهر الفائق. الدم إذا علا على رأس الجرح لا ينقض الوضوء وإن أخذ أكثر من رأس الجرح. كذا في الظهيرية والفتوى على أنه لا ينقض وضوءه في جنس هذه المسائل. كذا في المحيط

[2] Durrul Mukhtar wa Hashiya Ibn Abideen, Kitabut Taharah, Sunanul Wudhu’, vol 1, p 102

في أعضائه شقاق غسله إن قدر وإلا مسحه وإلا تركه ولو بيده، ولا يقدر على الماء تيمم
(قَوْلُهُ: شُقَاقٌ) هُوَ بِالضَّمِّ. وَفِي التَّهْذِيبِ قَالَ اللَّيْثُ: هُوَ تَشَقُّقُ الْجِلْدِ مِنْ بَرْدٍ أَوْ غَيْرِهِ فِي الْيَدَيْنِ وَالْوَجْهِ: وَقَالَ الْأَصْمَعِيُّ: الشُّقَاقُ فِي الْيَدِ وَالرِّجْلِ مِنْ بَدَنِ الْإِنْسَانِ وَالْحَيَوَانِ، وَأَمَّا الشُّقُوقُ فَهِيَ صُدُوعٌ فِي الْجِبَالِ وَالْأَرْضِ. وَفِي التَّكْمِلَةِ عَنْ يَعْقُوبَ: يُقَالُ بِيَدِ فُلَانٍ شُقُوقٌ وَلَا يُقَالُ شِقَاقٌ؛ لِأَنَّ الشِّقَاقَ فِي الدَّوَابِّ: وَهِيَ صُدُوعٌ فِي حَوَافِرِهَا وَأَرْسَاغِهَا مُغْرِبٌ. (قَوْلُهُ: وَإِلَّا تَرَكَهُ) أَيْ وَإِنْ لَمْ يَمْسَحْهُ بِأَنْ لَمْ يَقْدِرْ عَلَى الْمَسْحِ تَرَكَهُ.(قَوْلُهُ: وَلَا يَقْدِرُ عَلَى الْمَاءِ) أَيْ عَلَى اسْتِعْمَالِهِ لِمَانِعٍ فِي الْيَدِ الْأُخْرَى، وَلَا يَقْدِرُ عَلَى وَضْعِ وَجْهِهِ وَرَأْسِهِ فِي الْمَاءِ. (قَوْلُهُ: تَيَمَّمَ) زَادَ فِي الْخَزَائِنِ وَصَلَاتُهُ جَائِزَةٌ عِنْدَهُ خِلَافًا لَهُمَا