29th May 2015
السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته
Question: My question is regarding people who use a stoma bag due to which their excretion is collected in an external bag that is attached to them. They have no control over their excretion as to when it comes out. Many times it is not even known that something has come out. The actual bag is very durable not emitting any smell and there’s a very low chance of it ripping. Usually, it has a small vent which lets out the air/gas from the bag. The vent lets out a minimal amount of air/gas which is not felt nor smelt. Some people have a permanent stoma and others have a temporary one (it can be reversed by operation) my question is;
- Would this person be classed as an excused person (ma’zur) or would he treat the bag like an internal organ?
- Is this person allowed in the masjid?
الجواب حامداً و مصلياً
In the name of Allāh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer
- In principle, the stoma bag will be treated as something external to the body like any other bag attached to the body wherein stool is collected. This is based on it being detachable from the body requiring no surgical operation. You stated that a person with a stoma bag has no control over his excretion, suggesting that it proves difficult to know when one’s excrement passes into the bag. If it is continuous, allowing very little time for wudhu and Salāh [even the Fardh only] then the laws of Ma’zoor can be considered otherwise not. For the purpose of clarity, a Shar’ee Ma’zoor (genuinely excused) is that individual who suffers from the continuous discharge of stool, urine, blood or any other breakers of wudhu. The condition is that the continuous discharge during the first time around must encompass an entire Fardh Salāh time, not allowing sufficient time to perform wudhu and Salāh. If this happens, then one qualifies as a Ma’zoor. One remains a Ma’zoor even if the discharge occurs only once in every subsequent Fardh Salāh time and not continuous as formerly as long as it transpires from the same illness.[1] A Ma’zoor person must perform wudhu once before every Fardh Salāh time. During then he can perform as many Salāhs as he wishes with this same wudhu until its end time provided that no other factors breaching the wudhu occurs. The wudhu remains intact and then automatically breaks upon the expiry of every Fardh Salāh time due to the discharge, which by then wudhu must be renewed for the next Salāh.[2] Once this is clear then you must assess whether this is the case with yourself and if so then the laws of Ma’zoor would apply to you otherwise not. Your overwhelming conjecture (ghalib Zann) on this matter is sufficient to determine your condition. Another Mas’alah that affects your condition is the issue of carrying Najasat during Salāh. The Hanafi Fuqaha (jurists) have rendered the Salāh invalid if a person carries impurity (because it being similar to clothes stained with Najis) whilst performing Salāh, provided it is bigger than the quantity of a Dirham (e.g. £2 coin or so).[3] In your case, however, if the continuous excretion doesn’t allow you sufficient time to empty the excrement or replace the bag before making wudhu and perform Salāh then you can perform your Salāh in this state and empty the bag when necessary otherwise, the excretion collected must be removed before reading Salāh.[4] It must be made clear that a Ma’zoor person cannot lead others in prayer due to his illness.
- Yes, it is permissible to enter the Masjid. However, care must be taken that the Masjid is not soiled such as unnoticed leakage.
[Allãh Knows Best]
Written by (Mufti) Abdul Waheed
Answer Attested by Shaykh Mufti Saiful Islam
JKN Fatawa Department
[1] Durrul Mukhtar Kitabut Tahārat, matlab fi Ahkāmil Ma’zoor, p.45
(وَصَاحِبُ عُذْرٍ مَنْ بِهِ سَلَسٌ) بَوْلٍ لَا يُمْكِنُهُ إمْسَاكُهُ (أَوْ اسْتِطْلَاقُ بَطْنٍ أَوْ انْفِلَاتُ رِيحٍ أَوْ اسْتِحَاضَةٌ) أَوْ بِعَيْنِهِ رَمَدٌ أَوْ عَمَشٌ أَوْ غَرَبٌ، وَكَذَا كُلُّ مَا يَخْرُجُ بِوَجَعٍ وَلَوْ مِنْ أُذُنٍ وَثَدْيٍ وَسُرَّةٍ (إنْ اسْتَوْعَبَ عُذْرُهُ تَمَامَ وَقْتِ صَلَاةٍ مَفْرُوضَةٍ) بِأَنْ لَا يَجِدَ فِي جَمِيعِ وَقْتِهَا زَمَنًا يَتَوَضَّأُ وَيُصَلِّي فِيهِ خَالِيًا عَنْ الْحَدَثِ (وَلَوْ حُكْمًا) لِأَنَّ الِانْقِطَاعَ الْيَسِيرَ مُلْحَقٌ بِالْعَدَمِ (وَهَذَا شَرْطُ) الْعُذْرِ (فِي حَقِّ الِابْتِدَاءِ، وَفِي) حَقِّ (الْبَقَاءِ كَفَى وُجُودُهُ فِي جُزْءٍ مِنْ الْوَقْتِ) وَلَوْ مَرَّةً (وَفِي) حَقِّ الزَّوَالِ يُشْتَرَطُ (اسْتِيعَابُ الِانْقِطَاعِ) تَمَامَ الْوَقْتِ (حَقِيقَةً) لِأَنَّهُ الِانْقِطَاعُ الْكَامِلُ
[2] Ibid
(وَحُكْمُهُ الْوُضُوءُ) لَا غَسْلُ ثَوْبِهِ وَنَحْوِهِ (لِكُلِّ فَرْضٍ) اللَّامُ لِلْوَقْتِ كَمَا فِي – {لِدُلُوكِ الشَّمْسِ} [الإسراء: 78]- (ثُمَّ يُصَلِّي) بِهِ (فِيهِ فَرْضًا وَنَفْلًا) فَدَخَلَ الْوَاجِبُ بِالْأَوْلَى (فَإِذَا خَرَجَ الْوَقْتُ بَطَلَ) أَيْ: ظَهَرَ حَدَثُهُ السَّابِقُ
[3] Durrul Mukhtaar & Ibn Abideen ash-Shaami Book of Salāh, baab Shuroot as-Salāh,p.73-74 vol 2
(وَخَبَثٍ) مَانِعٍ كَذَلِكَ (وَثَوْبِهِ) وَكَذَا مَا يَتَحَرَّك بِحَرَكَتِهِ أَوْ يُعَدُّ حَامِلًا لَهُ
(قَوْلُهُ وَكَذَا مَا) أَيْ شَيْءٌ مُتَّصِلٌ بِهِ يَتَحَرَّكُ بِحَرَكَتِهِ كَمِنْدِيلٍ طَرَفُهُ عَلَى عُنُقِهِ وَفِي الْآخَرِ نَجَاسَةٌ مَانِعَةٌ إنْ تَحَرَّكَ مَوْضِعُ النَّجَاسَةِ بِحَرَكَاتِ الصَّلَاةِ مَنَعَ وَإِلَّا لَا
[4] Durrul Mukhtaar p. 506 vol 1
(وَإِنْ سَالَ عَلَى ثَوْبِهِ) فَوْقَ الدِّرْهَمِ (جَازَ لَهُ أَنْ لَا يَغْسِلَهُ إنْ كَانَ لَوْ غَسَلَهُ تَنَجَّسَ قَبْلَ الْفَرَاغِ مِنْهَا) أَيْ: الصَّلَاةِ (وَإِلَّا) يَتَنَجَّسْ قَبْلَ فَرَاغِهِ (فَلَا) يَجُوزُ تَرْكُ غَسْلِهِ، هُوَ الْمُخْتَارُ لِلْفَتْوَى