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THINGS THAT ARE RECOMMENDED (MUSTAḤABB) FOR THE CLOTHING OF SOMEONE PERFORMING PRAYERS →
← CONDITIONS OF CLOTHING WORN BY SOMEONE PERFORMING PRAYERS
CASES WHEN IT IS NOT NECESSARY FOR THE BODY AND CLOTHING OF SOMEONE PERFORMING PRAYERS TO BE PURE
Ruling 834. In three cases – the details of which will follow afterwards – if the body or clothing of someone performing prayers is impure, his prayers are valid:
1. if due to a wound, sore, or boil on his body the clothing or his body has become impure with blood;
2. if the amount of blood that has made his body or clothing impure is less than the area covered by a dirham. Based on obligatory precaution, a dirham is equal to the size of the upper joint of the thumb;
3. if he is compelled to perform prayers with an impure body or clothing.
In one case, [despite not falling under any of the three cases above,] if the clothing of someone performing prayers is impure, his prayers are valid, and that is when his small items of clothing – such as his socks and cap – are impure.
The laws (aḥkām) of these four situations will be explained in detail in the following rulings.
Ruling 835. If blood from a wound, sore, or boil is on the body or clothing of someone performing prayers, he can perform prayers with that blood as long as the wound, sore, or boil has not healed. The same applies to pus that comes out with blood or any medicine that is applied to the wound and becomes impure.
Ruling 836. If blood from a cut or wound that heals quickly and is easy to wash is on the body or clothing of someone performing prayers, and the amount of blood is equal to or more than the area covered by a dirham, his prayers are invalid.
Ruling 837. If a part of one’s body or clothing that is distant from a wound becomes impure by means of the moisture from the wound, it is not permitted to perform prayers with it. However, if part of one’s body or clothing around the wound becomes impure by means of the moisture from the wound, there is no problem in performing prayers with it.
Ruling 838. If a person’s body or clothing has blood on it from piles or a wound that is inside one’s mouth or nose etc., he can perform prayers with it; and it makes no difference whether the swollen haemorrhoid vessels are internal or external.
Ruling 839. If there is a wound on one’s body, and on his body or clothing he sees blood that is equal to or more than the area covered by a dirham but does not know whether it is blood from the wound or not, the obligatory precaution is that he must not perform prayers with it.
Ruling 840. If there are several wounds on one’s body and they are so close to each other that they are considered one wound, there is no problem in performing prayers with that blood until the time all the wounds heal. However, if the wounds are so far apart from one another that each of them is considered a separate wound, then whenever one of them heals, he must wash the blood from his body and clothing to perform prayers.
Ruling 841. If there is even the tiniest amount of ḥayḍ blood on the body or clothing of someone performing prayers, the prayers are invalid. Furthermore, based on obligatory precaution, the same applies with regard to blood from an intrinsic impurity (ʿayn al‑najāsah) – such as a pig or a corpse – and blood from an animal whose meat is unlawful to eat, the blood of lochia (nifās), and the blood of an irregular blood discharge (istiḥāḍah). However, there is no problem in performing prayers if there are other types of blood on one’s body or clothing – such as blood from a human being or an animal whose meat is lawful to eat – even if it is on a number of areas of the body or clothing, provided that their combined area is less than that of a dirham.
Ruling 842. If blood spills on clothing that does not have a lining and it reaches the other side, it is considered to be one blood; and the side on which the blood has spread more must be taken into account [when determining its amount in relation to the area covered by a dirham]. However, if the other side of the clothing becomes bloody separately, then each side must be considered separately. Therefore, if the combined area of blood on the front and back of the clothing is less than the area covered by a dirham, prayers with it are valid; but if it is equal to or more than the area covered by a dirham, then prayers performed with it are invalid.
Ruling 843. If blood spills on clothing that has a lining and reaches the lining, or it spills on the lining and reaches the upper layer of the clothing, or from one piece of clothing it reaches another piece, then, in each of these cases, the blood must be considered to be separate. Therefore, if the combined area of blood is less than the area covered by a dirham, the prayers are valid; otherwise, they are invalid unless the areas are joined together such that they would be commonly considered to be one area of blood, in which case if the area of blood on the side that has spread more is less than the area covered by a dirham, prayers with it are valid; but if the amount of blood is equal to or more than the area covered by a dirham, then prayers performed with it are invalid.
Ruling 844. If the area of blood on one’s body or clothing is less than the area covered by a dirham, and some moisture reaches it and spreads it further, prayers performed with it are invalid even if the area of the blood and the moisture is not equal to the area covered by a dirham. However, if moisture only reaches the blood without spreading it, there is no problem in performing prayers with it.
Ruling 845. If a person’s body or clothing has not become bloody but on account of moisture reaching the blood it becomes impure, he cannot perform prayers with it even if the area that has become impure is less than the area covered by a dirham.
Ruling 846. If the area of blood on one’s body or clothing is less than the area covered by a dirham and another impurity reaches it – for example, a drop of urine falls on it – then in case it reaches a pure part of the body or clothing, it is not permitted to perform prayers with it. In fact, even if it does not reach a pure part of the body or clothing, it is not correct to perform prayers with it based on obligatory precaution.
Ruling 847. If the small items of clothing of someone performing prayers that cannot cover the private parts – such as socks or a cap – become impure, in the event that they are not made from an impure carcass or an animal that is an intrinsic impurity – such as a dog – prayers performed with them are valid. However, if they are made from an impure carcass or an impure animal, then based on obligatory precaution, prayers performed with them are invalid. However, there is no problem in performing prayers with an impure ring.
Ruling 848. It is permitted for someone performing prayers to have with him an impure object like an impure handkerchief, key, or knife. Similarly, there is no problem in having impure clothing with him [that is not worn].
Ruling 849. If a person knows that the area of blood on his body or clothing is less than the area covered by a dirham, but he deems it probable that the blood may be of a type that is not excusable in prayers, it is permitted for him to perform prayers with that blood.
Ruling 850. If the area of blood on one’s body or clothing is less than the area covered by a dirham, but he does not know that it is a type of blood that is not excusable in prayers and performs prayers, and afterwards he realises that it was a type of blood that is not excusable in prayers, it is not necessary for him to perform the prayer again. Similarly, if he believes that the amount of blood is less than the area covered by a dirham and performs prayers, and afterwards he realises that it was equal to or more than the area covered by a dirham, it is not necessary for him to perform the prayer again.
THINGS THAT ARE RECOMMENDED (MUSTAḤABB) FOR THE CLOTHING OF SOMEONE PERFORMING PRAYERS →
← CONDITIONS OF CLOTHING WORN BY SOMEONE PERFORMING PRAYERS
1. if due to a wound, sore, or boil on his body the clothing or his body has become impure with blood;
2. if the amount of blood that has made his body or clothing impure is less than the area covered by a dirham. Based on obligatory precaution, a dirham is equal to the size of the upper joint of the thumb;
3. if he is compelled to perform prayers with an impure body or clothing.
In one case, [despite not falling under any of the three cases above,] if the clothing of someone performing prayers is impure, his prayers are valid, and that is when his small items of clothing – such as his socks and cap – are impure.
The laws (aḥkām) of these four situations will be explained in detail in the following rulings.
Ruling 835. If blood from a wound, sore, or boil is on the body or clothing of someone performing prayers, he can perform prayers with that blood as long as the wound, sore, or boil has not healed. The same applies to pus that comes out with blood or any medicine that is applied to the wound and becomes impure.
Ruling 836. If blood from a cut or wound that heals quickly and is easy to wash is on the body or clothing of someone performing prayers, and the amount of blood is equal to or more than the area covered by a dirham, his prayers are invalid.
Ruling 837. If a part of one’s body or clothing that is distant from a wound becomes impure by means of the moisture from the wound, it is not permitted to perform prayers with it. However, if part of one’s body or clothing around the wound becomes impure by means of the moisture from the wound, there is no problem in performing prayers with it.
Ruling 838. If a person’s body or clothing has blood on it from piles or a wound that is inside one’s mouth or nose etc., he can perform prayers with it; and it makes no difference whether the swollen haemorrhoid vessels are internal or external.
Ruling 839. If there is a wound on one’s body, and on his body or clothing he sees blood that is equal to or more than the area covered by a dirham but does not know whether it is blood from the wound or not, the obligatory precaution is that he must not perform prayers with it.
Ruling 840. If there are several wounds on one’s body and they are so close to each other that they are considered one wound, there is no problem in performing prayers with that blood until the time all the wounds heal. However, if the wounds are so far apart from one another that each of them is considered a separate wound, then whenever one of them heals, he must wash the blood from his body and clothing to perform prayers.
Ruling 841. If there is even the tiniest amount of ḥayḍ blood on the body or clothing of someone performing prayers, the prayers are invalid. Furthermore, based on obligatory precaution, the same applies with regard to blood from an intrinsic impurity (ʿayn al‑najāsah) – such as a pig or a corpse – and blood from an animal whose meat is unlawful to eat, the blood of lochia (nifās), and the blood of an irregular blood discharge (istiḥāḍah). However, there is no problem in performing prayers if there are other types of blood on one’s body or clothing – such as blood from a human being or an animal whose meat is lawful to eat – even if it is on a number of areas of the body or clothing, provided that their combined area is less than that of a dirham.
Ruling 842. If blood spills on clothing that does not have a lining and it reaches the other side, it is considered to be one blood; and the side on which the blood has spread more must be taken into account [when determining its amount in relation to the area covered by a dirham]. However, if the other side of the clothing becomes bloody separately, then each side must be considered separately. Therefore, if the combined area of blood on the front and back of the clothing is less than the area covered by a dirham, prayers with it are valid; but if it is equal to or more than the area covered by a dirham, then prayers performed with it are invalid.
Ruling 843. If blood spills on clothing that has a lining and reaches the lining, or it spills on the lining and reaches the upper layer of the clothing, or from one piece of clothing it reaches another piece, then, in each of these cases, the blood must be considered to be separate. Therefore, if the combined area of blood is less than the area covered by a dirham, the prayers are valid; otherwise, they are invalid unless the areas are joined together such that they would be commonly considered to be one area of blood, in which case if the area of blood on the side that has spread more is less than the area covered by a dirham, prayers with it are valid; but if the amount of blood is equal to or more than the area covered by a dirham, then prayers performed with it are invalid.
Ruling 844. If the area of blood on one’s body or clothing is less than the area covered by a dirham, and some moisture reaches it and spreads it further, prayers performed with it are invalid even if the area of the blood and the moisture is not equal to the area covered by a dirham. However, if moisture only reaches the blood without spreading it, there is no problem in performing prayers with it.
Ruling 845. If a person’s body or clothing has not become bloody but on account of moisture reaching the blood it becomes impure, he cannot perform prayers with it even if the area that has become impure is less than the area covered by a dirham.
Ruling 846. If the area of blood on one’s body or clothing is less than the area covered by a dirham and another impurity reaches it – for example, a drop of urine falls on it – then in case it reaches a pure part of the body or clothing, it is not permitted to perform prayers with it. In fact, even if it does not reach a pure part of the body or clothing, it is not correct to perform prayers with it based on obligatory precaution.
Ruling 847. If the small items of clothing of someone performing prayers that cannot cover the private parts – such as socks or a cap – become impure, in the event that they are not made from an impure carcass or an animal that is an intrinsic impurity – such as a dog – prayers performed with them are valid. However, if they are made from an impure carcass or an impure animal, then based on obligatory precaution, prayers performed with them are invalid. However, there is no problem in performing prayers with an impure ring.
Ruling 848. It is permitted for someone performing prayers to have with him an impure object like an impure handkerchief, key, or knife. Similarly, there is no problem in having impure clothing with him [that is not worn].
Ruling 849. If a person knows that the area of blood on his body or clothing is less than the area covered by a dirham, but he deems it probable that the blood may be of a type that is not excusable in prayers, it is permitted for him to perform prayers with that blood.
Ruling 850. If the area of blood on one’s body or clothing is less than the area covered by a dirham, but he does not know that it is a type of blood that is not excusable in prayers and performs prayers, and afterwards he realises that it was a type of blood that is not excusable in prayers, it is not necessary for him to perform the prayer again. Similarly, if he believes that the amount of blood is less than the area covered by a dirham and performs prayers, and afterwards he realises that it was equal to or more than the area covered by a dirham, it is not necessary for him to perform the prayer again.