Question:
Assalamualaikum Dato’ Seri Mufti. Can you explain the way a person should exit the saf in congregational prayer if his ablution is invalidated during prayer?
Hope for an explanation from you. Thank you.
Answer:
Alhamdulillah, praise and thanks to Allah for the countless blessings He has blessed us all with. Blessings and salutations to the Prophet Muhammad PBUH, his wives, his family, companions and all those that follow his teachings to the day of judgement.
Allah SWT has sanctioned prayer as one of the pillars of Islam which is obligatory to be performed by every Muslim. Allah SWT state in the Quran:
إِنَّ الصَّلَاةَ كَانَتْ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ كِتَابًا مَّوْقُوتًا
“Indeed, prayer has been decreed upon the believers a decree of specified times.”
Surah al-Nisa’ (103)
There are several matters that would invalidate prayer, among them is when a person’s ablution is invalidated due to hadas. Imam Abu Syuja’ state the five reason for hadas:
- Something comes out from the two paths of excretion (vagina/penis and anus)
- Sleep where one’s buttocks is not in the firm state
- Loss of consciousness due to intoxicants or illness
- Physical touch of opposite gender
- Physical contact of palms on private parts
- Physical touch of the halaqah of anus
(Refer Matan al-Ghoyah wa al-Taqrib: 18)
When a person’s ablution is invalidated due to hadas while he is praying, then his prayer will also be invalidated as stated by Imam Nawawi in his book, al-Majmu’ SYarh al-Muhazzab:
فإذا أحدث المصلي في صلاته باختياره بطلت صلاته بالإجماع، سواء كان حدثه عمداً أو سهواً، سواء علم أنه في صلاة أم لا، وإن أحدث بغير اختياره بأن سبقه الحدث بطلت طهارته بلا خلاف
If a person who is praying experienced hadas due to his actions in prayer while he is still praying, then the scholars agreed that his prayer is invalidated, it does not matter whether it is intentional or not, or whether he realizes he is in prayer or not. If he is in hadas even when it is not due to his actions, such as if he is in hadas before, then his ablution is still invalid according to the scholars without any khilaf (difference of opinions by scholars). (Refer al-Majmu’ Syarh al-Muhazzab, 5:88)
The reason is, when one of the valid conditions of prayer is invalidated, which in this case being in a pure state and not in hadas, then his prayer will also be invalidated. Imam al-Nawawi state:
إذا قطع شرطا من شروطها كالطهارة و الستارة و غيرها بطلت صلاته
If one of the valid conditions of prayer is nullified, such as being in a pure state, covering the aurah and others, then the prayer is also invalidated. (Refer al-Majmu’ Syarh al-Muhazzab, 4:3)
When a person is certain that his prayer is invalidated, then he should exit and stop his prayer.
However, the Prophet PBUH taught us a way a person should exit the saf when his ablution is invalidated while he is praying. In a hadith narrated by Abu Daud, from ‘Aisyah R.Anha, the Prophet PBUH said:
إذا أحدث أحدُكم في صلاتِه فلْيأخذْ بأنفِه ثم لْينصرفْ
“When one of you becomes defiled during prayer, he should hold his nose and then turn away.”
Sunan Abu Daud (1114)
The Prophet PBUH advised those who experienced hadas while praying to exit the saf by holding his nose and walk out quickly. This is so that other people in the congregation would think that the person exits the saf because his nose is bleeding, protecting the dignity of himself. Furthermore, a person may feel embarrassed to walk out because he experienced hadas and this would alleviate his embarrassment.
The wisdom from the advice of the Prophet PBUH is stated by Imam al-Munawi RA in his book Faidh al-Kadir Syarh Jami’ al-Saghir:
فلْيُمسِكْ أنفَه بيَدِه كأنَّه أصابَه رُعافٌ، أو سال مِن أنفِه دمٌ، ثمَّ يَخرُجُ مِن الصَّلاةِ، ويُعيدُ طهارتَه ووُضوءَه، ويَرجِعُ إلى صلاتِه؛ وذلك أنَّ صاحبَ الحَدَثِ ربَّما يتَحرَّجُ من النَّاسِ بخُروجِه مِن الصَّلاةِ بهذا السَّببِ، فإيهامُهم بالرُّعافِ أقلُّ تحرُّجًا عندَ خُروجِه مِن الصَّلاةِ
A person should hold his nose with his hands as if his nose is bleeding. Then, he should walk out and leave his prayer and repeat his purification and ablution and then return back to pray. The reason is, the person experiencing hadas may feel embarrass if others know he exits the saf due to hadas. Hence, this action would alleviate his embarrassment when he exits the saf.
وفيه إرشاد إلى إخفاء القبيح والتورية بما هو أحسن ولا يدخل في الرياء، بل هو من التجمل، واستعمال الحياء وطلب السلامة من الناس
In the advice, there are wisdoms in hiding something that is embarrassing with something better. It is not included as riya’, but it is showing a good thing and avoid embarrassment and protecting someone from the words of others.
Conclusion
According to the above discussion, we would like to state that if someone’s prayer is invalidated due to hadas when he is praying in congregation, then he should exit and stop his prayer.
If he is embarrassed to walk out, then he should follow the advice of the Prophet PBUH by holding his nose with his hands. This is so that people would think that he is walking out because his nose is bleeding and not due to hadas, maintaining his dignity and protecting him from the words of others.
In this matter, we could see the wisdom of the Prophet PBUH in encouraging a person to protect his dignity. May Allah SWT give us the right understanding in His religion and bless us with taufiq and guidance in order for us to follow His commandments the best we could. Amin.
Wallahua’lam.