If a person finds impurity in his clothes and has already prayed several prayers in those clothes?
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The questioner : He says: What should I do if I find impurity in my clothes and I have already prayed several obligatory prayers without realizing the presence of this impurity? May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : Do nothing, for your prayer is valid. This is because the stronger opinion among the scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) is that if a person prays while there is impurity on his clothes, his body, or his place of prayer, and he is unaware of it, his prayer is valid. The evidence for this is the saying of Allah the Exalted:[Al-Baqarah 2:286] Then Allah the Exalted said: And His saying: [Al-Ahzab 33:5] And this was not intentional.
Also, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) led his companions in prayer one day, and during the prayer he removed his sandals, so the people removed their sandals. When he finished the prayer, he said to them: They said: We saw you remove your sandals, so we removed ours. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said: Mishkat al-Masabih 766 Meaning what impurity? And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) did not restart the prayer, but continued in his prayer. This indicates that if a person prays while there is impurity on his clothes, his body, or his place of prayer, and he is ignorant and unaware of it, his prayer is valid. Likewise, if he prays while there is impurity, forgetting it, meaning he forgot to wash it and prayed, and then when he finished his prayer he remembered that he had impurity on him, his prayer is valid, because forgetfulness is the brother of ignorance, and the forgetful person does not commit a sin intentionally. Indeed, you, O listener, have heard that Allah the Exalted said in His saying: [Al-Baqarah 2:286] He said: .
If someone asks: Is it the same if a person prays while in a state of ritual impurity and does not realize he is in that state until after his prayer, or if his ablution is broken and he forgets to perform ablution and prays?
We say: It is not so. That is to say, forgetting the ablution or being ignorant of the nullifier is not like forgetting the impurity or being ignorant of the impurity. Rather, if he remembers that he did not perform ablution, he must perform ablution and repeat the prayer from the beginning. Likewise, if his ablution is broken and he prays, forgetting that his ablution was broken, his prayer is valid.
If someone asks: A man wakes up from his sleep and finds a trace of major ritual impurity on his clothes, but he does not know if it is from this last sleep, or the one before it, or the one before that. Is he required to repeat the prayers from the last sleep, or the one before it, or the one before that?
The answer is: He is not required to repeat anything except the prayer he prayed after the last sleep he took. This is because this major ritual impurity is doubtful as to whether it is from the first sleep, the second, or the third, which is the last. The original state is purity in the first sleep and in the second sleep, so only the last sleep remains. Therefore, he is only required to repeat the prayers that were after the last sleep. He should perform the full ritual bath and then pray what he prayed during this state of major ritual impurity.
An example of this: A man prayed the dawn prayer, then slept, then got up and prayed the midday prayer, then slept, then woke up and prayed the afternoon prayer. When he prayed the afternoon prayer, he found a trace of major ritual impurity, so he does not know if it is from the sleep at night, or the sleep after the dawn prayer, or the sleep after the midday prayer.
We say: Attribute it to the sleep after the midday prayer, and you are only required to repeat the afternoon prayer. This is because the sleep after the dawn prayer and the sleep before the dawn prayer are doubtful regarding the presence of major ritual impurity in them, and the original state is the absence of major ritual impurity. The evidence for this is that when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) was asked about a man who feels something in his belly and is unsure if something has come out of him or not, he said:Sahih Muslim 361 So he did not rule that the state of ritual impurity had occurred except with certainty.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.
The Shaykh : Do nothing, for your prayer is valid. This is because the stronger opinion among the scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) is that if a person prays while there is impurity on his clothes, his body, or his place of prayer, and he is unaware of it, his prayer is valid. The evidence for this is the saying of Allah the Exalted:
Our Lord, do not impose blame upon us if we have forgotten or erred.
رَبَّنَا لا تُؤَاخِذْنَا إِنْ نَسِينَا أَوْ أَخْطَأْنَاHe has done so
قد فعلتAnd there is no blame upon you for that in which you have erred but [only for] what your hearts intended
وَلَيْسَ عَلَيْكُمْ جُنَاحٌ فِيمَا أَخْطَأْتُمْ بِهِ وَلَكِنْ مَا تَعَمَّدَتْ قُلُوبُكُمْAlso, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) led his companions in prayer one day, and during the prayer he removed his sandals, so the people removed their sandals. When he finished the prayer, he said to them:
What is the matter with you, meaning: why did you remove your sandals?
ما بالكم يعني : خلعتم النعال ؟Gabriel came to me and informed me that there was filth on them
إن جبريل أتاني فأخبرني أن فيهما قذراOur Lord, do not impose blame upon us if we have forgotten or erred.
رَبَّنَا لا تُؤَاخِذْنَا إِنْ نَسِينَا أَوْ أَخْطَأْنَاHe has done so
قد فعلتIf someone asks: Is it the same if a person prays while in a state of ritual impurity and does not realize he is in that state until after his prayer, or if his ablution is broken and he forgets to perform ablution and prays?
We say: It is not so. That is to say, forgetting the ablution or being ignorant of the nullifier is not like forgetting the impurity or being ignorant of the impurity. Rather, if he remembers that he did not perform ablution, he must perform ablution and repeat the prayer from the beginning. Likewise, if his ablution is broken and he prays, forgetting that his ablution was broken, his prayer is valid.
If someone asks: A man wakes up from his sleep and finds a trace of major ritual impurity on his clothes, but he does not know if it is from this last sleep, or the one before it, or the one before that. Is he required to repeat the prayers from the last sleep, or the one before it, or the one before that?
The answer is: He is not required to repeat anything except the prayer he prayed after the last sleep he took. This is because this major ritual impurity is doubtful as to whether it is from the first sleep, the second, or the third, which is the last. The original state is purity in the first sleep and in the second sleep, so only the last sleep remains. Therefore, he is only required to repeat the prayers that were after the last sleep. He should perform the full ritual bath and then pray what he prayed during this state of major ritual impurity.
An example of this: A man prayed the dawn prayer, then slept, then got up and prayed the midday prayer, then slept, then woke up and prayed the afternoon prayer. When he prayed the afternoon prayer, he found a trace of major ritual impurity, so he does not know if it is from the sleep at night, or the sleep after the dawn prayer, or the sleep after the midday prayer.
We say: Attribute it to the sleep after the midday prayer, and you are only required to repeat the afternoon prayer. This is because the sleep after the dawn prayer and the sleep before the dawn prayer are doubtful regarding the presence of major ritual impurity in them, and the original state is the absence of major ritual impurity. The evidence for this is that when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) was asked about a man who feels something in his belly and is unsure if something has come out of him or not, he said:
He should not return (from prayer) unless he hears a sound or perceives a smell (of passing wind).
لا ينصرف حتى يسمع صوتاً أو يجد ريحاًThe questioner : May Allah bless you.