Am I obliged to wash away the istihada blood on my clothes before praying?

Question: Am I obliged to wash away the istihada blood on my clothes before praying?

Answer:

Bismi Llahir Rahmanir Rahim

Assalamu alaykum wa rahmatuLlahi wa barakatuhu

In the Hanafi madhhab, the excused amount of filth that is permitted to remain on a person’s clothes and body such that the prayer remains valid is:

less than 5 grams in weight of solid filth, or
less than 5 centimeters in diameter of liquid filth.

If a person prays with the excused amount of filth on their clothes or body, it is slightly disliked (makruh tanzihi). Thus, it is recommended to remove the filth before praying – although the prayer will still be valid if it is not removed.

If a person prays with more than this amount on their clothes or body – and they possess the means to remove it – then the prayer is not valid.

This is the general ruling that applies to everyone.

The Excused Person Exception

There is an exception for someone who has the excused person status.

The excused person status is a special status which permits ease in practicing specific rulings related to ritual purity. For more details about the excused person, click here.

Thus, this ruling is in relation to the filth that exits from the excuse and it soils the excused person’s clothes.

If it is believed that by the time the prayer that the excused person is praying finishes:

No new filth would soil the clothing again; then YES, the existing filth must be removed and it is not permissible to pray with it before purifying the garment.
More than the excused amount would soil the clothing again; then NO, the filth does not need to be removed and it is permissible to pray in the garment.

For example, a woman established the excuse for abnormal vaginal bleeding (istihada). Her blood flow is very heavy and her underwear is soiled with blood. Based on her reasoned judgment, she believes that by the time she finishes making wudu and praying the prayer, more than 5 centimeters in diameter of blood will exit. In this situation, she is not obliged to purify the garment before praying.

Otherwise, she must and it is not permissible to offer the prayer in it. Alternatively, she can change her clothing before praying if she has access to another clean garment.

Check out these articles related to istihada:

The Excused Person’s Rulings: A Complete Breakdown

How do I pray with abnormal vaginal bleeding (istihada)?

Istihada: What Is It? And Examples

Check out our courses for more details about the general rulings of worship and menstruation.

Jazak Allah khayran

Naielah Ackbarali

References:

Imam ibn Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar
Imam ibn Abidin, Manhal al-Waridin
Imam Shurunbulali, Maraqi al-Falah
Imam Ala al-Din Abidin, al-Hadiyya al-Alaiyya
Imam Tahtawi, Hashiyya al-Tahtawi

Naielah Ackbarali

Naielah Ackbarali is the founder and CEO of Muslima Coaching. Naielah is a qualified CBT therapist, an experienced Muslim marriage counselor of over 10 years, and an Islamic studies teacher for over 15 years. She obtained a Master of Arts (Level 7) in Counseling & Psychotherapy Practice at Bath Spa University, earning a Distinction. She also received a Postgraduate Certificate (Level 7) in Psychological Therapies at Queen Mary University of London. She has a Master Practitioner Diploma in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS). She has also completed training in the Gottman Method for Couples Therapy and gained a Diploma in Counseling Skills. Naielah is a trained strategic relationship coach, certified life coach, and a certified NLP Master Practitioner. Combined with her knowledge from Islamic studies, coaching experience, and personal marriage of almost 20 years, she offers faith-based marriage coaching to couples, wives, and singles. She has helped hundreds of women and couples with almost a decade of coaching experience with clients from all over the world (USA, Canada, UK, Europe, Australia, Africa, & the Middle East). She is an author of several marriage books and has been featured on the Islam Channel and British Muslim TV. She was also selected to do an exclusive interview with BRAINZ Magazine.