The Practising Muslim · Fiqh of Purification

Prayer Validity and Impurity Concerns

Test your understanding of prayer validity amidst impurities.

7 questions · Medium · about 4 minutes

Test yourself properly, with scoring and instant feedback.

7 questions, about 4 minutes.

Take the quiz
Show questions and answers Spoilers: every answer and explanation for all 7 questions.

1. If someone finds madhiy on their clothes after several prayers and is unsure when it came out, what is the ruling on those prayers?

  • The previous prayers remain valid unless they are certain the madhiy came out before or during them. (correct answer)
  • All prayers since the last wudu must be repeated.
  • Only the first prayer of the day remains valid.
  • The prayers are invalid even if the person did not know about the impurity.

Why

Madhiy is impure and invalidates wudu, but uncertainty after an act of worship does not invalidate it. If the person does not know when the madhiy came out, the previous prayers remain valid. The source also states that prayer is valid if a person prayed while unaware of impurity or forgot it.

View source on IslamQA →

2. What should a sick or incontinent person do before praying if their diaper has become impure?

  • Remove or replace it if possible, clean the impurity, then pray. (correct answer)
  • Pray with the impure diaper even when changing it is easy.
  • Delay all prayers until the end of the day.
  • Skip wudu because incontinence removes the need for purification.

Why

A sick person should not pray wearing a diaper containing impurity if they can avoid that. If using a diaper is easier because of illness or incontinence, it should be removed or replaced before prayer if it has become impure, and the person should clean themselves. For urinary incontinence, they should take precautions and do wudu after the prayer time begins.

View source on IslamQA →

3. If work clothes become impure, what is enough before praying in them?

  • Wash the place where the impurity is. (correct answer)
  • Wash the entire outfit every time.
  • Delay the prayer until after work.
  • Pray in them without removing the impurity.

Why

Prayer requires the body and clothes to be free of impurity. A person may set aside separate clothes for prayer, but if they want to pray in the same clothes, it is enough to wash the impure spot before praying.

View source on IslamQA →

4. What is the ruling if someone prayed while junub because they truly did not know the ruling?

  • There is no sin and no makeup is required, if they were not negligent in learning. (correct answer)
  • The prayers must be repeated in every case.
  • The prayers are valid only if they were praying alone.
  • They only need to offer extra voluntary prayers.

Why

Praying without purification is not valid when a person knows the ruling. If someone knowingly prayed while junub, they must repent and make up those prayers. But if they truly did not know the ruling and were not negligent in seeking knowledge, the source states that there is no sin and no makeup is required.

View source on IslamQA →

5. What should someone do if they have doubts about losing wudu during prayer?

  • Continue praying unless they become certain wudu was broken. (correct answer)
  • Stop praying whenever they feel doubt.
  • Repeat the prayer after every doubtful feeling.
  • Leave the prayer and check immediately.

Why

Doubts and imagined feelings do not break wudu. The person should continue praying unless they become certain that wudu was broken. The source advises ignoring waswas and not acting upon it.

View source on IslamQA →

6. If someone feels that something may have come out after cleaning themselves and making wudu, what should they do?

  • Ignore the feeling unless they are certain something came out. (correct answer)
  • Check before every prayer.
  • Repeat all past prayers.
  • Squeeze or inspect until they are completely sure.

Why

A person who has cleaned themselves and made wudu remains in a state of purity until certain that wudu was invalidated. Mere feelings from the back passage or private part do not require checking or repeating prayers.

View source on IslamQA →

7. What should someone do if they are certain a drop of urine came out after ghusl?

  • Wash whatever it touched and repeat wudu only. (correct answer)
  • Repeat the entire ghusl.
  • Ignore it even though they are certain.
  • Squeeze the penis to make sure nothing remains.

Why

If ghusl was done with the intention of removing major and minor impurity, it is sufficient unless wudu is later broken. If a person is certain urine came out after ghusl, they wash whatever it touched and repeat wudu only. They should not squeeze, inspect, or follow doubtful feelings, because that opens the door to waswas.

View source on IslamQA →

A note on these answers

These questions are for learning and self-testing. Explanations are drawn from the sources linked on each question and are not a fatwa. For a ruling on your own circumstances, please consult a qualified scholar.

More in Fiqh of Purification

Browse all 281 quizzes or explore guidance topics.