Question
Salaam
I have been struggling for 2 years with excessive gas and/movement in my back passage that makes me doubt the validity of my wudu. I know my wudu will only be broken if I am certain that gas has passed but this has been very difficult for me. As a result, most days I’ve only prayed fajr as the gas issue is reduced in the morning after emptying my bowels. During the day, I feel it is almost impossible with the movement in my bowels to be certain that my doubts are real (and that no gas has passed).
I know eating certain foods (like fruits and vegetables) can cause the gas issue to be increased. If I eat these foods I think I can be certain I’ve passed gas enough times to make me excused (madhur). However, I want to know if it is wrong for me to eat these foods knowing that it will make me pass more gas and therefore make me excused.
I have been avoiding eating these foods up until now as I know they increase the gas but I have still struggled maintaining my wudu. I just want to pray my salah and I believe the easiest way for me to do that is to be certain I am excused. But I don’t think I can be certain I am excused unless I eat something to increase the gas so that the movements are big rather than small.
I have recently been to the doctor to see if a cause of this issue can be found. The doctor has told me to increase my fibre content (as I appear to be constipated which could be causing the gas). However, that also means eating fruits and vegetables which only causes the gas to increase.
What I want to know is, is it permissible for me to eat foods that will cause me to pass more gas so that I can be certain I am excused? Or if I ate something that made me excused and then the issue went away after a few days and I ate that food again, and it made me excused again, would I be sinful?
Jazakallah
Answer
The emergence of wind from the back passage nullifies one’s wudu’.
Qualifying as a ma‘dhur (excused) can be very difficult. To qualify as a ma‘dhur, one’s issue must persist throughout an entire prayer time wherein they cannot perform wudu’ and offer fard prayer. Yet, if the problem is unpredictable and irregular, such that within the prayer time, there was enough time to make wudu’ and pray fard (realistically 8-10 minutes is all that is needed), one will not qualify as a ma‘dhur. Therefore, there is no threshold for how many times one must release wind to qualify; the issue must be so persistent that it does not allow them to pray! Moreover, to remain a ma‘dhur, one must experience the problem in every subsequent prayer time at least once. If an entire prayer time has passed and the issue did not occur, they are no longer ma‘dhur. Mufti Abdur-Rahman Mangera put out the following video which details the laws of ma‘dhur clearly. Please refer to it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fx2f3JJfPI
Even if you do not qualify as a ma‘dhur, the main problem from your question appears to be doubt in whether you have passed wind. When a person is experiencing such a substantial doubt, the Prophet ﷺ said: “There is no wudu’ (to perform) when there is doubt unless there is a sound or smell.” If you are in constant doubt over this issue, you must settle barriers that ease your mental state. The Prophet ﷺ is providing this by suggesting that such afflicted people should look out for signs of passing wind. Unless there is a sound or a smell, you can console yourself that this is just a doubt and nothing has happened. Refer to Mufti Muhammad’s video on purity, doubts and waswasa, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ok7Byi9u8Z0&t=12s I find this video very informative on our obligations to Allah and how to psychologically get past doubts and waswasa.
On the matter of eating foods that make you gassy, this is a secondary point. The issue at the heart of your problem is doubt. Refer to the above guidance in how to move past this doubt. Lastly, while I sympathise with the difficulties you are experiencing, it is unlawful to miss prayers in the manner you have missed them. These missed prayers must be made up as qada’.
التجريد للقدوري» (1/ 197): والجواب: أنه لا يمكن اعتبار عمومه؛ لعلمنا أن نواقض الوضوء كثيرة بالاتفاق، وإذا لم يمكن اعتبار عمومه قصر على سببه، وهو ما روي أنه – صلى الله عليه وسلم – سئل عن الشك فقال ذلك، فكأنه قال: لا وضوء عند الشك إلا من صوت أو ريح»
«الفتاوى العالمكيرية = الفتاوى الهندية» (1/ 40): (ومما يتصل بذلك أحكام المعذور) شرط ثبوت العذر ابتداء أن يستوعب استمراره وقت الصلاة كاملا وهو الأظهر كالانقطاع لا يثبت ما لم يستوعب الوقت كله حتى لو سال دمها في بعض وقت صلاة فتوضأت وصلت ثم خرج الوقت ودخل وقت صلاة أخرى وانقطع دمها فيه أعادت تلك الصلاة لعدم الاستيعاب. وإن لم ينقطع في وقت الصلاة الثانية حتى خرج لا تعيدها لوجود استيعاب الوقت. وشرط بقائه أن لا يمضي عليه وقت فرض إلا والحدث الذي ابتلي به يوجد فيه هكذا في التبيين المستحاضة ومن به سلس البول أو استطلاق البطن أو انفلات الريح أو رعاف دائم أو جرح لا يرقأ يتوضئون لوقت كل صلاة ويصلون بذلك الوضوء في الوقت ما شاءوا من الفرائض والنوافل هكذا في البحر الرائق. وإن توضأ على السيلان وصلى على الانقطاع وتم الانقطاع باستيعاب الوقت الثاني أعاد. كذا في شرح منية المصلي لإبراهيم الحلبي وكذا إذا انقطع في خلال الصلاة وتم الانقطاع. هكذا في المضمرات. ويبطل الوضوء عند خروج وقت المفروضة بالحدث السابق. هكذا في الهداية وهو الصحيح. هكذا في المحيط في نواقض الوضوء حتى لو توضأ المعذور لصلاة العيد له أن يصلي الظهر به عند أبي حنيفة ومحمد وهو الصحيح؛ لأنها بمنزلة صلاة الضحى. ولو توضأ مرة للظهر في وقته وأخرى فيه للعصر فعندهما ليس له أن يصلي العصر به. هكذا في الهداية وهو الصحيح. هكذا في السراج الوهاج. وإنما تنتقض طهارتها إذا توضأت والدم سائل أو سال بعد الوضوء في الوقت حتى لو توضأت والدم منقطع ثم خرج الوقت وهي على وضوء لها أن تصلي بذلك ما لم يسل أو تحدث حدثا آخر. كذا في التبيين.
Answered by:
Maulana Ikramul Hoque Miah
Checked & Approved by:
Mufti Abdul Rahman Mangera
Mufti Zubair Patel