Answered by Sidi Salman Younas
My question is regarding bleeding that breaks the wudu. I have read in previous post that any bleeding that flows past the wound breaks the wudu and I would like to know if this is the case for medical purposes, I have type 1 diabetes and must test my blood sugar around six times a day especially around meals. Sometimes I skip doing it because I don’t want to break my wudu and it can be difficult to find a place to perform it if I have to go out. Also when the prayer times are so close in the winter and one is on top of the other I find it difficult at those times as well. I consulted our local Imam who I believe is Hanafi and he said that it doesn’t break my wudu, but I would like to consult you about this. If there is an alternative view on this am I allowed to follow it? Also, if I can’t how would I even begin to guess how many prayers to make up because I made them without wudu?
salamu `alaykum
I pray you are well.
In the Hanafi school, bleeding that flows beyond the point of exit breaks one’s ablution. This is also the case for medical purposes that involve the withdrawl of blood from the skin, as long as such bleeding is not chronic. `Al al Din Ibn `Abidin states in his Hadiyyah al Ala’iyyah, “and filth that flows past the wound [invalidates ablution], even if it does not [actually] flow out, but is removed.” (Pg: 49 Ed. Dar Ibn Hazm) [s: this is because if such blood was not removed or prevented from flowing beyond the point of exit it would have inevitably done so and is thus considered “effectively” flowing.]
Thus, according to the Hanafi school, you would be obligated to renew your ablution each time you perform your blood sugar test.Try your best to take the means to ensure that you pray on time by sceduling your blood tests at suitable moments during the day. Further try to plan out where you could possibly perform ablution and pray when going out. We are not necessarily responsible for the end-results but are duty bound to take the means to fulfill our obligations.
As for calculating how many prayers you have to make-up then just simply make a reasonable calculation (not merely a guess) and follow it.
Lastly, if it entails genuine hardship you may follow the opinion of another school on what nullifies ablution in the future, such as the Malikis for whom bleeding does not break the ablution. However, note here that you would then have to follow the fiqh of the Maliki school *completely* on ablution, which differs from that of the Hanafi school in a few ways. If you choose to follow another school then do so only if you have access to a reliable scholar of that school to detail the fiqh for you. With that said, the path of piety would entail sticking to your own school on the issue.
Wasalam
Salman