Assalamu alaykum
For months now, I have been dealing with issues relating to near constant bleeding from different parts of my body.
I have a bad case of acne on my scalp and nearly all the pimples are filled with pus. They pop all the time. When they pop, after the pus/blood comes out, a reddish/yellowish liquid continues to come out of the wound for a long time, sometimes 2-3 whole days. And this is for one pimple – usually by the time one pimple is healed and stops leaking this fluid, another one pops.
Moreover, I have an anal fissure which means that everytime I pass stool, I have bleeding on my back side that normally lasts anywhere from about 8 hours to 1-2 days. Note that this is not a small about of bleeding and it starts pretty much every time I pass stool. Overall, at any given time, I either have a popped pimple leaking fluid on my head, or bleeding on my backside or both.
The problem for me is, in this situation how do I shower without spreading all this impurity around my whole body!? In order to heal the acne on my scalp I need to shower consistently, and keep my scalp clean or it will most likely get a lot worse. Moreover, I am a woman and every month I have to make ghusl following my period, and obviously I can’t just wait a few days in the hope that everything stops bleeding so I can make ghusl, in fact I usually have to make ghusl the same hour my period ends so that I can pray! How on earth am I suppose to shower or make ghusl when there is impurity flowing out of my head or backside or both most of the time!?
This issue is causing me so much stress and so much struggle and time. No matter who I have asked so far about this topic has given me compeletely unsatisfactory answers. I will be very very grateful for your answer.
Jazakallah.
Answer
Wa’alaykum as Salam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu,
If there is impurity (blood or pus) emanating all the time from your body, in such a way that in atleast one Salah time the impurity comes out so often that you do not get the chance of performing Wudhu and praying that Salah without that impurity coming out, then you will be classified as a Ma’dhurah (excused).
You mention that at any given moment, there is blood or puss coming out from your body. However, the anal fissure only bleeds when you pass stool. Thus, it might be difficult to fulfill the above condition for that bleeding.
However, if the blood or puss emanates from your acne in the manner explained above, then you will be a Ma’dhurah.
The ruling of a Ma’dhurah is that she should perform Wudhu when the time of every prayer sets in. With that Wudhu, she can pray, recite Quran etc. Her Wudhu will not break, even though there is impurity emanating from her body. Yes, if any other nullifier of Wudhu takes place, then her Wudhu will break.
Hence, to become a Ma’dhurah, the impurity should come out continuously to the extent that you cannot get enough time to make Wudhu and perform your prayers without that impurity coming out.
Then, to remain a Ma’dhurah, the impurity should come out atleast once in every subsequent prayer time.
If a complete time of prayer passes without any impurity coming out, you will no longer be a Ma’dhurah, and will then have to perform a new Wudhu whenever the impurity emanates.
Whilst you are a Ma’dhurah, you should perform Ghusl after your menstrual periods, even though there may be impurity flowing. That impurity will be excused, and you will be pure. You may then perform prayer whilst those impurities are flowing.
From here we can see how easy Islam is.
Allah Ta’ala does not intend to ‘stress’ us out with his commandments. Rather, Allah intends ease for us. Allah Ta’ala says in the verse 185 of Surah al-Baqarah:
يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ بِكُمُ الْيُسْرَ وَلَا يُرِيدُ بِكُمُ الْعُسْرَ
“Allah intends ease for you, and does not intend any difficulty for you.”
And Allaah Ta’aala knows best
Wassalaam,
Ismail Moosa (Mufti)