Is it permissible for someone who finds it difficult to perform the Dhuhr and Asr prayers on time outside the home due to the limited time between lectures and the necessity of performing ablution for each prayer – to perform ablution before leaving home and pray with that ablution, or should they wait until they return home and pray after the time has expired?
If the secretions emanating from either exit become excessive and almost constant, they are considered incontinence ( سلس). This incontinence, according to the Maliki school, does not invalidate ritual purity (طهارة). However, it is considered an invalidator by the majority of scholars, who hold that an incontinent person should perform ablution (وضوء) after the entry of the prayer time, and then pray the obligatory prayer and as many supererogatory prayers as they wish, and whatever issues from them will not harm them. Then, they should perform ablution for the next obligatory prayer. It is advised not to spend a long time in ablution to avoid obsessive whispers (وسوسة), and a diaper or cloth can be used. The entry of the prayer time is a condition for the validity of the prayer, while praying after the time is permissible out of necessity. If "neglecting the Sunnahs" refers to the regular supererogatory prayers (السنن الرواتب) and voluntary prayers (النوافل), then it is permissible to shorten them or omit them during constrained times. However, the internal Sunnahs of the prayer (سنن الصلاة الداخلية) should not be abandoned, as some scholars believe that intentionally abandoning them invalidates the prayer.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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