What is the ruling on one who suffers from urinary incontinence and is unable to change his najis clothes at prayer time while at work; should he delay the prayer or combine it?
A person afflicted with سلس (urinary incontinence or constant discharge) should perform ablution for each prayer after its time has begun. They should take precautions by tying a piece of cloth or similar material, and then pray the obligatory (fard) and supererogatory (nawafil) prayers with this ablution until the time for the next prayer begins.
It is obligatory to remove impurity (najāsa) from the garment before prayer; it is not necessary to change clothes. If impurity affects their clothes despite taking precautions, it must be purified.
There is no harm in delaying the prayer, as long as it does not go out of its prescribed time, in order to fulfill a condition of prayer, which is avoiding impurity. However, it is not permissible to let the prayer go out of its time. Some scholars have permitted a person afflicted with سلس to combine two prayers, but the view of the majority, which prohibits it, is more cautious.
It is obligatory to be diligent in keeping clothes pure through precautions. If some impurity affects them despite taking precautions, it must be removed. If one is unable to remove it, they should pray in their current state and not let the prayer go out of its time, except for those who permit combining prayers.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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