Is it obligatory for one who suffers from intermittent flatulence to hasten in prayer so that nothing is emitted from him, and is he sinful if he delays?
If a person afflicted with urinary incontinence ( سلس ) knows that the flow of his discharge will cease for a period sufficient for purification and prayer, he is obligated to wait for this time to pray therein. It is not permissible for him to delay the prayer until the discharge recurs. However, if his discharge is not regulated, he should perform ablution after the entry of the prayer time, and whatever issues from him thereafter will not harm him. The correct view is that what matters is the minimum required for the prayer. Therefore, the person afflicted with incontinence should not exceed the obligatory actions if he knows that the discharge will recur should he perform more than them. Shafi'i jurists have discussed this issue, including Al-Khateeb Al-Shirbini, who stated that habit is accorded the status of ability. They differed on the estimation of the habit that accommodates ablution and prayer: whether it includes their supererogatory acts or only what suffices for the minimum obligatory parts of them. The preponderant view is to consider only the obligatory parts of ablution and prayer. Therefore, in this case, the person afflicted with incontinence should not prolong the prayer but should limit himself to what does not cause the discharge to recur, so that he may pray with a valid state of purity.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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