How can I pray with chronic flatulence?
The questioner distinguishes between obsessive whispering (waswas) and continuous discharge (salas). Most of what people complain about is waswas, and the one afflicted by it is excused. Then, the answer clarifies the true meaning of salas. The excused person is one whose discharge is continuous, such that they do not find enough time to pray without the discharge occurring. If the worshipper finds a time when the discharge stops, they must delay the prayer until that time. The answer points to the differing madhhabs (schools of thought) regarding the ruling on salas: The Hanafis believe the excuse continues as long as the discharge is present, even if for a short time. The Malikis hold that salas does not invalidate wudu' if it occurs for half or more of the time. The Shafi'is and Hanbalis believe it is obligatory to wait for the discharge to stop if it usually does so, unless there is a fear of the prayer time expiring. The conclusion is that if there is a regular cessation of the discharge for a sufficient time to pray, one must wait for it. However, if the discharge is continuous or irregular, one must perform wudu' for each prayer while taking precautions.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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