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1. Does a few strands of hair coming out from the front or side of the head during prayer invalidate it? 2. Does swallowing small pieces of food residue in the mouth, after the dawn adhan and while fasting, invalidate the fast and the prayer? 3. Is it obligatory for a woman to check the sensitive area after waking up to ensure the presence of something if she feels moisture, and does delaying ghusl to another day affect the validity of the fast? 4. Is completely ignoring intrusive thoughts correct for someone who suffers from them, and does the hadith "consult your heart" apply to the one who suffers from intrusive thoughts, and is the one who suffers from intrusive thoughts allowed to ignore what others are not allowed to ignore?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

The exposure of a small amount of hair during prayer unintentionally does not invalidate it. The cure for obsessive whispers (Waswās) is to disregard them and not pay attention to them, and to strive against oneself to abandon them. Fasting on that day is valid unless one is certain that something entered the body cavity. Using toothpaste does not invalidate the fast unless something from it is swallowed. Doubt about something exiting during sleep should not be heeded unless there is certainty. If you find wetness and are certain it is manī (seminal fluid), then ghusl (ritual bath) is obligatory. If you are in doubt, you have the choice between it being manī or madhī (pre-seminal fluid). The emission of manī during sleep does not invalidate the fast, but ghusl is obligatory for performing prayer, and it is not permissible to delay it. The Hadith "Seek a fatwa from your heart" is specific to those whose hearts are pure and sound, not for those afflicted with Waswās. Rather, the one afflicted with Waswās should disregard these whispers.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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