Thursday 18 Ramadan 1445 - 28 March 2024
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Does Pus Break Wudu?

Question

I keep having pimples and acne on my face.  I know that blood which comes out of the wound, if it flows, is unclean and one has to repeat the wudu.  My question is: sometimes after the blood comes out, there is water-like material from the wound.  Is that water-like material (which is of water's color) also unclean?  Does one have to repeat the wudu after it too?

Summary of answer

Some of the scholars said that if water (pus) from wounds is a small amount, it does not break wudu, but if it is a large amount then it does break wudu.

Answer

Praise be to Allah.

To learn more about the ruling on the impurity of blood, please see these answers: 2570  and 2176

Some of the scholars said that if water (pus) from wounds is a small amount, it does not invalidate wudu, but if it is a large amount then it does invalidate wudu

A group of scholars – including al-Shafi`i and Imam Ahmad, according to one report narrated from him, and the seven jurists – said that anything that comes out from anywhere other than the front and back passage does not invalidate wudu, whether it is a small amount or a large amount, apart from urine and feces. 

They quoted the following as evidence for that: 

  • The basic principle is that it does not break wudu ; whoever claims that something breaks wudu has to produce evidence.
  • The fact that it is pure is indicated by the Shar`i evidence, and whatever is indicated by Shar`i evidence cannot be changed except by further Shar`i evidence.

We do not go beyond that which is indicated by the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), because we worship Allah according to His Shari`ah and not according to our whims and desires. We have no right to oblige the slaves of Allah to do wudu when it is not required, or to excuse them from doing wudu when it is required. (See al-Sharh al-Mumti’ by Ibn ‘Uthaymin, part 1, p. 224)

And Allah knows best.

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Source: Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid