Misgivings and Doubts about Urine Drops
Question:
When performing Wudhu or praying Salat, I get these feelings from the urine passage that drops of urine have come out of the urinal passage. These feelings are very regular. I.e. I can get these feeling 4 to 5 times from the start of doing wudhu and completing salat. I get these feelings on a regular basis out side salaat as well.
I keep a tissue wrapped round the private parts and I have a habit of checking the tissue to see if urine drops have come out or not. At times I reach the masjid 10-15 minutes before Jammat time and I end up missing the whole jamaat because I keep checking to see if urine has come out during wudhu. As I have already explained these feelings are very regular.
On some occasions urine has come out and on other occasions there is nothing. At times the drops of urine are very little. e.g. if a drop of urine happens to come out in the first rakaat and if I was to check after completing salaat the urine would probably dry off and the effect would not appear on the tissue.
I always perform wudhu at least 30 minutes after urinating. These feelings occur even after 1 – 2 hours after urinating.
I have become paranoid about these feelings. I can end up checking the tissue 4-5 times for one namaaz.
My questions are:
(1) Do I have to check after every feeling to see if there is any urine?
(2) If there is urine do I have to repeat my salaat?
I am worried and concerned if my salaat is accepted given I have this problem. I have read in fazail a’maal that a person has been performing salaat for years but not even one salaat has been accepted by Allah because of carelessness. Please can you answer my questions and any advice to help / overcome this problem will be much appreciated.
Answer:
There are two things you need to take care of in your situation:
Firstly, you need to make sure after urinating that all possible remaining urine drops have passed by. This is absolutely necessary for men as mentioned in the books of Fiqh, and is termed and known as istibra (freeing oneself of urine drops). It entails ensuring that drops of urine have stopped, and that one’s heart is at ease, and is done according to one’s habit, either by walking, coughing, lying down or any other method, such as gently pressing one’s penis or placing a tissue under one’s lower garment and walking. Methods may differ according to the severity of one’s problem.
Imam al-Shurunbulali (Allah have mercy on him) states in his renowned Nur al-Idah:
“It is compulsory for a man to ensure that the drops of urine have ceased, and that one’s heart is content according to one’s habit, either by walking, coughing, lying down or any other method. It will be impermissible and incorrect to begin performing ablution (wudu) until one is content that the drops of urine have ceased.” (See: Maraqi al-Falah sharh Nur al-Idhah, p. 42-43)
Secondly, after taking the above measure, one should ignore feelings, misgivings and doubts about the leakage of urine. Once you have taken the reasonable means, the default assumption is that you are now free of urine.
The principle of Islamic jurisprudence (qa’idah) states:
“Certainty is not lifted by a doubt.” (Ibn Nujaym, al-Ashbah wa’l Nadha’ir, p. 60)
As such, until you are certain that any urine has come out, you ignore it. It is not from caution to keep checking, and so on.
The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) has advised us that, if one is troubled with such doubts and misgivings (waswasa), then this is from Shaytan. After having taken the reasonable means one should sprinkle some water on one’s genitals and undergarments. Thereafter, when doubt occurs, the wetness felt may be regarded as the sprinkled water. (Sunan Tirmizi, Sunan Abu Dawud and others)
However, if you are certain that urine drops did come out, then the necessary measures of purification will need to be taken. If this is frequent and continuous, then you may be classed as an excused (ma’dhur) for which there are separate rulings. (For a detailed explanation with regards to an excused person, see the article regarding it on this website).
In conclusion, take the middle path: exercise caution by applying the sunnah in ensuring that the drops of urine have passed by as explained by the fuqaha, but avoid baseless misgivings and doubts.
And Allah Knows Best
[Mufti] Muhammad ibn Adam
Darul Iftaa
Leicester , UK