The Continuous State of Impurity in Prayer

Question

A discussion on the rulings regarding individuals who are in a continuous state of impurity, such as those suffering from chronic conditions that affect their ability to maintain ritual purity during prayer. [AR_ID:4543]

Answer 1

Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings.

Ayatollah Khamenei (may God protect him):

For those who are in a continuous state of impurity (musallus or mabtoon), there are several scenarios:

First: If they have a period during which they can achieve purity and perform prayer, even if it is just the minimum requirements, they should wait and perform their prayer during that time.

Second: If they do not have such a period, then either the impurity occurs during the prayer without causing them hardship in performing ablution and continuing (for example, if it happens once, twice, or three times), or it is continuous such that if they perform ablution after each incident, it would cause them hardship.

In the first scenario, they should perform ablution and continue; if something exits them, they should perform ablution immediately and continue their prayer and circumambulation.

In the second scenario, they may perform one ablution for circumambulation and another for prayer, and it seems there is no obligation to change or purify the cotton. However, it is recommended to purify the private parts if possible without hardship.

Source: Special Inquiry + Office of His Eminence Khamenei in Lebanon + Official Website

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Ayatollah Sistani (may God protect him):

For those who are in a continuous state of impurity, such as the mabtoon or musallus, there are three scenarios:

⊙ First: If they find a period of time during which they can pray in a state of purity, even if it is just the minimum requirements, they must do so and delay their prayer if the period is at the beginning or during the prayer time. If they do not pray until the period has passed, their prayer is valid if they act according to their current obligation, even if they have sinned by delaying.

⊙ Second: If they do not find any period or only a very short period that does not allow for purification and part of the prayer, they should perform ablution, or take a bath, or perform tayammum as required by their current obligation, and then pray without worrying about what exits them before or during the prayer. They remain in a state of purity unless they experience a different impurity or the same impurity is not due to their illness, even before recovery. Their other obligatory and recommended prayers are also valid, and it is preferable to purify for each prayer and to hasten to it after purification.

⊙ Third: If they have a period that allows for purification and part of the prayer, it is obligatory to achieve purity and perform the prayer during that period. However, it is not required to renew the purification if an impurity occurs during or after the prayer unless they experience a different impurity as explained in the second scenario. It is recommended, especially for the mabtoon, to renew their purification whenever an impurity occurs during their prayer and to continue unless the repetition becomes excessive to the point of hardship or causes a significant delay in the continuity of the prayer due to the unexpected impurity or renewing the purification. It is also recommended that if they experience an impurity after the prayer, they should renew their purification for another prayer.

Source: Minhaj al-Salihin, Book of Purity, Chapter Six: Rulings of the Continuous State of Impurity.

May you be successful in all good.