A person who is obsessive-compulsive suffers from hemorrhoids, causing blood to flow from them, sometimes mixing with sweat. The questions are: 1) What is the ruling on his prayer with this blood, knowing that it sometimes mixes with sweat? 2) What is the ruling on praying in a garment contaminated with this blood? 3) What is the ruling if his hand becomes contaminated with this blood?
🤖
AI Notice: This translation was generated by AI and is currently awaiting human verification.
1 Answer
Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings.
Ayatollah Khamenei (may God protect him):
If there is blood from a wound or sore on the body or clothing of the person praying, and if purifying the body or clothing or changing the clothing is difficult and causes hardship for the person or for people in general, then he may pray with it as long as the wound or sore has not healed. Likewise, the prayer is valid with the pus that comes out with the blood and the medicine applied to the wound that becomes contaminated. However, if a part of the body or clothing becomes contaminated due to the moisture of the wound extending to it, there is no issue in praying with it. But if a part of the body or clothing far from the wound becomes contaminated through contact with the moisture of the wound and he prays with it, then his prayer is invalid.
Ayatollah Sistani (may God protect him):
1, 2 - Blood from wounds and sores is excused, whether on the body or clothing, until the bleeding stops completely. This includes blood from hemorrhoids, whether external or internal, as well as any internal wound or sore that has bled to the surface. The hardship of removal or change is not a condition, although it is recommended to consider it. Just as the mentioned blood is excused, so too is the pus contaminated by it, the medicine applied to it, and the sweat connected to it.
3 - Yes, it is also excused.
Source: Minhaj al-Salihin, Vol. 1, Regarding What is Excused in Prayer from Impurities
Note Regarding Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
All jurists clearly and explicitly rule – according to religious texts – that the duty of the obsessive-compulsive person is to disregard their doubts and assume the purity of everything they are uncertain about. Even if they are certain of the impurity of something – unlike what happens to other people who know it – their knowledge is not taken into account, and their duty is to assume purity. If the obsessive-compulsive person follows this religious ruling and assumes the purity of everything doubtful, even if they are certain of its impurity, they are excused before God, even if their actions contradict reality.
Advice
The obsessive-compulsive person should be aware that this condition is reprehensible both rationally and religiously, as it deviates from moderation and wastes human energy without yielding any benefit. Obsession is not a form of piety or concern for the sacred laws, but rather a kind of disturbance in human perception, weakness in willpower, and surrender to the whispers of the evil one, as indicated in the hadiths. If they understand this meaning well and recognize the reality of this condition, they will reach the second stage.
This stage is to strive hard to control themselves and take charge of their willpower, preventing the devil from playing with them. They should resolve to do so, certain that God will not punish them for disregarding what they suspect on the Day of Judgment. If they doubt impurity, they should not pay attention and assume purity, following the usual practice. The more they repeatedly disregard doubts, the weaker the power of imagination over them will become until it disappears, and the devil will despair of clinging to them, allowing them to maintain a balanced approach to purity and impurity. They should be assured that if they enter this field as a challenge, they will prevail, and God will assist them, weakening the devil's schemes against them, as He says: "Indeed, the plot of the devil is weak." May God guide you to what is right.
May you be successful in all good.