Question # 309: I have a problem with madhiy for over a year now, and it is just becoming worse. I suffer from madhiy very often. It is not that it occurs 24/7 but it is not also as in the case of Ali (May Allah be pleased with him) because he experienced it in large amounts. I emit madhiy in small amount very often, enough to be considered impure and to invalidate wudu. Thus, not being able to offer prayers without cleaning my private parts and performing wudu. Even when I urinate and clean my organ with water, again very often I see a small amount of madhiy which extends if I touch it (this way I know if the drops are water of madhiy). It is so difficult to the point that I cannot even pray in congregation sometimes. Also, in most cases after every prayer, I have to check if some madhiy has leaked or not. Please help me because I am so tired of this condition that even stopping the obligatory prayers has crossed my mind. What is the solution for my case. I emit madhiy when I am horny but also when I am not. What do I do? Praying jummah and taraweeh with valid wudu is like a Jackpot for me.

Bismi-llahi r-raḥmani r-raḥīm,

Assalamu ‘laikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,

All praise and thanks are due to Allah (سبحانه و تعالى), and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger (صلى الله عليه و سلم).

Dear questioner,

First of all, we implore Allah (سبحانه و تعالى) to help us serve His cause and render our work for His sake.

Shorter Answer: The one who suffers incontinence, whether it involves madhiy (or urine), has to do two things:

  • He has to wash the private part and then wrap it with a piece of cloth or tissue (protection) to prevent madhiy (or the urine) from spreading onto his clothes; and
  • He has to do wudu’ after the time for (every) prayer begins if anything has come out.

However, he does not have to wash the private part and use the wrapper again for every prayer unless he is negligent in taking precautions. Also, Refer to Question # 282.

Long Answer: The Messenger (صلى الله عليه و سلم) instructed us to wash the traces of madhiy from the penis. It was narrated that ‘Ali said: I was a man who emitted a great deal of madhiy (prostatic fluid), so I asked a man to ask the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) about that because I was too shy to ask him because of being married to his daughter, and he said: “Do wudu’ and wash your private part.” (Narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim) According to another version, he said: “Let him wash his penis and testicles and do wudu’.”

Islamic rulings are lenient with regard to purifying one’s garment of it, so it is sufficient to sprinkle water on the place that the madhiy got on to, and there is no instruction to wash it.

With regard to shar‘i commands, a Muslim is expected to do as much of them as he can. Allah (سبحانه و تعالى): “So keep your duty to Allah and fear Him as much as you can” (Soorah al-Taghaabun, 64:16) So, if a person has a continual emission of madhiy, and he is not able to prevent it from coming out, but he is able to prevent it spreading, then when he does wudu’ for prayer, he must use something to prevent it spreading, such as wrapping some cloth or tissue around the head of the penis, and the like, then he may pray.

Ibn Qudaamah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “The woman who is suffering from istihaadah (irregular, non-menstrual bleeding), one who is suffering from incontinence or continual emission of madhiy, or a wound that does not stop bleeding, and others in similar situations in which minor impurity is ongoing and the individual is not able to maintain a state of purity (taharah), must do wudu’ for each prayer, after washing the site of the impurity, then wrapping it and taking precautions to prevent the impurity spreading, by whatever means he or she is able to.

So, the woman who is suffering from istihaadah should wash the site of the bleeding, then wrap it with cotton and the like to block the blood (and prevent it from spreading) because the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) said to Hamnah, when she complained to him of excessive bleeding: “I suggest you use a piece of cotton, for it will absorb the blood.” If the blood cannot be absorbed by a piece of cotton, then she may use a piece of cloth, which she should tie around herself, covering the private part. This is what is mentioned in the hadith of Umm Salamah: “Tie a cloth around yourself,” and he (the Prophet) said to Hamnah: “Tie something around yourself,” when she said: It is more than that.

The same applies to one who is suffering from incontinence or continual emission of madhiy. He should put a piece of cloth over the end of the penis and take whatever precautions he can and do what we have mentioned above. (al-Mughni)

It says in Sharh Muntaha al-Iraadaat: “…everyone whose impurity is ongoing, such as a woman with irregular bleeding, or one who has urinary incontinence, or excessive madhiy, or continual breaking of wind, has to wash the site that is contaminated with impurity and wrap it up, i.e., take precautions by doing that which will prevent emission as much as possible, such as using a cotton pad or tying it with a clean piece of cloth. But he does not have to repeat it, meaning washing and wrapping for every prayer, if there has been no negligence on his part because this condition is overwhelming and complete precautions cannot be taken against it. So, the one whose cause of impurity is ongoing should do wudu’ at the time of every prayer if something comes out.”

Some fuqaha’ do not think that it is obligatory to wrap it and tie a piece of cloth.

Al-Hattaab al-Maaliki (may Allah have mercy on him) said in al-Mudawwanah: It is mustahabb to take precautions by wrapping it with a piece of cloth. Sanad said: It is not obligatory because he is going to pray with the piece of cloth on which there is some impurity, just as he would pray in his contaminated clothes if he did not use it. Sanad said: Is it mustahabb to change the cloth? Al-Ibyaani said: It is mustahabb for him to do that at the time of prayer and wash it, but according to Sahnoon, it is not mustahabb, and washing the private parts is easier for him than that. (Mawaahib al-Jaleel)

If one finds it too difficult to wrap something over the penis, then he can do that only at the time of doing wudu’, until he has finished praying, then he can remove that protection, and after that, he can simply put a piece of cloth, tissue and the like, between the penis and the underwear, so that he will not become najis, and so that when he does wudu’ and offer the following prayer, he will only have to change this piece of cloth, instead of changing or washing the clothes.

It is not permissible for one to pray in a garment that is najis (impure) or that has madhiy on it until he has purified it.

(The above reply is based on various answers by Shaykh Muhammad Saalih al-Munajjid on the topic)

Allahu A’lam (Allah (سبحانه و تعالى) knows best) and all Perfections belong to Allah, and all mistakes belong to me alone. May Allah (سبحانه و تعالى) forgive me, Ameen.

Wassalaam