Question:

If someone, due to too much inconvenience resulting from a problem of excessive bowel gas, decides to pray his sunnah Fajr and fardh Fajr with a technically broken wudhu during first half of the Fajr period, but then realises that his gas problem has subsided in the 2nd half of Fajr, must he pray the sunnah and fardh again now that he can keep his wudhu?

I remember reading that special dispensations exist for people with diseases causing chronic breaking of wudhu such as urinary incontinence. (https://muftiwp.gov.my/artikel/irsyad-fatwa/irsyad-fatwa-umum/1841-irsyad-al-fatwa-ke-148-wudhu-bagi-mereka-yang-kencing-tidak-lawas-salisi-al-baul-dan-hukum-berimamkan-mereka)

If I remember correctly, the person can make wudhu and that wudhu would only be valid for that prayer and its accompanying prayers. Would a person qualify for such special dispensations if he merely has particularly gassy bowels on that particular day due to eating certain things the night before?

If the person’s bowels bother him with gas too much, should he just qadha his Fajr prayers after they have calmed down?

Answer:

Experiencing excessive bowel gas on any given morning because of certain foods is one thing. Chronic diseases such as IBS or Crohn’s or post-operation disorders or those caused by diabetes or other conditions, is another thing.

The original question applies to the first scenario. The URL cited appears to apply to the second and is therefore not relevant here.

So the answer is (1) to avoid gassy foods which is eminently under the control of the questioner; and (2) to repeat the Fajr sunna and fard prayers as the first ones were performed with an invalid wudu‘.

When a person knows that certain foods will cause a condition that will probably or certainly hinder the performance of Salat then such foods become makruh or haram to that person. They should avoid them strictly or switch to alternatives e.g. lactose-free milk instead of lactose.

If the same situation repeats itself despite precautions then one should wait until the condition subsides as long as there is time. Then one can make wudu‘ and pray before the time runs out whether or not the condition has subsided. If it has not subsided then one can repeat the same as qada‘ once it subsides.

The particular condition was described in the question as hinging on particular foods and is therefore avoidable by virtue of avoiding those foods. But the dispensation cited in the URL for incontinences caused by chronic conditions, i.e. making wudu‘ and praying in the midst of a wudu‘ -cancelling condition, applies only to unavoidable, permanent, involuntary and uncontrollable incontinence.

And Allah knows best.

Important note: the flatulence (“passing wind”) that cancels wudu’ in Shari`a is defined as:

(1) fasā’ = inaudible but foul-smelling wind and
(2) durāt = audible wind whether foul-smelling or not.

Merely feeling oneself passing wind, in the absence of both sound and bad smell, does not invalidate ablution in light of the Prophetic Hadith from Abu Hurayra,

لا وُضوءَ إلاَّ مِن صَوتٍ أو رِيحٍ.

“No [fresh] ablution is required [when flatulence occurs] unless there is a sound or a bad odor.” (Tirmidhi – hasan sahih)

Hajj Gibril Haddad