Pus From Wounds and Its Effect on Wudu and Daily Salah

Question

Does blood or pus from a wound break wudu or invalidate salah?

Bottom Line

Bleeding doesn’t break wudu.

Quick Answer

According to the strongest scholarly opinion, blood or pus from a wound does not break wudu or invalidate salah, even if it flows. This is supported by authentic reports from the Sahabah. Only if the impurity heavily soils the body or clothing should it be cleaned, but the prayer remains valid if cleaning is difficult. The Hanafi school, however, holds that flowing blood breaks wudu unless it is chronic.

Key Takeaways

• Bleeding from anywhere except the private parts does not break wudu (majority view).
• Sahabah prayed while bleeding without repeating wudu.
• Clean visible impurity when possible; prayer is still valid if cleaning is hard.

Detailed Answer

The majority of scholars state that bleeding from anywhere other than the front or back passages does not nullify wudu.

Ibn al-Mundhir said:

“There is no proven report from the Prophet ﷺ stating that blood nullifies wudu.”

(al-Awsat, 1/261)

Evidence from the Sahabah

• ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb (رضي الله عنه) led the people in prayer while wounded and bleeding (Musannaf Ibn Abī Shaybah, 1/234 — ḥasan isnād).
• Saʿīd ibn Jubayr said: “The Muslims continued to pray despite wounds bleeding.” (Musannaf Ibn Abī Shaybah, 1/236).

Scholarly Views

• Mālikī & Shāfiʿī: Flowing blood from non-private parts does not break wudu. Imam al-Nawawī said: “The correct view in our madhhab is that blood, no matter how much, does not break wudu.” (al-Majmūʿ, 2/574)
• Ibn Taymiyyah: Bleeding is excused as hardship.
• Ḥanafī: Flowing blood breaks wudu if it reaches another part of the body, except in chronic cases (al-Mabsut, 1/120).

Practical Guidelines

• Small amount: Wudu remains valid; prayer unaffected.
• Large amount: Clean if possible; prayer valid if cleaning is hard.
• Cover wounds when possible; if impurity remains under the bandage due to difficulty, prayer is still valid.

What This Means for You

If you bleed from a wound during wudu or salah, you do not need to repeat either unless following the strict Ḥanafī position. Islam provides leniency where cleaning causes hardship.

And Allah knows best.

References

Primary Sources

Hadith

1. Sahih al-Bukhari 39: The religion is made easy; hardship brings concession.

Athar (Reports of Sahabah)

2. Musannaf Ibn Abī Shaybah, 1/234 — ʿUmar prayed while bleeding after being stabbed.
3. Musannaf Ibn Abī Shaybah, 1/236 — Saʿīd ibn Jubayr: Muslims prayed while their wounds bled.

Secondary Sources

4. Ibn al-Mundhir, al-Awsat, 1/261 — No authentic hadith proves blood breaks wudu.
5. Imam al-Nawawī, al-Majmūʿ, 2/574 — Shāfiʿī view: blood does not nullify wudu.
6. Al-Sarakhsī, al-Mabsut, 1/120 — Ḥanafī view: flowing blood breaks wudu unless chronic.