Tuesday, September 1, 2026

Constructing a Wuḍū Spot at Home & Rulings for the Shar'ī Ma'zūr (Excused Person)

The Wuḍū Spots in Masājid

Cleaning the teeth with a Miswāk sometimes results in bleeding that dominates the spit making it impure. Unfortunately, as the Wuḍū spots in the Masājid are usually shallow, clothes and body are splashed with drops of impure spit when rinsing mouth. This is even worse in household washbasins as their hard surfaces cause more splashing.

Have a Wuḍū Spot Constructed in Your Home

People nowadays tend to do Wuḍū in washbasins at home whilst standing, which is contrary to Mustaḥab. Regretfully, people spend huge amounts of money on the construction of huge luxurious palaces but do not consider making their own little Wuḍū spot in the house. I plead to all Islamic brothers who are enthusiastic about following the Sunnaĥ; if possible, do get a Wuḍū spot made with at least one tap in your home. Make sure the water does not splash everywhere when it falls, in fact have a drain constructed to prevent impure spit from splashing on the clothes and body. A sketch of Wuḍū spot has been added at the end of this booklet and can be used as a guideline for anyone wishing to get Wuḍū spot constructed. Drops of water usually splash around the ankles whilst washing excretory organs in the toilet; therefore, one should wash the ankles afterwards as a caution.

Construction Plan for Wuḍū Spot

A household Wuḍū spot should cover an area of 40 square inches and be raised 16 inches off the ground with a 9-inch high seat (10.5 inches wide). The distance between the seat and the wall ahead should be 26 inches. The drain should not be wider than 3.5 inches. There should be a sloped surface at the front of the platform but this slope should not cause the drain to be wider than 3.5 inches. Leave slightly more space than the length of your feet for standing (approximately 11.5 inch). Cut another slope 4.5 inches wide in the centre of the foot-rests, but remember, this slope should not allow the drain to become wider than 3.5 inches. The slope should be smooth all the way down without any bumpy surface. The tap should be fitted at a height of 32 inches from the drain and it should be a mixture tap. The water will drop onto the deeper slope in the centre and will therefore make it easier for you to protect your clothes and body from being stained by blood or any other impurities, اِنْشَاءَاللّٰہُ عَزَّوَجَلَّ. With slight changes, these guidelines can also be used for Wuḍū spots in Masājid.

Ten Madanī Flowers of a Wuḍū Spot

1.     If possible, use the plan at the back of this booklet to get Wuḍū spot constructed in your home.

2.     Ignore mason's arguments and ensure slope of 2 inches in upper floor (where feet are placed) in your domestic Wuḍū spot as per given sketch.

3.     If more than one tap are to be installed, there should be a gap of 25 inches between the taps.

4.     Get a plastic nipple installed at the nozzle of the tap as per requirement.

5.     If the water header is installed outside the wall (i.e. not concealed), the seat should be made one or two inches additional farther.

6.     It is better to construct the Wuḍū spot temporarily at first. Test its perfection by performing Wuḍū and then get the finishing works done.

7.     If tiles are to be installed at Wuḍū spot / bathrooms, always use Slip Resistant Tiles to minimize fall hazard.

8.     It is even better to install four-section tiles to eliminate fall hazard.

9.     If above type of tiles are not available, end of foot area and its adjacent slope, at least 2 inch of both, should be made rounded using rough stone so that foot may be cleaned by rubbing on it.

10. When making a drain in your kitchen, bathroom, toilet, on the roof, Wuḍū spot in the Masjid or anywhere else where water may accumulate, increase the slope 1.5 times of what suggested by the mason (e.g. he says 2 inch, you order 3 inch). Mason will do say, "Don't worry, not a single drop will stay." If you got trapped in his plan, it may result in improper slope. If you would not rely upon him, اِنْشَآءَاللّٰہُعَزَّوَجَلَّ you will see the benefit as it has been observed mostly that water accumulates on several spots of flooring.

Six Rulings for those who cannot retain their Wuḍū

1.     Wuḍū is nullified by the passing of urine (even a drop), breaking wind, seepage from injury, flowing of tears from an ailing eye, flowing of water from the navel, ears, or breasts, the passing of fluid from a pimple and diarrhoea. If someone is suffering continuously from any of these ailments and he could not be able to offer Ṣalāĥ with Wuḍū during complete span from starting to ending of a Ṣalāĥ timing, he is a Shar'ī Ma'zur (lawfully exempted).

He may offer as many Ṣalāĥ as he likes with one Wuḍū during that span; his Wuḍū will not become invalid by that ailment.

(Baĥār-e-Sharī'at, pp. 385, vol. 1, Dur-re-Mukhtār, Rad-dul-Muḥtār, pp. 553, vol. 1)

2.     The Wuḍū of a Ma'zur becomes invalid as soon as the time of Farḍ Ṣalāĥ ends. This ruling is applied when cause of exemption is found during Wuḍū or after Wuḍū. If this is not so and there is no other cause nullifying Wuḍū, then Wuḍū will not become invalid even after elapsing of time.

(Baĥār-e-Sharī'at, pp. 386, vol. 1, Dur-re-Mukhtār, Rad-dul-Muḥtār, pp. 555, vol. 1)

After elapsing of time of a Farḍ Ṣalāĥ, Wuḍū of Ma'zur becomes invalid. For example, if someone does Wuḍū for Aşr it will become invalid as soon as the sun sets and Wuḍū done after sunrise would become invalid as soon as the time of Żuĥar Ṣalāĥ ends as till then, time of any Farḍ Ṣalāĥ had not elapsed.

3.     Once 'Uẓr has been established, that will remain valid as long as the cause is found at least once in the total span of the Ṣalāĥ. For instance, if someone experiences a constant discharge of urine droplets in full span and he does not get opportunity to make Wuḍū and offer Farḍ Ṣalāĥ, he is a Ma'zur. Now in second span, he gets the opportunity to make Wuḍū and offer prayer but still droplet leaks once or more in this second span, he is still Ma'zur. However, if a Ṣalāĥ span pasts such that not a single droplet leaks, he would not remain Ma'zur. Whenever that previous condition repeats i.e. ailment persisted within the whole span, he will again become Shar'ī Ma'zur.

(Baĥār-e-Sharī'at, pp. 385, vol. 1)

4.     Although the Wuḍū of a Ma'zur person is not nullified by the reason which has made him Ma'zur, yet if any other Wuḍū-nullifying cause exists, Wuḍū would become invalid. For instance, someone with the 'Uẓr of breaking wind will lose his Wuḍū due to passing of urine droplet. If 'Uẓr is due to urine droplets, Wuḍū will be lost on breaking of wind.

(ibid, pp. 386)

5.     If a Ma'zur performs Wuḍū due to Ḥadaš (any act that nullifies Wuḍū) and during Wuḍū the reason of his 'Uẓr is not existing but after Wuḍū that reason found, Wuḍū will be lost (this ruling will apply when Ma'zur performs Wuḍū due to reason other than causing him Ma'zur. If he is performing Wuḍū due to his 'Uẓr, the Wuḍū will not be lost if that 'Uẓr occurs after Wuḍū). For instance, someone was Ma'zur due to loss of control on urine. He faced breaking of wind and thus performed Wuḍū. During Wuḍū urine stopped but after Wuḍū, some urine drops trickled away, Wuḍū will be lost. However if this trickling takes place during Wuḍū, the Wuḍū will remain valid.

(Baĥār-e-Sharī'at, pp. 387, vol. 1, Dur-re-Mukhtār, Rad-dul-Muḥtār, pp. 557, vol. 1)

6.     If the 'Uẓr is such that it causes impurity of his clothes, then in case the stain caused impurity of cloth area larger than the area of a dirham (an old currency used symbolically for sizing) and he has opportunity to offer Ṣalāĥ after purifying the clothes, then it is Farḍ for him to first purify the clothes and then say Ṣalāĥ. And if he knows that while offering Ṣalāĥ, the clothes will become impure to some extent, then purification is not binding and he may offer prayers with same clothes. Even if his prayer mat becomes impure, his Ṣalāĥ will be valid.

(Baĥār-e-Sharī'at, pp. 387, vol. 1)

(For detailed rulings regarding the Wuḍū of a Ma'zur refer to Baĥār-e-Sharī'at, Part 2)

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