Question: Suppose someone says: A man has ablution, but he is resisting the urge to urinate or pass wind. Yet, if he relieves himself, he will have no water with which to perform ablution. Should we say to him: Relieve yourself and perform dry ablution for the prayer; or should we say: Pray while resisting the two natural urges?

The answer is: We say, relieve yourself and perform dry ablution; do not pray while resisting the two natural urges. This is because prayer with dry ablution is not disliked by consensus, whereas praying while resisting the two natural urges is prohibited and disliked. Some scholars even held it to be forbidden, maintaining that the prayer is invalid when one is resisting the two natural urges (1), based on the Prophet’s ﷺ saying: “There is no prayer when food is present, nor when one is resisting the two natural urges” (2).

Question: Suppose someone says: He is resisting the urge to defecate, and he fears that, if he relieves himself, he will miss the congregational prayer. Should he pray while resisting the urge to defecate in order to catch the congregation, or should he relieve himself even if he misses the congregation?

The answer is: He should relieve himself and perform ablution, even if he misses the congregational prayer, because this is an excuse. If this arises during the prayer, he may leave the imam.

Question: Suppose someone says: The time is now short, and he is resisting one of the two natural urges. If he relieves himself and performs ablution, the prayer time will expire; but if he prays before its expiry, he will pray while resisting the two natural urges. Should he pray while resisting the two natural urges, or should he relieve himself and pray, even after the time has passed?

The answer is: If the prayer may be combined with the one after it, then let him relieve himself