because he is then carrying an impurity, so he may neither continue his prayer nor resume it after washing away the blood. If, however, the bleeding is profuse, dripping or flowing, and cannot be removed by rubbing, analogy and reasoned consideration require him to break off the prayer, leave to wash away the blood, and then begin his prayer anew. Prayer should ordinarily be performed continuously, without substantial intervening activity or turning away from the direction of prayer. Nevertheless, the majority of the Companions and Successors permitted resuming the prayer after washing away the blood, provided that the place where one washes it away is not excessively distant. Mālik and all his companions adopted this position concerning both the imam and those following him, but they differed concerning someone praying alone. Ibn Habīb held that someone praying alone may not resume, explaining that resuming is permitted only to preserve the merit of congregational prayer. Muhammad ibn Maslamah said that he may resume. The same position appears in the section entitled “A Commodity He Named,” in Ibn al-Qāsim’s transmission in the Book of Prayer, in some versions of al-‘Utbiyyah. It is also Asbagh’s position and the apparent meaning of al-Mudawwanah, according to Ibn Lubābah.
They also differed, holding four opinions, concerning someone who suffers a nosebleed after entering the prayer but before bowing: may he resume without repeating his opening takbīr?
The first opinion is that he may do so in all cases, without distinction. This is Sahnūn’s position.
The second is that he may not resume, but must begin anew with the iqāmah (call to commence prayer) and the opening takbīr, likewise in all cases, without distinction. This is Ibn ‘Abd al-Hakam’s position, and the same appears in the section entitled “A Commodity He Named,” in Ibn al-Qāsim’s transmission.
The third is that, if it is the Friday prayer, he must repeat the opening takbīr; otherwise, he may resume without repeating it. This is Mālik’s position as reported from him by Ibn Wahb, and, in my view, the apparent meaning of al-Mudawwanah. Ashhab considered it preferable to break off the prayer in the case of Friday prayer.
The fourth is that, if he is praying alone or leading the prayer, he must repeat the opening takbīr; if he is following an imam, he may resume without repeating it.
They also differed, holding four opinions, concerning someone who suffers a nosebleed during a rak‘ah, before completing its bowing and prostrations.
The first opinion is that whatever he has already performed of that rak‘ah remains valid, and he may resume from that point, whether it is the first rak‘ah or the second after the first has been established. If he suffers a nosebleed while bowing and raises his head because of it, that counts as rising from the bowing position. When he returns, he resumes standing and goes down from there into prostration. If he suffers a nosebleed while prostrating and raises his head because of it,