Chapter Four
On the Things That Nullify Ablution
The basis for this chapter is the Almighty’s words:
“ … or one of you comes from relieving himself, or you have touched women … ”
(Q 4:43)
and the Prophet’s statement—peace and blessings be upon him:
“Allah does not accept the prayer of one who is in a state of minor ritual impurity until he performs ablution.”
The jurists are unanimously agreed that ablution is nullified by the exit of urine, feces, wind, pre-ejaculatory fluid (madhy), and post-urination discharge (wady), provided these leave the body in the normal way, for the sound reports on the matter are conclusive.
There are, however, seven further questions in this chapter over which they differed, questions that function as guiding principles for the entire discussion.
First Question
The scholars of the various regions disagreed over whether ablution is broken by any impurity that leaves the body. Three schools of thought emerged:
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One group looked only at the substance itself, regardless of the part of the body from which or the manner in which it emerged. This is the view of Abū Ḥanīfah, his companions, al-Thawrī, Aḥmad, and others. Citing reports from Companions and early authorities, they said: “Every flowing impurity that exits the body obliges ablution—such as blood, a copious nosebleed, bloodletting, cupping, and vomit—except phlegm according to Abū Ḥanīfah.” Abū Yūsuf, one of Abū Ḥanīfah’s students, added: “If the vomit fills the mouth, ablution is required.” None of them considered a small amount of blood to break ablution, save Mujāhid.
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A second group focused on the two outlets, the front and the back passage. They said: “Whatever exits through these two passages nullifies ablution, whatever its nature—blood, stones, phlegm—and however it comes out, whether in health or due to illness.” This was the position of al-Shāfiʿī and his followers, and of Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Ḥakam among Mālik’s disciples.
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A third group took into account the substance, the point of exit, and the manner of exit. They held: “Whatever normally issues from the two passages—namely urine, feces, madhy, wady, and wind—breaks ablution if it emerges in the usual, healthy way.” Accordingly, they did not consider blood, stones, or incontinence to require ablution. This was the view of Mālik and the great majority of his companions.
The cause of their divergence is that, while Muslims are unanimously agreed that ablution is nullified by what exits from the two passages—feces, urine, wind, and madhy—on the strength of the plain wording of the Qur’an and the abundant ḥadīths, three possible interpretations arose:
First: that the ruling is linked solely to these very substances, on which there is consensus, as understood by