Bleeding Nullifies Wudu

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

والصلاة والسلام على رسوله الكريم

والعاقبة للمتقين

Concerning the controversy of whether bleeding nullifies Wudu, the position of the Hanafi school appears to me to be the correct one, and Allah knows best. Likewise, I concur with the ruling of the Hanafi school regarding the impurity of flowing blood. The fact that bleeding nullifies Wudu can be understood from the Hadith of Fatima bint Abi Hubaish^RA, who was suffering from persistent bleeding. The Prophet ﷺ instructed her to:

ثُمَّ تَوَضَّئِي لِكُلِّ صَلاَةٍ

“Perform Wudu for every Salat” (Sahih al-Bukhari)

Imam al-Bukhari placed this Hadith in his Kitab al-Wudu in the chapter with the general heading Bab Ghaslid-Dam.

There is also a weak narration:

الْوُضُوءُ مِنْ كُلِّ دَمٍ سَائِلٍ

“Wudu is from every flowing of blood” (Sunan ad-Daraqutuni)

Ibn Adi has narrated the same Hadith but with a different chain of transmission to the companion Zaid b. Thabit^RA in his al-Kamil fi’l-Duafa.

Imam al-Tirmidhi, in his Kitab at-Tahara, under the chapter heading Bab Ma Jaa Fil-Wudu min al-Qa’i war-Ru’af (“Wudu from vomit and nosebleeds”) brings the authentic Hadith:

أَنّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَاءَ ، فَأَفْطَرَ ، فَتَوَضَّأ

“Allah’s Apostle vomited, so he broke the fast and performed Wudu.” (Jami al-Tirmidhi #87)

Although this Hadith deals specifically with the issue of vomiting, by bringing it under a heading that includes nosebleeds, Imam al-Tirmidhi indicated an analogy between nosebleed and vomit, i.e., that if Wudu breaks due to vomit it should technically be nullified because of a nosebleed also. Another narration, though weak, is more explicit in stating:

عَنْ عَائِشَةَ ، قَالَتْ : قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : مَنْ أَصَابَهُ قَيْءٌ أَوْ رُعَافٌ أَوْ قَلَسٌ أَوْ مَذْيٌ ، فَلْيَنْصَرِفْ ، فَلْيَتَوَضَّأْ ، ثُمَّ لِيَبْنِ عَلَى صَلَاتِهِ وَهُوَ فِي ذَلِكَ لَا يَتَكَلَّمُ

Aisha^RA said: Allah’s Apostle ﷺ said: “Whoever vomits, has a nosebleed, belches or emits prostatic fluid should stop praying, perform ablution, then resume his prayer, and while he is in that state he should not speak.” (Sunan Ibn Maja #1221)