Istinjaa and wiping after Istibraa for someone with a urine leak
| Fatwa #2374 | Category: Tahaarah (Purity) | Country: South Africa | Date: 25th June 2026 |
| Fatwa #2374 | Date: 25th June 2026 |
| Category: Tahaarah (Purity) | |
| Country: South Africa | |
Question
Assalamu Alaykum
Hope in الله تبارك وتعالى That This Email finds you well.
I am an alim who is going through ocd challenges (reason for mentioning this is to the person answering the question should understand that an ilzami jawab will not be help me, and I am very strict on myself so if there is any rukhsah it will be beneficial for me). The ocd is driven by a urine leak, which doesn’t fall under ma’dhoor because it mostly happens when in contact with water, or specific movements and after using the bathroom but not constantly.
After performing istinjā’, what is a practical method of drying the front private part without falling into excessive doubt regarding the spread of urine impurity?
My current method is to wash and dry the area, then use a jug to wash as close as possible to the urinary opening so that only the area I intend to purify is washed. However, water often flows beyond the boundary I intended, or forms a bead of water. I then worry that if this water moves onto an impure area it will become impure and spread impurity elsewhere. Because of this, I repeatedly dry and wash the area again so that the water runs off immediately. Sometimes this process is repeated 10–15 times, resulting in considerable waste of time and water.
I have not found detailed explanations in the classical fiqh texts regarding the practical method of washing and drying the front private part. I did find in Radd al-Muḥtār mention of blocking the urinary opening with husk or similar material (which today might be compared to cotton wool or tissue), but this does not seem practical as it may cause irritation, tearing, or bleeding. Likewise, the method I am currently using does not appear to be a method transmitted from the Ṣaḥābah or Tābiʿīn.
With visible impurities such as blood, pus, or discharge from a wound, I apply the principle:
“ولو أيقن بالطهارة وشك بالحدث أو بالعكس أخذ باليقين…”
Thus, if I wipe an area and no impurity is visible, I treat it as pure, and only when impurity later becomes visible do I consider it impure from that point onward.
However, with urine, if I dry the organ after washing and immediately inspect it, I may always find a streak of urine. Therefore, if I dry myself after washing, there is a significant possibility that some urine may still be present. In such a situation, how is the spread of impurity determined? How should one practically deal with washing, drying, and assessing impurity without falling into excessive hardship or uncertainty?
Jazākum Allāhu khayran for your time.
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
It is not necessary to ‘wash’ the private part after urinating. Wiping the orifice with a tissue will suffice.
Given that your condition is exacerbated by the presence of water, it would be better to simply avoid washing after urinating and simply wipe it dry with tissue. Since there is no more wetness/moisture, there is no room for waswasa.
As for how to combat the urine that comes out later, since your private area will be dry, the only time you will even consider this possibility is if you see or feel moisture on your organ itself. A method to assist you would be to loosely tie folded tissue or cotton wool around your organ thereby ensuring that even if some drops were to come out, they would not go anywhere else except into the tissue or wool. Urine drops do not have the strength to travel through layers of tissue or wool, hence, your clothing and surrounding skin will remain pure.
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Mufti Bilal Pandor
Concurred by
Mufti Muhammad Patel
Darul Iftaa Mahmudiyyah
Lusaka, Zambia