Masah On A Bandage Or Plaster
Question
Can one wear a bandage/plaster on a popped spot or wound whilst one is bleeding and then later on when performing Wudhu, just do Masah on that part as opposed to washing? The reason why I’m asking this is because I have heard that if one was to stop blood from coming out by putting a finger on the spot/wound, his wudhu will still break. Will that have an effect on this issue i.e. wudhu will not be done because in effect this person is still bleeding?
If a person had an open wound from which blood is not flowing, can he/she still put a plaster on it to ensure that there is no chance of blood flowing and do Masah on the affected part?
Answer
In such cases where a bandage or plaster is applied to the wound, one has to determine one very important aspect before coming to a decision after carefully pondering, that is if the bandage or plaster had not been applied to the wound, would it have bled to such an extent that the blood would have actually flowed from its source?
If so, then this means that the Wudhu broke and therefore the Salaah performed thereafter was invalid and has to be repeated. However, if after careful pondering, one reaches the conclusion that had one not applied the bandage or plaster, the wound would have exposed the blood but not to the extent of actually flowing from its source, then the Wudhu is still intact, hence the Salaah performed thereafter will be valid.
As far as the aspect of applying the bandage or plaster is concerned, one can apply it at any time. If one applies the bandage or plaster after cleaning the wound before making Wudhu and thereafter makes Masah over it, this is also correct. From here we can understand that one can apply a bandage or plaster even though one is not in the state of Wudhu.
One is only permitted to make Masah if one is completely incapable of washing that area. Hence, if one is capable of washing the affected area by both removing the bandage or plaster and washing the wound, one will not be permitted to make Masah. Our jurists elucidate this by example of warm or hot water, which is easier to use in such circumstances. One will only be permitted to make Masah of the bandage or plaster if one is incapable of making Masah of the wound itself, which is due to pain or medical purposes. If one is capable of making Masah on the wound, then one should wash the area around the wound and make Masah on the wound itself and not on the bandage or plaster.
References (Arabic / Urdu sources)
وحكم مسح جبيرة هي عيدان يجبر بها الكسر وخرقة قرحة وموضع فصد وكي ونحو ذلك كعصابة جراحة ولو برأسه كغسل لما تحتها …. ويجوز اي يصح مسحها ولو شدت بلا وضوء و غسل دفعا للحرج… والحاصل لزم غسل المحل ولو بماء حار فإن ضر مسحه فإن ضر مسحها فإن ضر سقط أصلا ويمسح نحو مقتصد وجريح على كل عصابة مع فرجتها في الأصح إن ضره الماء أو حلها ومنه أنه لا يمكنه ربطها بنفسه ولا يجد من يربطها… قوله إن ضر المراد الضرر المعتبر لا مطلقه لأن العمل لا يخلو عن أدنى ضرر وذلك لا يبيح الترك ط عن شرح المجمع قوله وإلا لا يترك أي على الصحيح المفتى به كما مر … قوله ولو بماء حار نص عليه في شرح الجامع لقاضيخان واقتصر عليه في الفتح وقيده بالقدرة عليه وفي السراج أنه لا يجب والظاهر الأول بحر قوله نحو مقتصد الخ قال في البحر ولا فرق بين الجراحة وغيرها كالكي والكسر لأن الضرورة تشمل الكل… لكن إذا كانت زائدة على قدر الجراحة فإن ضره الحل والغسل مسح الكل تبعا وإلا فلا بل يغسل ما حول الجراحة ومسح عليها لا على الخرقة ما لم يضره مسحها فيمسح على الخرقة التي عليها ويغسل حواليها وما تحت الخرقة الزائدة لأن الثابت بالضرورة يتقدر بقدرها كما أوضحه في البحر عن المحيط والفتح.
رد المحتار ج ۱ ص ۲۷۹ – ۲۸۰ سعید
- Approved by
- Mufti Muhammed Saeed Motara Saheb D.B.
Fatawa SA is an independent, read-only index of fatawa already published by Darul Ifta, Darul Uloom Azaadville. It is not a fatwa service. For your own situation, ask the issuing Darul Ifta directly.