Answer
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
In this fatwa:
If flatulence occurs frequently and without control during the entire prayer time, you may be classified as an excused person (Ma`dhur) in Islamic law. This status allows you to perform Wudu once per prayer time and continue with your prayer, even if the gas continues afterward. However, occasional doubts or anxiety-induced sensations without certainty do not invalidate Wudu and should be ignored.
Responding to your question, Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, a senior lecturer and an Islamic scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, states:
Dealing with Flatulence and Doubts About Purity in Prayer
Experiencing flatulence or persistent doubts about your state of purity during prayer can be deeply distracting and spiritually stressful. Thankfully, Islamic rulings provide clarity, ease, and practical solutions for such situations.
What Is an Excused Person (Maʿdhur) in Islamic Law?
If you suffer from a condition that causes continuous or frequent release of gas, you may be classified as a Ma`dhur (legally excused person). In this case, the rules of purification are simplified:
- Prepare Before Prayer: Perform Wudu (ablution) as close as possible to the beginning of each prayer time.
- Don’t Worry During Prayer: After performing Wudu in this way, any gas passed during or after the prayer does not invalidate your ablution or your prayer. You are not required to repeat anything.
As Allah says: {He has not placed upon you in the religion any hardship.} (Al-Hajj 22:78). Your duty is to purify yourself once for each prayer time, then proceed with prayer calmly, ignoring any further occurrences of gas.
If you are not medically incontinent but experience uncertainty about whether you passed gas during prayer, ask yourself: “Was I certain I had Wudu when I began my prayer?”
If the answer is yes, you should ignore any doubts unless there are clear, tangible signs that you broke your Wudu, such as:
- A noticeable sound, or
- A distinct smell.
In the absence of such evidence, your prayer remains valid. This is grounded in the well-established legal principle: “Certainty is not removed by doubt” (al-yaqin la yazulu bi-shakk). Once your state of purity is confirmed, it is not invalidated by mere suspicion or fleeting thoughts.
How to Deal with Waswas (Doubts) About Passing Gas
If these doubts—whether about gas, purity, intention, or actions—frequently disturb your worship, it may be a form of Waswas (whispers) from Shaytan, aimed at disrupting your focus in prayer.
The remedy is simple:
- Seek refuge in Allah: Say “A`udhu billahi min ash-Shaytan ir-rajim” (I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Shaytan).
- Ignore baseless doubts.
- Trust in the mercy and clarity of Islamic law.
- Focus on sincere worship without fear or hesitation.
Indeed, Allah has made this religion easy and accommodating—especially for those striving in devotion with sincerity.
Read further on the topic through these fatwas:
- What to Do If Your Wudu Keeps Breaking
- Can I Pray If I Have Incontinence?
- Does Chronic Vaginal Discharge Break Wudu?
- Prostatic Discharge Without Having Any Desire: What to Do?
- Having Doubts About Releasing Urine: What Should I Do?
Almighty Allah knows best.