Does Presence of Blood Invalidate Prayer? (Shafi’i)

Answered by Shaykh Jamir Meah

Question: Assalamu alaykum

Sometimes I get a cut and put a bandage on to help it heal and prevent the blood from spreading to my clothes. If I took it off, I know blood will likely spread to my clothes. Can I pray with a bandage on, even if I know blood will get on it? Would I have to change it before the next prayer?

Answer: Wa’alaykum assalam, I pray you’re well. Thank you for your question.

Blood is considered filth (najasa) but is however, excused when praying, whether on one’s body or clothes (including plasters and bandages etc.).

Conditions of Exemption

This exemption is on the following conditions:

1. The blood was not caused by the person himself, such as cutting himself on purpose

2. The blood is not mixed with something else, even something pure

3. The blood has not moved from the injured area to a ‘distant’ area of the body or clothes, such as blood from the head landing on the arms or feet (as opposed to a part of the body that is ‘near’ to the injured area, such as the face neck or shoulders in this scenario).

If any these conditions are not fulfilled, only a small amount of one’s own blood is excused.

[Hashiyat al Bajuri]

For further details, please refer to the following answer:

Are blood and pus considered impurities in the Shafi’i school?

Warmest salams,
[Shaykh] Jamir Meah

Shaykh Jamir Meah grew up in Hampstead, London. In 2007, he traveled to Tarim, Yemen, where he spent nine years studying the Islamic sciences on a one-to-one basis under the foremost scholars of the Ribaat, Tarim, with a main specialization and focus on Shafi’i fiqh. In early 2016, he moved to Amman, Jordan, where he continues advanced studies in a range of Islamic sciences, as well as teaching. Jamir is a qualified homeopath.