Question:
Assalamualaikum, I want to ask for your opinion. There was a time when the time for prayer started and I need to urinate. However, since I was too lazy to take the ablution again, I decided to hold my bladder and waited until I have completed my prayer. What is the ruling for what I did?
Answer:
Alhamdulillah, praise and thanks to Allah for the countless blessings He has blessed us all with. Blessings and salutations to the Prophet Muhammad PBUH, his wives, his family, companions and all those that follow his teachings to the day of judgement.
Before we answer the question asked, first we would like to explain about concentration (khusyu’) in prayer.
Allah SWT states:
قَدْ أَفْلَحَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ . الَّذِينَ هُمْ فِي صَلَاتِهِمْ خَاشِعُونَ
“Certainly, will the believers have succeeded: They who are during their prayer humbly submissive.”
Surah al-Mukminin (1-2)
Ibn Kathir commented on the above verse saying: ‘Ali bin Abi Talhah narrated from Ibn Abbas R.Anhuma: “خَاشِعُونَ” (the people who are humbly submissive) are those who fear Allah in tranquillity. From Ali bin Abi Talib RA: What is meant as khusyuk in this verse is the submission of the heart.
While Hasan al-Basri said: “Their submission and concentration are in their hearts, and due to this they bow their heads and submit themselves. Khusyuk (concentration/submission) in prayer can only be achieved when a person focuses his heart and forget all other activities. Thus, at that time calm and tranquillity exist for him.” (See Tafsir al-Quran al-'Azim, 5/110)
It is narrated that the above verse was revealed to the Prophet PBUH while he was praying looking up. Then, this verse is revealed and he turns his face down to where he prostrated. (See al-Tafsir al-Munir fi al-'Aqidah wa al-Syari'ah wa al-Manhaj, 9/329)
According to al-Baghawi, the scholars have differing opinions in commenting the meaning of khusyuk in the statement of Allah SWT “الَّذِينَ هُمْ فِي صَلَاتِهِمْ خَاشِعُونَ” They who are during their prayer humbly submissive. However, all of them agreed that khusyuk is a vital element for excellence in prayer.
It should be understood that khusyuk is divided into two:
- Khusyuk of the heart means the presence of the heart while someone is praying focusing towards Allah SWT, together with the love towards Him, praising Him, fearing His punishments and hoping for rewards from Him that will lead to the feeling of nearness towards Him and contentment in his heart and understanding and contemplating everything that is recited and done in his prayer from the beginning all through the end of his prayer. The khusyuk of the heart is what will lead to the khusyuk of the actions, for it is the basis of khusyuk.
- Khusyuk in the actions is the calmness in the actions in prayer, composed and unrushed movements in zikr and supplication, facing down towards the place of prostration, not turning around to other directions that could get rid of khusyuk and are not busy with unnecessary movements.
This is what khusyuk is, it is the fundamental of prayer. However, our body will not be able to obtain khusyuk unless when our heart is in the state of khusyuk, for the khusyuk of the heart is the basis of the khusyuk of the body.
Sa’id bin Musayyib Rahimahullah once saw a man is doing unnecessary thing in prayer, then he said: “If only the heart of this person is in the state of khusyuk, surely, his body will be in the state of khusyuk too.” (See Sunan al-Kubra by Imam al-Baihaqi, 2/285)
To learn more about khusyuk in prayer, we have explained this matter in BAYAN LINNAS SERIES 82: Khusyuk in Prayer: The Rulings and How to Achieve It.
Answering the above question, it is narrated from Aisyah R.Anha, the Prophet PBUH said:
لَا صَلَاةَ بِحَضْرَةِ طَعَامٍ وَلَا وَهُوَ يُدَافِعُهُ الْأَخْبَثَانِ
“Prayer should not be offered in presence of meals, nor at the moment when one is struggling with two evils (e.g. when one is feeling the call of nature)”
Sahih Muslim (560)
Imam al-Nawawi in commenting on the above hadith states: “The hadith indicates the makruh (undesirable) ruling of praying if someone is hungry and the food is already served, for it will distract him when he is praying thinking about the food, removing khusyuk in his prayer. The same as it is makruh (undesirable) for someone to hold his bladder or bowel movement, for it will make his heart anxious and remove khusyuk in his prayer. For both of these, it is makruh if the time for prayer is still long, however, if it is near the end of the prayer time, then he should not delay his prayer to ensure he is able to pray in time.” (See Syarh al-Nawawi ‘ala Sahih Muslim, 5/26)
For anything that could distract the presence of the heart of someone in his prayer, then he has to settle it first before he prays to ensure khusyuk in his prayer. The same applies to answering to the call of nature, for it could distract someone in payer.
Urinating or defecating are calls of nature that should not be delayed, praying while holding the bladder or bowel movement could harm the fulfilment of the qauli and fi’li requisites of prayer. By holding them in, it could lead to some of the najis to come out and end up on the clothes worn.
There is another hadith narrated by Abu Umamah RA,
أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ نَهَى أَنْ يُصَلِّيَ الرَّجُلُ وَهُوَ حَاقِنٌ
“The Messenger of Allah forbade a man to perform prayer when he was suppressing (the urge to urinate or defecate).”
Sunan Ibn Majah (617) and Musnad Ahmad (21648)
Syeikh al-Sindi states: “The word haqin (حَاقِن) means suppressing the urge to urinate and defecate.” (See Hasyiah al-Sindi ‘ala Sunan Ibn Majah, 1/213)
Conclusion
As a conclusion, the prayer of someone praying while holding the bladder and bowel movement is valid but it is makruh (undesirable). Our advice is to settle the matters of answering to the call of nature first before performing any type of worship, for khusyuk in important when performing worship for a slave of Allah SWT.
May Allah SWT make us from among His slaves who are consistent in worshipping Him the best we could and we end our discussion with a supplication taught to Muaz bin Jabal RA by the Prophet PBUH:
اللَّهُمَّ أَعِنِّي عَلَى ذِكْرِكَ ، وَشُكْرِكَ ، وَحُسْنِ عِبَادَتِكَ
“O Allah, help me in remembering You, in giving You thanks, and worshipping You well.”
Sunan Abu Dawud (1522)