Inability to Perform Wudu because of a Skin Disease

Question:

A person has spots called “German smallpox,” spread across his face and body, so the doctor advised him not to make wudu (ablution). He stopped making wudu and started doing tayamum then he wasn’t able to perform tayamum because of the spots on the whole of his face. Is it permissible for him to pray without ablution and is his prayer correct, or is it upon him to wait until he is cured from this illness, with the knowledge that he has been praying these day’s without ablution or tayamum?

Answer:

The answer is [Allah says in the Quran]

{فَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ مَا ٱسۡتَطَعۡتُمۡ}

“Fear Allah as much as you are able.”

{لَا یُكَلِّفُ ٱللَّهُ نَفۡسًا إِلَّا وُسۡعَهَاۚ}

“Allah does not burden a person beyond his scope.”

[The Prophet ﷺ said]

ما أمرتكم به فأتوا منه ما استطعتم

“Do what I order you with, to the best if your ability.”

Therefore if he is not able to make ablution or tayamum then he prays in his state that he’s in and he should never leave off the prayer. Should he repeat? (the prayer) the answer is “no”, this is his obligation.

He says (the questioner) “If he has a wet dream in this state of praying without wudhu or tayamum, does he carry on praying or does he stop until he is cured because he can’t wash or make tayamum because of his condition”?

The ruling is one, so if he were to have a wet dream or have intercourse with his family if he is married and became upon major impurity so in this case it is not possible for him to wash or make tayamum so therefore it is permissible for him to pray in the state he is in. As for saying that it is not permissible for him to have intercourse with his wife and he knows the he is on this state then no. This is from burdening that which one is not capable of, rather if he becomes upon major impurity by way of having a wet dream or other than that and it’s not possible for him to wash or make tayamum then he prays in the state that he is in and he should never leave off the prayer or postpone it and he is not required to re-do his prayers.

And Allah knows best.

Answered by: Shaikh Abu Abdillah Muhammad Ba Jamaal (May Allah preserve him)

Source: https://t.me/OfficialChannelShaykhBaajammaal/168

Translated by: Abu Musa Jamaal al-Britani