Ruling 834 — Prayer (Ṣalāh)

In three cases – the details of which will follow afterwards – if the body or clothing of someone performing prayers is impure, his prayers are valid: 1. if due to a wound, sore, or boil on his body the clothing or his body has become impure with blood; 2. if the amount of blood that has made his body or clothing impure is less than the area covered by a dirham. Based on obligatory precaution, a dirham is equal to the size of the upper joint of the thumb; 3. if he is compelled to perform prayers with an impure body or clothing. In one case, [despite not falling under any of the three cases above,] if the clothing of someone performing prayers is impure, his prayers are valid, and that is when his small items of clothing – such as his socks and cap – are impure. The laws (aḥkām) of these four situations will be explained in detail in the following rulings.