Why Accidentally Touching Your Private Parts will not Break Wudu
C.J Ahmed-09.04.2023
There is a difference of opinion among scholars on whether the ablution is invalid if your accidentally touch your private parts. The correct view I that touching your private parts accidentally or deliberately won’t break your wudu and the below hadith clearly proves this,
Narrated Talq bin ‘Ali (rali):
A man said: “I touched my penis” or he said, “Does a man who touch his penis during the prayer should perform Wudu (ablution)?” The Prophet (sal) replied, “No, it is only a part of your body”. (Bulugh al Maram and reported by Al-Khamsa-Ibn Hibban graded it Sahih (authentic)).
Some try to argue that this hadith is abrogated but there is no valid proof from the authentic hadiths which states that the prophet (sal) abrogated it.
Narrated Talq:
“We came upon the Prophet of Allah (sal). A man came to him: he seemed to be a bedouin. He said: Prophet of Allah, what do you think about a man who touches his penis after performing ablution? He (sal) replied: That is only a part of his body.(Abu-Dawud-Graded Sahih by Albani)
Regarding the hadith which state that wudu is a must after touching the privates
There are scholars who state that touching the private after wudu will invalidate it. They argue using the below hadiths,
Basrah bint Safwan said: “Whoever touches his private parts, let him do wudu” (Nasai and Ibn Majah and authenticated by Sheikh Albani)
In another hadith the prophet (sal) aid,
“Whoever touches his private part, let him do wudu” (Abu-Dawud-Graded Sahih by Albani)
Abu Hurayrah (rali) said: Prophet (sal) said:
“If one of you touches his penis and there is no veil between him and it nor any cover, then wudhoo has become obligatory for him.” (al Hakim-Graded Sahih by Albani)
Ibn Qudamah said the following as his opinion,
“Wudu is not invalidated by touching anything on the entire body other than the private parts, such as the area surrounding the private part or anus, and the testicles, according to the majority of scholars, because there is no text to suggest that and they do not come under the same heading as that which is mentioned in the text, so the ruling cannot apply to them.” (Al-Mughni, 1/119)
Imam ash-Shafi said the following,
“If he touches his testicles or buttocks or knees, but he does not touch his penis, then he does not have to do wudu.”(al-Umm (1/34)
What needs to be understood is that if there are two option, taking the easier option is the bet option and this is proven from the Sunnah of the messenger of Allah (sal) in the following hadith,
Narrated `Aisha (rali),
“Whenever Allah's Messenger (sal) was given the choice of one of two matters, he would choose the easier of the two, as long as it was not sinful to do so” (Bukhari)
In Islam, both the views, not taking ablution after touching the privates and taking ablution after touching the privates are both correct because both are mentioned in the authentic hadiths and the below hadith example proves this,
Aisha (rali) narrated a similar narration stating:
”While they were on their way, the time of Asr came. Some companions said we should not pray until we reach Bani-Quraiza. Others said we should pray Asr now because the Prophet (S.A.W.) did not mean for us to leave the Asr prayer, but he wanted us to be in a hurry. So some of the companions prayed ASR, while others continued on until they reached Bani-Quraiza after sunset. When they went back to the Prophet, they mentioned to him the story; He accepted the action of all of them."
(Bukhari and Muslim)
What needs to be understood is that taking the easier option and that is to not taing blution after touching the privates is better as the hadith of Aisha (rali) says ,
“Whenever Allah's Messenger (sal) was given the choice of one of two matters, he would choose the easier of the two, as long as it was not sinful to do so” (Bukhari)
Not taking ablution after touchng the privates is the best oftion for a Muslim as it is easier and more convenient.
There is a difference of opinion among scholars on whether the ablution is invalid if your accidentally touch your private parts. The correct view I that touching your private parts accidentally or deliberately won’t break your wudu and the below hadith clearly proves this,
Narrated Talq bin ‘Ali (rali):
A man said: “I touched my penis” or he said, “Does a man who touch his penis during the prayer should perform Wudu (ablution)?” The Prophet (sal) replied, “No, it is only a part of your body”. (Bulugh al Maram and reported by Al-Khamsa-Ibn Hibban graded it Sahih (authentic)).
Some try to argue that this hadith is abrogated but there is no valid proof from the authentic hadiths which states that the prophet (sal) abrogated it.
Narrated Talq:
“We came upon the Prophet of Allah (sal). A man came to him: he seemed to be a bedouin. He said: Prophet of Allah, what do you think about a man who touches his penis after performing ablution? He (sal) replied: That is only a part of his body.(Abu-Dawud-Graded Sahih by Albani)
Regarding the hadith which state that wudu is a must after touching the privates
There are scholars who state that touching the private after wudu will invalidate it. They argue using the below hadiths,
Basrah bint Safwan said: “Whoever touches his private parts, let him do wudu” (Nasai and Ibn Majah and authenticated by Sheikh Albani)
In another hadith the prophet (sal) aid,
“Whoever touches his private part, let him do wudu” (Abu-Dawud-Graded Sahih by Albani)
Abu Hurayrah (rali) said: Prophet (sal) said:
“If one of you touches his penis and there is no veil between him and it nor any cover, then wudhoo has become obligatory for him.” (al Hakim-Graded Sahih by Albani)
Ibn Qudamah said the following as his opinion,
“Wudu is not invalidated by touching anything on the entire body other than the private parts, such as the area surrounding the private part or anus, and the testicles, according to the majority of scholars, because there is no text to suggest that and they do not come under the same heading as that which is mentioned in the text, so the ruling cannot apply to them.” (Al-Mughni, 1/119)
Imam ash-Shafi said the following,
“If he touches his testicles or buttocks or knees, but he does not touch his penis, then he does not have to do wudu.”(al-Umm (1/34)
What needs to be understood is that if there are two option, taking the easier option is the bet option and this is proven from the Sunnah of the messenger of Allah (sal) in the following hadith,
Narrated `Aisha (rali),
“Whenever Allah's Messenger (sal) was given the choice of one of two matters, he would choose the easier of the two, as long as it was not sinful to do so” (Bukhari)
In Islam, both the views, not taking ablution after touching the privates and taking ablution after touching the privates are both correct because both are mentioned in the authentic hadiths and the below hadith example proves this,
Aisha (rali) narrated a similar narration stating:
”While they were on their way, the time of Asr came. Some companions said we should not pray until we reach Bani-Quraiza. Others said we should pray Asr now because the Prophet (S.A.W.) did not mean for us to leave the Asr prayer, but he wanted us to be in a hurry. So some of the companions prayed ASR, while others continued on until they reached Bani-Quraiza after sunset. When they went back to the Prophet, they mentioned to him the story; He accepted the action of all of them."
(Bukhari and Muslim)
What needs to be understood is that taking the easier option and that is to not taing blution after touching the privates is better as the hadith of Aisha (rali) says ,
“Whenever Allah's Messenger (sal) was given the choice of one of two matters, he would choose the easier of the two, as long as it was not sinful to do so” (Bukhari)
Not taking ablution after touchng the privates is the best oftion for a Muslim as it is easier and more convenient.