Is Wiping Away Blood Enough, or Must It Be Washed Before Salah?
Question
AssalÄmu Ęŋalaykum wa raá¸ĨmatullÄhi wa barakÄtuh, I sincerely apologise for the urgency of this message, but I have just realised something that is causing me a great deal of stress and worry. I follow the ḤanafÄĢ madhhab. Every morning when I wake up, I take insulin injections - one in my stomach and another in my buttocks. Often after the injection, some blood emerges and flows away from the site. What I usually do is stop the bleeding with a dry tissue (this typically takes around 5â10 seconds), and then wipe away any blood from the surrounding skin. After doing this, there is no visible blood left at all. Has this been sufficient for ášahÄrah, or was it obligatory to wash the area with water after wiping away all the blood? If washing is required, how exactly should I do it? Would wiping with a wet tissue be sufficient, or does the water need to actually flow over the skin? It would be very difficult for me to position my stomach and buttocks under running water each time and ensuring that the water reaches the exact affected areas, especially on a daily basis. I also want to clarify that my question is not about bleeding while in a state of wuá¸ÅĢâ. I was already not in a state of wuá¸ÅĢâ before the injections anyway. My concern is specifically whether wiping away the blood from the skin is sufficient for purification, or if using water is obligatory. I am very worried that my prayers may not have been valid, as I have been doing this for most of my life. I would be more than happy to explain this over the phone if that would be helpful. JazÄkum AllÄhu khayran for your time and guidance.
Islamic Ruling & Answer
Walekumussalam warahmatullahi wabaraktuh,
The blood that comes out after an injection is impure, and it is necessary to clean it. If you wipe the blood with a tissue in such a way that no trace remains, then this is sufficient, and washing with water is not obligatory.
However, washing with water is preferable. If any trace remains, then washing with water becomes necessary.
Your method is correct, and your prayers are valid, Inshaallah.
Answered by
Mufti Tosif Qasmi
April 15, 2026 ¡ Updated July 04, 2026
Researched & verified under our editorial & answer-review policy.
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