Q5 :By how many ways is ablution invalidated? Does
touching a non-Muslim or touching a woman intentionally invalidate
ablution?
A5 : Everything that is discharged through one’s
private parts, whether wind, fluid or solid, invalidates ablution. It
is well known that a discharge of semen requires a full bath or grand
ablution. But everything else that is discharged through either private
parts requires a fresh ablution, i.e. wudhu before one can offer
prayers. Sound sleep is also a cause to invalidate ablution. Some
scholars are of the opinion that a mere sleep is sufficient cause to
require a new ablution, while the majority of scholars suggest that if
a person sleeps while seated in a position which makes any release of
wind impossible, his ablution is not invalidated. Loss of
consciousness is another reason for fresh ablution before prayer. It
does not matter whether this is caused by drunkenness, medicine, or by
natural causes. Similarly, a temporary loss of mental powers through
madness is also a cause which invalidates ablution. Finally, touching
one’s genital organ with one’s hand [skin to skin] invalidates
ablution. There are Hadiths to support what we have said regarding each
of these causes. Limitation of space prevents me from quoting them in
detail. They are readily available in any book of Fiqh or Hadith.
There are certain actions which some people think to be reasons for
having a fresh ablution. It is appropriate to mention them briefly,
emphasizing that they do not invalidate ablution. The first is
touching a woman, skin to skin. Some scholars find this as enough
reason to invalidate ablution, the majority are of the opinion that
such touching is not the type referred to in the Qur’an as requiring
ablution. They consider the Qur’anic statement to mean sexual contact.
Secondly, bleeding from any part of the body with the exception of
menstruation. It does not matter whether it is extensive or little
bleeding or whether it is through an injury or through one’s nose. Nor
does vomiting or eating camel meat invalidate ablution. The same can be
said of loud laughter during prayer and giving a dead person a final
wash. There is no evidence to support that these are the actions
which invalidate ablution. If someone doubts whether his ablution has
been invalidated or not, scholars tell him that it has not been
invalidated unless he is certain that it has been. In other words, he
must be sure that he has done any of the invalidating actions mentioned
above to require a new ablution before he prays.
Our Dialogue ( Source : Arab News – Jeddah )