[Q 431] Prayer on Carpet with Madhi, Effect of Madhi on Prayer Validity, Is Namaz Valid on Impure Carpet?

QUESTION:

if pre-ejaculation only (not actual semen) falls on the floor/carpet and one forgets to clean that area of the carpet and then prayer on that area, is that persons namaz valid or will he have to repeat it?

ANSWER:

Just like mani (semen), madhi (pre-ejaculate) is also najasat ghaleeza (heavy impurity). For the namaz (prayer) to be valid, it is a condition that the place of prayer be paak (pure). This means that the spots on the ground where the praying person’s body parts make contact,must be free of impurity.

Now, if none of those limbs came into contact with the impurity, the prayer is valid. However, if any such body part rested on the impure spot and the impurity was more than the size of a dirham (approximately the size of an old silver coin), and he remained in that state for the length of one rukn , then the prayer becomes fasid (invalid), and it will be necessary to perform it again from the start.

If the impurity was equal to a dirham, then the prayer becomes makrooh tehreemi (prohibitively disliked), and it is wajib (necessary) to repeat it. If it was less than a dirham, the prayer will be valid, but it is khilaf-e-sunnat (contrary to Sunnah).

While discussing scenarios that invalidate prayer, Tanweer al-Absar with Radd al-Muhtar states:

“(وصلاته على مصلى مضرب نجس البطانة) أى مخيط، وإنما تفسد إذا كان النجس المانع في موضع قيامه أو جبهته أو في موضع يديه أو ركبتيه على ما مر”

(Radd al-Muḥtār, Volume 1, Page 626, Beirut Edition)

In Bahar-e-Shariat it is written:
“If the impurity is less than the amount that invalidates prayer, even then it is makrooh (disliked). If the najasat ghaleeza is equal to a dirham, the prayer is makrooh tehreemi, and if less than that, it is khilaf-e-sunnat.”

(Bahar-e-Shariat, Volume 1, Part 3, Page 477, Maktaba-tul-Madina, Karachi)

Answered by: Mubashir Attari (AskMufti Scholar)
Verified by: Mufti Sajid Attari
Translated answer
Date: 29th July 2025