Which things break the wudu?

Question

I am confused over the fact that roaming in house where kids, mom or sister in law or sometimes guests in your boxers, can break your wudu? I am generally living alone, and mostly want to be comfortable while i am at home. so i prefer shorts or boxers.So sometimes my fiance shows up and i change later after i answered the door.
My question is, what sort of clothes in front of other break your wudu. And if smoking up a cigarette or non alcoholic beer like malt, breaks the wudu?

Answer 1

There is a clearly defined list of things which invalidate the prayer, and nothing other than these invalidate the wudhu. They are as follows:

• passing urine
• defecating/excretion
• passing wind from the rear/flatulating
• going into sleep, deep enough that it restrict sight and hearing. If you are unable to see (eye closed, dark room, etc) but can hear then the wudhu doesn't get void
• if a person loses his/her sensibility, turn insane, unconscious, intoxicated
• istahaza
• jannabat
• as a recommended precaution entering any state that requires ghusl. E.g. touching the corpse which hasn't been given ghusl (ghusl mas-e-maiyat)

Based on these none of the cases mentioned in the question invalidate/break the wudhu.

Source: Website of Ayatullah Sayyid Ali Husaini Sistani, Islamic Laws, Wudhu » Things which invalidate Wudhu rule #329.

Answer 2

The scholars differed about some of the reasons that breaks wudu'. but i'll mention in this answer reasons that have a vivid evidence, and there's no differs between scholars about it:

1. Any discharge from the front or back passage (urine, stools, wind,etc.) 1
2. Sleeping long enough that you can't tell if you discharge or not. 2
3. Touching a woman's body with sexual attraction 3.
4. Eating camel meat 4.
5. Touching the front or back passage 5.

Arabic Source:

• fatwa.islamweb.net
• islamway.net

My question is, what sort of clothes in front of another break your wudu. And if smoking up a cigarette or nonalcoholic beer like malt, breaks the wudu?

None of what you mentioned in your question breaks wudu', unless you eat camel meat.

1. (أو جاء أحد منكم من الغائط ) [النساء: 43] ولقوله صلى الله عليه وسلم: "فلا ينصرف حتى يسمع صوتاً أو يجد ريحاً،" متفق عليه.

2. لقوله صلى الله عليه وسلم: " العين وكاء السه فمن نام فليتوضأ،" رواه أحمد

   if it was a quick nap, or ones sleeps sitting that doesn't break wudu'.

   لقول أنس: كان أصحاب رسول ��لله صلى الله عليه وسلم ينا مون ثم يصلون ولا يتوضؤون". رواه مسلم والمقصود أنهم ينامون جلوساً ينتظرون الصلاة كما هو مصرح به في بعض روايات هذا الحديث.

3. It should be noted that touching a woman’s body does not break one’s wudu’, whether that is done with feelings of desire or otherwise, unless anything is emitted as a result of that touching.

4. Because of the hadeeth of Jaabir ibn Samurah, who said that a man asked the Prophet : saw: (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), “Should we do wudoo’ after eating camel meat?” He said, “Yes.” (Narrated by Muslim, al-Hayd, 539).

5. The Messenger of Allaah : saw: (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: “Whoever touches his penis, let him do wudoo’.” (narrated by Abu Dawood, al-Tahaarah, 154. al-Albaani said in Saheeh Sunan Abi Dawood, no. 166, it is saheeh).

Answer 3

1. Acts that nullify ablution

   1. Passing urine, feces or gas
   2. Sexual discharge from the penis or vagina
   3. Deep sleep that makes a person completely unaware of his surroundings
   4. Loss of consciousness
   5. Touching the sexual organ with the bare hand

2. Acts that do not nullify ablution

   1. Touching a woman
   2. Bleeding
   3. Vomit
   4. Having doubts about releasing gas

Allah Almighty knows best.

Answer 4

There is difference among the madhabs on what things break wudu, because of difference in interpretation of the Quran and Hadith and because of difference in opinion on whether some of the ahadith enjoin obligation or recommendation and whether they are authentic or abrogated etc.

Wudu is broken by the following:

• Anything coming out of the front or back private parts:

• normally such as urine, feces, flatus, ejaculate, pre-ejaculate. This is agreed upon.

• abnormally such as an insect, hair, stone, blood, flesh. This is the view of the majority because such thing will carry some filth with it.

  أو جاء أحد منكم من الغائط

  one of you comes from the place of relieving himself

  ^{— Quran 5:6}

• Filth that comes out from other than the private parts such as blood, vomit. This is a nullifier of wudu near the Hanafis and Hanbalis when it is above a threshold.

  من أصابه قيء أو رعاف أو قلس أو مذي فلينصرف فليتوضأ

  Whoever vomits has a nosebleed or emits prostatic fluid should stop praying and perform wudu

  ^{— Sunan ibn Majah}

• Loss of consciousness such as sleep, insanity, intoxication. This is a nullifier of wudu near the majority.

  فمن نام فليتوضأ

  One who sleeps should perform ablution

  ^{— Sunan Abi Dawud}

• Touching the opposite gender. This is a nullifier of wudu near the Shafi'is, Malikis and Hanbalis although the latter two add conditions that it be with desire. The Hanafis only consider it a nullifier when it is touching together of the private parts with desire and without a barrier.

  أو لامستم النساء

  or you have contacted women

  ^{— Quran 5:6}

• Touching your own private part. This is a nullifier of wudu near the Shafi'is, Malikis and is one of the the opinions of the Hanbalis.

  من مس فرجه فليتوضأ

  Whoever touches his private part, let him perform Wudu

  ^{— Sunan an-Nasai}

• Eating camel meat. This is a nullifier near the Hanbalis, see Why camel meat does not break wudu in Hanafi fiqh?

  فتوضأ من لحوم الإبل

  Perform ablution (after eating) camel's flesh

  ^{— Muslim}

• Giving ghusl to a dead person. This is a nullifier near some of the Hanbalis.

• Laughing during salah. This is a nullifier of wudu near some of the Hanafis.

  من ضحك أن يعيد الوضوء والصلاة

  Who laughed should make up for their wudu and prayer

  ^{— Sunan al-Daraqutni}

• Apostasy. This is a nullifier of wudu near the Hanbalis and Malikis. i.e. if a person does wudu and then commits kufr and then re-accepts Islam, he must re-perform wudu and his old wudu is not valid. This is based on invalidation of deeds due to Kufr:

  لئن أشركت ليحبطن عملك

  If you should associate [anything] with Allah, your work would surely become worthless

  ^{— Quran 39:65}

• Doubt about being unclean. This is a nullifier near the Malikis.

Very scarce madhabs: The following being considered nullifiers has been narrated from some individuals, but they are not adopted by the mainstream schools:

• Eating what has been cooked by fire.
• Eating haram food.
• Saying something unlawful like lying, backbiting, slandering.

References:

1. الموسوعة الفقهية: حدث , وضوء
2. الفقه الإسلامي وأدلته للزحيلي
3. Islamic Jurisprudence According To The Four Schools