Key points
- You become ma'zur when bleeding or discharge lasts through a whole prayer time with no break long enough for wudu and the fard prayer.
- Make wudu after each prayer time begins; it lasts for that whole time despite the bleeding.
- The status continues while the bleeding appears at least once in every prayer time, and ends when a full prayer time passes without it.
Who is ma'zur
A ma'zur (معذور, "excused person") is someone with a continuous condition that breaks wudu, such as bleeding of istihaza, urinary incontinence, or a wound that keeps flowing. The ruling is the same for men and women.
How the status begins
You become ma'zur when, for one entire prayer time (for example from the start of Dhuhr until Asr begins), the bleeding never stops long enough for you to make wudu and pray the fard prayer.
Until then, the normal rule applies: wait for a break, make wudu, pray, and renew wudu if blood comes again. Pray before the time ends even if you have to.
How a ma'zur makes wudu and prays
- Make wudu after the prayer time has begun.
- That wudu is valid for the whole of that prayer time, for fard, sunnah, nafl and qada prayers, and for touching the Quran, even if the bleeding continues.
- It ends when the prayer time ends, or if something else breaks it (for example using the toilet or sleeping).
- A wudu made after sunrise lasts until the end of Dhuhr time, because a ma'zur's wudu ends when a prayer time goes out, not when one comes in.
The Wudu Reminder builds your wudu windows from today's prayer times.
How long the status lasts
Once established, you remain ma'zur as long as the bleeding appears at least once in every following prayer time, even briefly. The status ends only when one full prayer time passes completely free of it. After that, you would need a full prayer time of continuous bleeding again to become ma'zur.
Cleanliness
Use a pad or cotton to limit the spread, and change it when practical. If the blood will soil your clothes again before you can finish praying, you are not required to keep washing them.
This guide is educational and follows mainstream Hanafi positions. For your own situation, please consult a qualified scholar. See the disclaimer, the glossary and how rulings are worked out.