Purifying Clothes from a Child’s Urine: A Simple Shariah Ruling

Can I Pray in Clothes Soiled by a Child’s Urine?

Question: If a child urinates on the mother’s clothes, and she washes them, can she pray in those clothes since she cannot change clothes frequently?

Answer: Many women are unable to pray because they are concerned about their children’s urine. However, Shariah has provided a very simple ruling on this matter.

Lubabah bint al-Harith (may Allah be pleased with her) said:

"Husayn ibn Ali (may Allah be pleased with them) urinated in the lap of the Prophet (peace be upon him), so I said: 'O Messenger of Allah, give me your garment and wear another garment.' The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'Only sprinkle water over the urine of a boy, and wash the urine of a girl.'" (Sunan Ibn Majah: 522, and Sheikh Albani graded it as Hasan Sahih)

From this Hadith, we learn that if a boy urinates on clothes, sprinkling water on that spot is sufficient to purify the garment. If a girl urinates, the spot where the urine is must be washed. This means that after washing the spot where the urine is, the mother can pray in those clothes without needing to change them. It should also be noted that this ruling applies during the breastfeeding period, which is up to two years. After two years, the ruling for a child’s urine is the same as for an adult’s urine, meaning the spot where the urine is must be washed with water.

✍ Sheikh Maqbool Ahmed Salafi

❪Jeddah Dawah Center – Al-Salama – Kingdom of Saudi Arabia)