If one of you feels something in his stomach and doubts whether he released some wind or not, he should not leave the mosque unless he hears a sound or smells an odor
Chapter: Evidence that if a person is certain that he is in a state of purity, then he doubts whether he has committed hadith (broken his wudu’), then he prays with his purity like that
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said:
"If one of you feels something in his stomach and doubts whether he released some wind or not, he should not leave the mosque unless he hears a sound or smells an odor."
Reported by Muslim (No. 362), At-Tirmidhi (No. 75) and Ahmad (No. 8019, 8020).
The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) explained that if a person feels some disturbance in his stomach and he is not sure whether something has come out of him, he should not leave his prayer and cut it off to renew his ablution, unless he ascertains that his ablution was broken, by hearing the sound of wind or smelling its odor. This is because a doubtful one does not nullify a certain thing, and he is certain about his purification but doubtful whether it has been broken or not.
Lessons
This Hadīth contains one of the Islamic principles and Fiqhi rules: Certainty cannot be removed by doubt, and the basic rule is that things remain as they are unless established otherwise.
Doubt does not affect ablution, and a worshiper retains his state of ablution unless he is sure it has been broken.
Explanation in Arabic
بَيَّنَ النبيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أنَّه إذا تردَّد في بطن المصلي شيءٌ، فالتَبَسَ عليه أَخَرَجَ منه شيءٌ أم لا؟ فلا ينصَرف مِن صلاته ويقطعها لإعادة الوضوء، حتى يتيقَّن وجودَ الحَدَثِ الناقِضِ لوضوئه؛ بأنْ يسمعَ صوتَ الرِّيح، أو يَشمَّ الرائحة؛ لأن المتَيقَّن لا يبطلُه الشَّك، وهو قد تيقَّن الطَّهارةَ، والحَدَثُ مشكوكٌ فيه.
هذا الحديث أصل من أصول الإسلام وقاعدة من قواعد الفقه، وهي: أن اليقين لا يزول بالشك، والأصل بقاء ما كان على ما كان، حتى يتيقن خلاف ذلك.
الشك غير مؤثر في الطهارة، والمصلي باقٍ على طهارته ما لم يتيقن حَدَثًا.
Scholars’ grades
Grade taken from the status of the collection (Sahih Muslim).
وَأَصْلُهُ فِي اَلصَّحِيحَيْنِ مِنْ حَدِيثِ عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ بْنِ زَيْد ٍ 1 . 1 - صحيح. ولفظه: شكي إلى النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم: الرجل يخيل إليه أن يجد الشيء في الصلاة؟ قال: "لا ينصرف حتى سمع صوتا، أو يجد ريحا".…
‘Abdullāh ibn Zayd ibn ‘Āsim al-Māzini (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that a complaint was made to the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) about the person who doubts that something (breaking his ablution) has happened to him during his prayer, and he said: "He should…
