If wudu is broken after sitting long enough for tashahhud, is prayer regarded to have been completed? What should one do if his wudu is broken in prayer?

Dear Brother / Sister,

If something that invalidates wudu, ghusl, tayammum, masah or bandage (over wound) in prayer takes place and if the person has not completed the prayer by saluting, prayer is invalidated. All madhhabs except Hanafis agree on this decree.

Hanafis state the following: The things that invalidate wudu, ghusl, tayammum, masah and bandage invalidate prayer if they happen before sitting long enough for tashahhud in the last sitting. However, if they happen after sitting long enough for tashahhud in the last sitting, they do not invalidate prayer according to the strong view. This state invalidates wudu but does not invalidate prayer since prayer has been completed.

A person whose wudu is broken in prayer can make wudu and resume his prayer or he can perform it again from the beginning if he wishes. However, if he wants to resume, he must not speak or do anything that will invalidate prayer.

If the nose of a person bleeds or if he vomits, in short, if something that breaks wudu happens involuntarily, he is free to do one of the following: If he wishes, he makes wudu and performs the prayer again. It is called resuming the prayer ("istinaf as- salah"). This is the virtuous one. Or, if he wishes, he makes wudu with the water that is the closest without doing anything contrary to prayer and resumes his prayer in the place where he has started it if he is praying individually. If he follows an imam, he returns to his previous place and completes his prayer. He cannot stand in a place where it will prevent the validity of following an imam and follow the imam.

However, if the prayer in congregation has finished when he returns, he prays like a person who is praying individually. This performing is called continuing the prayer (bina as-salah). If such a person goes to a distant place to make wudu though there is water in a nearer place, or if he reads the Quran on the way or while returning or if his awrah places are opened in the meantime, he cannot resume the prayer. He has to perform it again. 

If the wudu of an excused person is broken due to a reason except his excuse, the decrees above are valid for him too.

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