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

Explanation

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.