Question: I have contracted the STD herpes. What should i do for prayers.?

Answer: Outbreaks of herpes typically last for days or weeks, so missing prayers for such a lengthy period would not be allowed.

If the outbreak does not actually result in pus leaking out of the anal, vaginal or oral sores, then your wudhu is not broken, and you would act as if you do not even have herpes, praying and performing acts of worship as normal.

If, however, pus is constantly leaking out of the sores, then you would be considered a ma’zoor. You would make wudhu for every fardh prayer you wish to pray, and then ignore the leaking. After the fardh you may perform however many acts of worship you wish. Once the beginning time for the next salah arrives, your wudhu is broken and you should make a new wudhu, which will suffice until the next salah, and so on.

If the leaking of pus is intermittent, you would make wudhu for every salah, and quickly pray that salah before the pus leaks out. Once the pus leaks out, your wudhu is broken.

May Allah make you better, and may He minimise and eradicate your outbreaks of herpes. You may want to ask yourself why you contracted herpes, and if need be, change your lifestyle to ensure they don’t get worse. Also, be aware that herpes can be passed onto your wife, so take precautions to ensure you do not infect her too.