Islamic Method of Masah on Head in Wudu for Long Hair and Hijab
Question: What is the method of wiping the head (Masah) during Wudu for women and men with long hair? Also, is it permissible for a woman to wipe over the Hijab/Niqab in case of need?
Answer..!
Al-Hamdulillah (Praise be to Allah)..!
For men, in a general routine, the better and Sunnah method of wiping the head during Wudu is to take the hands from the hair of the forehead to the nape of the neck using the fingers of both hands, then bring the hands back to the forehead in the same manner wiping over the hair. Then, insert the index fingers of both hands into the earholes and rotate them inside the whole ear, and rotate both thumbs over the back of the ears.
((For more details see, Wudu ka Masnoon Tariqa Series No-268))
However, specifically for women and those men with long hair, ease has been provided regarding the wiping in Wudu, so that if they have parted their hair, their hair parting does not get messed up by wiping.
Observe the Hadith!
Sunan Abu Dawood
Book: The Book of Purification
Chapter: Description of the Prophet’s (ﷺ) Wudu
Hadith Number: 128
حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، وَيَزِيدُ بْنُ خَالِدٍ الْهَمْدَانِيُّ، قَالَا: حَدَّثَنَا اللَّيْثُ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَجْلَانَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَقِيلٍ، عَنْ الرُّبَيِّعِ بِنْتِ مُعَوِّذٍ ابْنِ عَفْرَاءَ، أَنّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ تَوَضَّأَ عِنْدَهَا، فَمَسَحَ الرَّأْسَ كُلَّهُ مِنْ قَرْنِ الشَّعْرِ كُلِّ نَاحِيَةٍ لِمُنْصَبِّ الشَّعْرِ لَا يُحَرِّكُ الشَّعْرَ عَنْ هَيْئَتِهِ.
Translation:
Rubayyi’ bint Mu’awwid bin Afra (RA) says that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) performed Wudu in her presence. He wiped the entire head, starting the wiping of the head from the top and taking it down to the ends of the hair in every corner, without moving the hair from its original form/shape.
Takhrij Dar-us-Salam:
Uniquely reported by Abu Dawood (Tuhfat al-Ashraf: 15840),
And it is reported by:
(Musnad Ahmad (Vol 6 / pg 359, 360) Hadith 27024)
(Hadith Status: Hasan)
Al-Albani has classified this Hadith as Hasan in Sahih Abu Dawood.
The Arabic words of the Hadith: مِنْ قَرْن الشَّعْر mean the upper part of the head, i.e., he would pass his hands from top to bottom to wipe the head.
قَالَ الْعِرَاقِيّ : ” وَالْمَعْنَى أَنَّهُ كَانَ يَبْتَدِئ الْمَسْح بِأَعْلَى الرَّأْس إِلَى أَنْ يَنْتَهِي بِأَسْفَلِهِ يَفْعَل ذَلِكَ فِي كُلّ نَاحِيَة عَلَى حِدَتهَا ” اِنْتَهَى نقلا عن “عون المعبود”.
Al-Iraqi (May Allah have mercy on him) while explaining the meaning of this Hadith says:
“The meaning is that he (ﷺ) would begin the wiping from the top of the head until he ended at the bottom of it; he would do that in every side separately.”
(Taken from: “Awn al-Ma’bud”)
قال ابن قدامة رحمه الله في “المغني” (1/87) : ” فإن كان ذا شعر يخاف أن ينتفش برد يديه لم يردهما . نص عليه أحمد ، فإنه قيل له : من له شعر إلى منكبيه , كيف يمسح في الوضوء ؟ فأقبل أحمد بيديه على رأسه مرة , وقال : هكذا كراهية أن ينتشر شعره . يعني أنه يمسح إلى قفاه ولا يرد يديه
Ibn Qudamah (May Allah have mercy on him) says in “Al-Mughni” (1/87):
If one has such hair that he fears will fluff up/get messy by bringing the hands back, he should not bring them back. Imam Ahmad has explicitly stated this; because it was said to him: “One who has hair up to his shoulders, how should he wipe during Wudu?” So Imam Ahmad passed his hands over his head once and said: “Like this,” out of dislike that his hair might scatter. Meaning, he wipes up to his nape and does not bring his hands back.
On the Saudi Fatwa website, the following answer was given to this question by the scholars:
السؤال
ما هي طريقة مسح المرأة على رأسها عند الوضوء؟
Answer:
A famous method is reported regarding wiping the head, that a person takes his hair with both hands wiping from the beginning of the head to the nape, and then brings them back to the place he started.
However, with this method, the hair gets scattered and messy. Therefore, the second method is better for a woman: that she wipes from the beginning of the head to the nape and does not bring her hands back to the forehead. This is the method present in the narration of Rubayyi’ (RA)… [Summary of the previous Hadith explanation]. Also, Imam Ahmad was asked how a woman should wipe? He said: She should do it like this: He placed his hand in the middle of the head and brought it towards the forehead, and then lifted his hand and took it to where he started the wiping, and then took it towards the nape. [In short] Whatever method is used to wipe the obligatory amount of the head will be sufficient.” End.
And Allah knows best.
(https://islamqa.info/ar/answers/112171/ )
Ruling on wiping over Niqab/Hijab..?
Although there is a difference of opinion among scholars on this issue, according to our knowledge, the correct view is that in times of need, for example, severe cold, or difficulty in taking off and wearing it again, it is permissible for a woman to wipe over the scarf and hijab. Just as it is permissible for men to wipe over turbans (Imamah), similarly, it is permissible for women to wipe over the hijab and niqab in times of need.
Sahih Bukhari
Book: Wudu
Chapter: Chapter: On wiping over Khuffain (leather socks).
Hadith Number: 205
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدَانُ ، قَالَ: أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ ، قَالَ: أَخْبَرَنَا الْأَوْزَاعِيُّ ، عَنْ يَحْيَى ، عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ ، عَنْ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ عَمْرِو ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ ، قَالَ: رَأَيْتُ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَمْسَحُ عَلَى عِمَامَتِهِ وَخُفَّيْهِ،
Translation:
Narrated by Abdan, he said we were informed by Abdullah, he said we were informed by Al-Awza’i, from Yahya, from Abu Salamah, from Ja’far bin Amr, from his father who said: I saw the Prophet (ﷺ) wiping over his Turban (Imamah) and his Khuffain (leather socks).
Imam Ibn Khuzaimah (May Allah have mercy on him) (223-311 AH) entitles the chapter on this Hadith as follows:
باب المرخصۃ فی المسح علی العمامۃ
“Chapter: The concession/license to wipe over the Turban.”
(Sahih Ibn Khuzaimah: 1/91, H: 181)
Hazrat Thauban (May Allah be pleased with him) states that:
بَعَثَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ سَرِيَّةً فَأَصَابَهُمُ الْبَرْدُ، فَلَمَّا قَدِمُوا عَلَى النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ شَكَوْا إِلَيْهِ مَا أَصَابَهُمْ مِنَ الْبَرْدِ، فَأَمَرَهُمْ أَنْ يَمْسَحُوا عَلَى الْعَصَائِبِ وَالتَّسَاخِينِ.
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) sent a military expedition (Sariyah) and they were afflicted by the cold. When they returned to the Prophet (ﷺ), they complained to him about the cold they had faced. So he commanded them to wipe over the Turbans/Head coverings (‘Asa’ib) and the Tasakhin (warm footwear/socks).
(Sunan Abu Dawood, Hadith -146)
(Musnad Ahmad, Hadith -22383)
Imam Ibn Hibban (May Allah have mercy on him) (d. 345 AH) says:
ذکر الإباحۃ للمرء أن یمسح علی عمامتہ کما کان یمسح علی عمامتہ، کما کان یمسح علی خفیہ علی خفیہ سواء دون الناصیۃ.
“Mention of the permissibility for a man to wipe only over his turban, even if he does not wipe over the forehead, just as wiping over leather socks is permissible.”
(Sahih Ibn Hibban 4/173, H 1343)
The Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia, Sheikh Ibn Uthaymeen (May Allah have mercy on him) was asked the following question:
Is it permissible for a woman to wipe over her scarf and dupatta?
Sheikh (RH) replied:
“In the famous view of Imam Ahmad’s Madhhab, if her scarf is wrapped under her throat, she may wipe over it, because this has been reported from some of the women of the Sahabah (Companions).
However, if there is any hardship or difficulty, for example, cold, or difficulty in taking it off and wrapping it again, then there is no harm in permitting it. Otherwise, it is better that she does not wipe over it.” End.
(See: Fatawa al-Taharah, page 171)
And in “Sharh Muntaha al-Iradat”, they say:
” و يصح المسح أيضا على خُمُرِ نساء مُدارةٍ تحت حلوقهن ؛ لأن أم سلمة كانت تمسح على خمارها ، ذكره ابن المنذر ” انتهى .
It is also valid to wipe over the headcovers (Khumur) of women which are wrapped under their throats; because Umm Salama (RA) used to wipe over her headcover (Khimar). Ibn al-Mundhir mentioned this. End.
(See: Sharh Muntaha al-Iradat ( 1 / 60 )
And when the headcover is covering the ears, then wiping over the headcover is sufficient. It is not necessary to insert the hands under the headcover or scarf to wipe the ears. Similarly, if a man has tied a turban, it is not mandatory for him to wipe the ears, even if they are exposed and bare; rather doing so is only Mustahabb (commendable).
Sheikh Ibn Uthaymeen (May Allah have mercy on him) says:
“And it is also Sunnah to wipe the part of the head that is exposed, for example, the forehead, and both sides of the head and both ears.”
See: Fatawa al-Taharah, page (170)
(Source: Islam Question and Answer)
((And Allah Ta’ala knows best what is correct)
Reference: https://alfurqan.info/problems/1509
