Do Women Need to Unbraid Their Hair for Ghusl? Islamic Guidance

Understanding Ghusl: Unbraiding Hair for Validity in Janabah

Do women have to unbraid their hair for Ghusl to be valid?

Some women braid their hair and when they do ghusl following janābah they do not undo their braids. Is their ġusl valid? Please note that the water does not reach all the roots of their hair. Please advise us, may Allah reward you with good.

Sheikh ’Abdul ʿAzīz ibn Bāz raḥimahullāh said:

“If a woman pours water over her head, that is sufficient, because Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) asked the Prophet (ﷺ) about that. She said: “I am a woman with braided hair; should I undo it when doing ġusl for al-janābah?” He said: “No, rather it is sufficient for you to pour three handfuls of water on your head, then pour water over yourself and you will be purified.” Narrated by al-Imām Muslim in his Ṣaḥīḥ.

So if a woman pours water on her head three times, that will be sufficient, and she does not need to undo the braids, because of this ṣaḥīḥ ḥadīth. ” [Majmūʿ al-Fatāwá, 10/182] 

NOTE: Ash-Shāfiʿī rahimahullah said: 

فَإِذَا كَانَتْ الْمَرْأَةُ ذَاتَ شَعْرٍ تَشُدُّ ضُفُرَهَا فَلَيْسَ عَلَيْهَا أَنْ تَنْقُضَهُ فِي غُسْلِ الْجَنَابَةِ. وَغُسْلُهَا مِنْ الْحَيْضِ كَغُسْلِهَا مِنْ الْجَنَابَةِ لَا يَخْتَلِفَانِ. 

“If a woman has thick hair and she braids it, it is not obligatory for her to undo them when performing ghusl for janābah. The ghusl for menstruation) is the same as the ġusl for al-janābah, and there is no difference in this regard.” [Al-Umm, 1/56]