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Is it permissible to wipe over what is put on the hair for adornment, such as ribbons and pieces of plastic and metal, and things that I use to tie the hair, whether they are many or few? Is it permissible to twist each part of the hair on its own [twisting it from the end of the hair to the beginning, then holding it in place with a metal clip] or to make many braids, and then wipe over that?
Praise be to Allah.
Firstly:
One of the obligatory parts of wudu is wiping the head, because Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): {O you who have believed, when you rise to [perform] prayer, wash your faces and your forearms to the elbows and wipe over your heads and wash your feet to the ankles} [al-Maa’idah 5:6].
The scholars differed as to how much must be wiped: is it the entire head, or is it acceptable to wipe part of it? Maalik and Ahmad are of the view that it is obligatory to wipe the entire head, and this view is more likely to be correct.
There are two possible ways of wiping the head when doing wudu:
1.. Placing the hands, after wetting them, on the front of the head then wiping the head until the nape of the neck, then bringing the hands back to the front of the head.
2.. Wiping all of the head in the direction the hair grows, so as not to make the hair look untidy. This option is appropriate for the one whose hair is long – man or woman – when there is the fear of making the hair look untidy by bringing the hands back [to the front of the head].
Ahmad (26484) and Abu Dawood (128) narrated from ar-Rubayyi‘ bint Mu‘awwidh ibn ‘Afra’ (may Allah be pleased with her) that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did wudu in her house. He wiped his entire head from the crown of the head, each part in the direction the hair grew, and he did not make the hair look untidy. This was classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood.
The words “from the crown of the head” mean from the top of the head, starting to wipe from the top to the bottom.
Al-‘Iraaqi said: What is meant is that he began to wipe from the top of the head until he reached the bottom, doing that in each direction on its own.
End quote from ‘Awn al-Ma‘bood.
Ibn Qudaamah (may Allah have mercy on him) said in al-Mughni (1/87): If someone who has hair fears that by bringing his hands back [to the front of the head] he will make his hair untidy, he does not have to bring his hands back. This was stated by Ahmad. It was said to him: If someone has hair down to his shoulders, how should he wipe his head when doing wudu? Ahmad put his hands on the top of his head, and said: Like this, so as to avoid making the hair untidy, meaning that he should wipe to the back of his head, and not bring his hands back [to the front of the head]. Ahmad said: The hadith of ‘Ali says likewise. And if he wishes, he may wipe in the manner that was narrated from ar-Rubayyi‘, who said that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did wudu in her house. He wiped his entire head from the parting of the hair, wiping downwards in each direction, so as not to make his hair untidy. This was narrated by Abu Dawood. Ahmad was asked how a woman should wipe her hair, and he said: Like this. He put his hands on the top of his head, then brought them down to the front of the head, then he lifted his hands again and put them where he had started, then brought them down to the back. Regardless of how wiping it is done, so long as it includes what is required, it is fine. End quote.
See the answer to question no. 45867 .
Secondly:
If a woman has on her head anything that is worn for adornment, such as hair ties, pieces of plastic and so on, it must be removed if it is covering part of her head. This is according to the view that it is obligatory to wipe the entire head.
Al-Baaji (may Allah have mercy on him) said: If she tried to increase the thickness of her hair by adding wool or artificial hair, it is not permissible to wipe over it, because the water will not reach her hair because of it, and if it does reach her head, it will only reach some of it. This is if we follow the view that it is obligatory to wipe the entire head.
End quote from al-Mughni (1/38).
Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) had a lenient view concerning a woman wiping her head, as he said: It is sufficient for her to wipe the front of her head.
Ibn Qudaamah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: There is no difference of opinion regarding the obligation to wipe the head. Allah, may He be exalted, stated that when He said: {and wipe over your heads}. However, there was a difference of opinion as to how much of the head should be wiped. It was narrated from Ahmad that it is obligatory to wipe all of the head for everyone. This is also the apparent meaning of the words of al-Khiraqi, and it is the view of Maalik.
It was also narrated from Ahmad that it is sufficient to wipe part of the head. Among those who said it is permissible to wipe part of the head were al-Hasan, ath-Thawri, al-Awzaa‘i, ash-Shaafa‘i and ashaab ar-ra’y. However, the apparent meaning of Ahmad’s words regarding the man is that he must wipe the entire head, and in the case of the woman it is sufficient to wipe the front of the head.
Al-Khallaal said: The view that is followed in the madhhab of Ahmad is that if a woman wipes the front of her head, it is sufficient. Muhanna said: Ahmad said: I hope that in the case of women, the ruling on wiping the head is easier. I said to him: Why? He said: ‘Aa’ishah used to wipe the front of her head.
End quote from al-Mughni (1/86).
According to this view, it does not matter whether the woman has ribbons and the like in her hair, but it is better to remove them if there are a lot of them.
Thirdly:
There is nothing wrong with a woman twisting her hair or making braids, then wiping over them when doing wudu, no matter how her hair is. Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked about the ruling on a woman wiping over twisted hair.
He replied: It is permissible for a woman to wipe over her hair, whether it is in a bun or loose, but she should not collect her hair in a bun and leave it on top of her head, because I fear that this may be included in the words of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him): “… and women who are clothed yet naked, with their heads like the humps of camels leaning to one side. They will not enter paradise or even smell its fragrance, although its fragrance may be detected from such and such a distance.”
End quote from Fataawa ash-Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (11/152).
And Allah knows best.