Sunday 21 Jumada al-akhirah 1446 - 22 December 2024
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Is it permissible for a woman in ihram to wear medical gloves in the case of necessity?

Question

Is it permissible for a woman in ihram to wear medical gloves in the case of necessity only? And also to use wet wipes for an infant when changing him? How can she exit ihram when she has layered hair, including bangs (a fringe) at the front?

Answer

Praise be to Allah.

Firstly: 

When a woman enters ihram it is not permissible for her to work gloves or niqab, so the woman who is in ihram for Hajj or ‘umrah does not wear a niqab or gloves until she has completed her ‘umrah or completed the first stage of exiting ihram. 

But if she is forced to wear something that it is prohibited for her to wear when she is in ihram, for a legitimate need such as being cold, being sick and so on, it is permissible for her to do that, but she must offer expiation. That includes wearing medical gloves when there is a reason to do so, such as if the woman who is in ihram needs to put them on in order to tend to someone who is sick or injured. So that is permissible for her, but she must offer compensation. 

Shaykh Zakariya al-Ansaari (may Allah have mercy on him) said in Asna’l-Mataalib (1/507): 

If a person wears, when in ihram, something that it is prohibited for him to wear at that time, or he covers part of the body that it is prohibited for him to cover, because of a need due to heat, cold, medical treatment and the like, that is permissible but he must offer compensation. End quote. 

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said: 

If a person does actions that are prohibited when in ihram, it must be one of three cases: 

1. He is doing that prohibited action with no need and no excuse for doing so. In this case he is sinning and must offer compensation.

2. He is doing it because of a need to do so, so he is not sinning, but he must offer compensation. So if he needs to cover his head because it is too cold or too hot and he fears harm as a result, it is permissible for him to cover his head, but he must offer compensation.

3. He is doing it and is excused because he is ignorant of the ruling, or he forgot, or he was compelled, or he fell asleep. In this case there is no sin on him and he does not have to offer compensation.

End quote from Majmoo‘ Fataawa wa Rasaa’il al-‘Uthaymeen (24/433-434) 

The compensation he must offer is fasting three days, or feeding six poor persons, giving each poor person half a saa‘ of food, or sacrificing a sheep. The pilgrim in ihram may choose any one of these three options. 

Secondly: 

There is nothing wrong with a woman using wet wipes when changing an infant, unless they are dampened with any kind of perfumed substance, in which case that is not permissible because it will get onto her hands, and the pilgrim who is in ihram for Hajj or ‘Umrah is prohibited from using perfume. 

Thirdly: 

When cutting the hair following Hajj or ‘Umrah, hair should be cut from all over the head. If it is too difficult for a woman to remove hair from all over the head, such as if the hair is layered, then she should cut from the ends of the longest layer, and also from the bangs at the front if possible. If that is not possible or it is too difficult for her, then we hope that cutting from the longest layer will be sufficient. 

For further clarification, please see the answer to question no. (172046

And Allah knows best.

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Source: Islam Q&A