FatwaFederal TerritoriesPurification (Taharah)
AL-KAFI #1977: ADAKAH BATAL WUDUK SENTUH RAMBUT BERLAINAN JANTINA?
Does touching the hair of a person of the opposite sex invalidate ablution?
Short answer
Ablution is not invalidated by touching the hair, nails or teeth of a person of the opposite sex, since these are not counted as skin.
A reference, not a fatwa. First sentence of the summary below — read the original fatwa and consult your state authority before acting.
- Authority
- Federal Territories Mufti Office
- Date
- Status
- Opinion (irsyad)
- Series
- Al-Kafi li al-Fatawi
- Topic
- Purification (Taharah)
No evidence of gazettement in the source — this is not a gazetted fatwa.
Summary
Ablution is not invalidated by touching the hair, nails or teeth of a person of the opposite sex, since these are not counted as skin. Ablution is invalidated by direct skin-to-skin contact with a non-mahram of the opposite sex, whether with desire or not. If there is a barrier between the two, even a thin one, ablution remains valid. Touching a mahram does not invalidate it either, and if one is unsure whether what was touched was hair or skin, ablution remains valid according to the Shafi'i school.
Written in our own words from the original fatwa — check the source before acting on it.
Bersentuhan kulit secara langsung antara lelaki dan wanita ajnabi membatalkan wuduk, namun tidak membatalkan wuduk apabila menyentuh rambut, kuku dan gigi.
Read the full fatwa on the Federal Territories website (new tab)
How to cite
Cite the original fatwa and its authority. Rujuk Fatwa is only where you found it.
Federal Territories Mufti Office. “AL-KAFI #1977: ADAKAH BATAL WUDUK SENTUH RAMBUT BERLAINAN JANTINA?”, 23 January 2024. https://muftiwp.gov.my/ms/artikel/al-kafi-li-al-fatawi/5843-al-kafi-1977-adakah-batal-wuduk-sentuh-rambut-berlainan-jantina. Found via Rujuk Fatwa: https://rujukfatwa.com/en/fatwa/does-touching-opposite-sex-hair-invalidate-ablution/