A woman asks: When I apply creams to my skin, is it permissible to wash my face for the ablution?
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The questioner : When I apply creams to my skin, is it permissible to wash my face for the ablution?
The Shaykh : Applying creams to the skin that must be washed in ritual purity falls into two categories. The first category is creams that do not form a crust but leave a residue on the skin such that when water passes over them, it spreads to the right and left. These do not affect the validity of the ablution because they do not prevent water from reaching the skin.
The second category is what forms a layer that remains on the skin and prevents water from reaching it. This must be removed before the ablution if it is on the parts of the body that are washed, based on the saying of Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He:[Al-Ma'idah 5:6] It is well known that if there is a layer on these parts that prevents water from reaching them, it cannot be said that he washed them, but rather that he washed what was on top of them. For this reason, the scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) said that one of the conditions for the validity of the ablution is removing anything that prevents water from reaching the skin. However, what is applied to the head, such as henna and the like, does not harm if a woman wipes over it, because it is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he applied a thick layer of henna to his head during the Farewell Pilgrimage. Applying a thick layer to the head prevents direct contact with water when wiping the hair. Also, the purification of the head is a reduced form of purification, as evidenced by the fact that it is not obligatory to wash it, but rather it is obligatory to wipe over it, even if the hair is thin, or even if there is no hair on the head. Therefore, its purification is light and consists only of wiping. For this reason, it is permitted to wipe over what is applied to it. Thus, it is permissible for a man to wipe over his turban, even though he is able to remove it and wipe his head, but this is a matter of concession. Likewise, according to the opinion of many scholars, it is permissible for a woman to wipe over her head covering that is wrapped under her chin. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.
The Shaykh : Applying creams to the skin that must be washed in ritual purity falls into two categories. The first category is creams that do not form a crust but leave a residue on the skin such that when water passes over them, it spreads to the right and left. These do not affect the validity of the ablution because they do not prevent water from reaching the skin.
The second category is what forms a layer that remains on the skin and prevents water from reaching it. This must be removed before the ablution if it is on the parts of the body that are washed, based on the saying of Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He:
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
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءامَنُوا إِذَا قُمْتُمْ إِلَى الصَّلاةِ فَاغْسِلُوا وُجُوهَكُمْ وَأَيْدِيَكُمْ إِلَى الْمَرَافِقِ وَامْسَحُوا بِرُءُوسِكُمْ وَأَرْجُلَكُمْ إِلَى الْكَعْبَيْنِThe questioner : May Allah bless you.