Ruling on a woman who omitted wiping the head during wudu out of ignorance
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
السؤال:
This questioner says: Your Eminence, there is a matter I would like to inquire about from you, which is that we were taught in school that wiping the head for a woman during wudu is a recommended practice (sunnah), that it is to be done from the front only, and that one who leaves it out does not sin. Consequently, I rarely wiped my head during wudu, and when I did, I wiped only from the front. Of course, this was the result of ignorance.
However, some time ago I began reading the Qur'an and Islamic legal books, and I learned of the error I had been committing. What must I do? And is it obligatory for me to repeat my past prayers? May you be rewarded.
Answer:
It is obligatory for you to repent to Allah for that, and to be correct in wiping the entire head, from its front to its back, to the part near the neck. This is what is obligatory for you. And for a man, it is obligatory to wipe the entire head, but the ends of the turban are not obligatory. However, wiping the entire head from its hairline at the top to its hairline at the bottom, this is what is obligatory for you, and for others, and for men as well. As for the past, you do not have to repeat it. You must repent to Allah for that, and you do not have to repeat it; because the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered the one who erred in his prayer to repeat the current time, and did not order him to repeat what had passed due to his ignorance. So you were ignorant of the legal ruling, so you must repent to Allah for that, and you must be correct in the future. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you, Your Eminence Shaykh Abdul Aziz. People are negligent in asking about legal matters. Do you have any guidance on that, O Shaykh?
The Shaykh: It is obligatory for every Muslim man and woman to gain knowledge of the religion, to ask about what is difficult for them, and not to remain silent in ignorance. It is obligatory for the man to learn, and for the woman to learn the matters of her religion. Each one of them, the man and the woman, each one must learn the matters of his or her religion. Allah says: "So ask the people of knowledge if you do not know" [Surah An-Nahl: 43].
And Allah has made it obligatory for people to worship Him, and there is no path to worship except through learning. One must know what Allah has made obligatory upon him so that he may perform it, and know what Allah has forbidden so that he may avoid it. The Muslims have agreed that it is necessary to learn what a servant cannot be ignorant of. One learns what Allah has made obligatory upon him, and what He has forbidden. And silence, turning away, and heedlessness; this is a reprehensible matter that is not permissible. Allah described the disbelievers as turning away. He said: "And those who disbelieved are turning away from that with which they were warned" [Surah Al-Hajj: 3], and He said, Exalted is He: "And who is more unjust than one who is reminded of the verses of his Lord then turns away from them" [Surah Al-Kahf: 57].
So it is obligatory for every Muslim man and woman to gain knowledge of the religion and to be discerning, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whomever Allah wishes good, He grants him knowledge of the religion".
And the Muslim must ask, even by way of writing, or by way of telephone. He asks the scholars about what is difficult for him. He listens to what is broadcast on the Quran Radio. The Quran Radio contains great knowledge. In "Noor 'ala al-Darb" (Light on the Path), there are many questions from every place to the scholars, and they answer them. There are many benefits. In the Quran Radio, there is listening to the Quran, and listening to the seminars and scientific lectures. There is much good in them.
So I advise everyone, men and women, to take care of the Quran Radio, to listen to it, and to benefit from the knowledge in it. We ask Allah for guidance for everyone. Yes.
The presenter: O Allah, amen. May Allah thank you, Your Eminence Shaykh.
This questioner says: Your Eminence, there is a matter I would like to inquire about from you, which is that we were taught in school that wiping the head for a woman during wudu is a recommended practice (sunnah), that it is to be done from the front only, and that one who leaves it out does not sin. Consequently, I rarely wiped my head during wudu, and when I did, I wiped only from the front. Of course, this was the result of ignorance.
However, some time ago I began reading the Qur'an and Islamic legal books, and I learned of the error I had been committing. What must I do? And is it obligatory for me to repeat my past prayers? May you be rewarded.
Answer:
It is obligatory for you to repent to Allah for that, and to be correct in wiping the entire head, from its front to its back, to the part near the neck. This is what is obligatory for you. And for a man, it is obligatory to wipe the entire head, but the ends of the turban are not obligatory. However, wiping the entire head from its hairline at the top to its hairline at the bottom, this is what is obligatory for you, and for others, and for men as well. As for the past, you do not have to repeat it. You must repent to Allah for that, and you do not have to repeat it; because the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered the one who erred in his prayer to repeat the current time, and did not order him to repeat what had passed due to his ignorance. So you were ignorant of the legal ruling, so you must repent to Allah for that, and you must be correct in the future. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you, Your Eminence Shaykh Abdul Aziz. People are negligent in asking about legal matters. Do you have any guidance on that, O Shaykh?
The Shaykh: It is obligatory for every Muslim man and woman to gain knowledge of the religion, to ask about what is difficult for them, and not to remain silent in ignorance. It is obligatory for the man to learn, and for the woman to learn the matters of her religion. Each one of them, the man and the woman, each one must learn the matters of his or her religion. Allah says: "So ask the people of knowledge if you do not know" [Surah An-Nahl: 43].
And Allah has made it obligatory for people to worship Him, and there is no path to worship except through learning. One must know what Allah has made obligatory upon him so that he may perform it, and know what Allah has forbidden so that he may avoid it. The Muslims have agreed that it is necessary to learn what a servant cannot be ignorant of. One learns what Allah has made obligatory upon him, and what He has forbidden. And silence, turning away, and heedlessness; this is a reprehensible matter that is not permissible. Allah described the disbelievers as turning away. He said: "And those who disbelieved are turning away from that with which they were warned" [Surah Al-Hajj: 3], and He said, Exalted is He: "And who is more unjust than one who is reminded of the verses of his Lord then turns away from them" [Surah Al-Kahf: 57].
So it is obligatory for every Muslim man and woman to gain knowledge of the religion and to be discerning, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whomever Allah wishes good, He grants him knowledge of the religion".
And the Muslim must ask, even by way of writing, or by way of telephone. He asks the scholars about what is difficult for him. He listens to what is broadcast on the Quran Radio. The Quran Radio contains great knowledge. In "Noor 'ala al-Darb" (Light on the Path), there are many questions from every place to the scholars, and they answer them. There are many benefits. In the Quran Radio, there is listening to the Quran, and listening to the seminars and scientific lectures. There is much good in them.
So I advise everyone, men and women, to take care of the Quran Radio, to listen to it, and to benefit from the knowledge in it. We ask Allah for guidance for everyone. Yes.
The presenter: O Allah, amen. May Allah thank you, Your Eminence Shaykh.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.