❖ Ruling on Wiping Over a Cap (Topi) During Wuḍūʾ ❖
Answer by: Fadhīlat al-Shaykh ʿAbd al-Wakīl Nāṣir حفظه الله & Fadhīlat al-Bāḥith Asadullah Bhambhawi حفظه الله
❖ Question:
Is it permissible to perform masḥ (wiping) over a topi (cap) during wuḍūʾ?
❖ Scholarly Positions:
✿ Imām Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal رحمه الله:
He was of the opinion that masḥ over a cap is permissible.
✿ The Majority of the Other Three Imāms (Abū Ḥanīfah, Mālik, and al-Shāfiʿī):
They did not permit masḥ over a cap as part of the wuḍūʾ process.
✿ Shaykh al-Albānī رحمه الله:
He stated:
“There is no authentic evidence from the Sunnah proving the permissibility of wiping over a cap. However, masḥ over an ʿimāmah (turban) is proven from the Sunnah when its removal causes hardship.”
❖ Contemporary Scholarly View:
Some modern scholars consider the reasoning (ʿillah) for masḥ over a turban and a cap to be similar, especially when the cap is tight or difficult to remove. Therefore, they permit wiping over the cap in such cases.
❖ Ruling:
✔ If someone wipes over a topi (cap) during wuḍūʾ — especially due to hardship in removing it — it will be considered permissible, In shāʾ Allāh, based on the view of Imām Aḥmad and some contemporary scholars.
✔ However, the preferred and safer practice is to wipe over the actual head, unless genuine hardship exists.
