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Ruling on Wiping Over a Woman’s Hair Braid (Choti) During Wudu Source:
This article is derived from the book 500 Questions & Answers for Women, a compilation of Fatawa by the Scholars of the Haramain. Translated by Hafiz Abdullah Saleem.
❖ Question:
What is the ruling regarding a woman wiping over her hair braid (choti) during wudu?
❖ Answer:
It is permissible for a woman to wipe over her head during wudu whether her hair is braided or left loose.There is no restriction in terms of the hair's form—braided or unbraided.
Caution Regarding Styling:
However, a woman should not pile or wrap her hair into a bun or topknot on top of her head, as there is a fear that such styling may resemble the description found in the stern warning of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم:"وَنِسَاءٌ كَاسِيَاتٌ عَارِيَاتٌ، رُؤُوسُهُنَّ كَأَسْنِمَةِ الْبُخْتِ الْمَائِلَةِ، لاَ يَدْخُلْنَ الْجَنَّةَ، وَلاَ يَجِدْنَ رِيحَهَا، وَإِنَّ رِيحَهَا لَيُوجَدُ مِنْ مَسِيرَةِ كَذَا وَكَذَا"
[Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Ḥadīth No. 2128]
"(Among the dwellers of Hell) are women who are clothed yet appear naked… their heads are like the humps of tilted Bactrian camels. They will neither enter Paradise nor smell its fragrance, even though its fragrance can be detected from a great distance."
❖ Summary:
✔ A woman may wipe over her head during wudu, whether her hair is braided or loose.✘ She should not tie her hair in a way that resembles the hump of a camel, as mentioned in the severe warning in the Hadith.
✔ This guidance is rooted in preserving both modesty and authentic Sunnah practices.
(Fatwa by: Shaykh Muḥammad ibn Ṣāliḥ al-‘Uthaymīn رحمه الله)