How Can a Working Woman Always Be in Wudu?
Hanafi Fiqh
Answered by Mawlana Ilyas Patel
Question
As a female, I want to stay in wudu all the time. However, I’m unsure what to do during my menstruation. Should I still try to remain in wudu during my period? If so, will I be rewarded for it?
Is there anything that a working woman can do to make wudu easier? I work in a hospital with strict time constraints. Is there anything else you can recommend besides wearing khuff to make staying in wudu all day easier? Whenever I have to perform wudu, I find it difficult to take off and return my hijab. I’ve read that you can wipe your hijab in the Hanbali madhab.
Could you please provide more information? Are there any differences between Hanafi and Hanbali conditions, and can I pray according to the Hanafi method while following Hanbali wudu rulings?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate.
I pray you are in good faith and health. It is a very spiritual way of going on about our daily life to be in a state of wudu always.
A lady who does wudu while on her menses will not be valid because she is in a state of ritual impurity. However, some jurists have mentioned that one can still gain some spiritual benefits from doing it based on the following type of narrations:
‘Aisha ( Allah be pleased with her) reports, “Whenever the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) intended to sleep in a state of major ritual impurity, he would wash his private parts and perform ablution like that for the prayer.” [Bukhari; Muslim]
This is why it is recommended in the Hanafi school for women in their periods to sit making dhikr in the place they normally pray to maintain and keep up their good worship schedule and habits.
Ways of Protecting Oneself from Shaytan
It might be worthy to note that there are numerous ways of being protected from the shaytan, such as:
- Constantly reciting the ta’awudh (a’udhu billahi min al-shaytan al-rajim).
- Simple Salawat on the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace), like (صلی اللہ علیہ وسلّم).
- Recite a complete al-Hizb al-Azam for the duration of one’s period.
- Recite a complete Dala’il al-Khayrat for the duration of one’s period.
- Recite other litanies (ahzab) of various spiritual masters, such as those of Imam Shadhili, Imam Haddad, Imam Nawawi, and others.
- Listen to the Quran.
- Study on-site/online and review lessons.
- Read books, like Sira, Books on history, or the life of Prophets.
- Listen to lectures.
Be Confident, Normalize Wudu
We have the right to prayer in the workplace. We need to be confident and normalize wudu. When we think about the many customs and trends nowadays that have become normal among people. The reason why is the confidence of the people. We, as believers, should be the most confident people without being arrogant.
Ways for Maintaining Wudu for Working Ladies
One can wear khuffs or any verified wudu socks available on the market. Please take a look at the link below. Also, please wear loose clothing so it is easy to uncover forearms for washing.
Performing Wudu with Hanbali Fiqh and Prayer with Hanafi Fiqh
Yes, one can follow another school, in this case, the Hanbali school in wudu, ensuring both wudu and prayer are valid in another school for it to be legally valid.
There are six obligations that must be fulfilled for a valid wudu in the Hanbali school:
- Washing the face (which includes the mouth and nose);
- Washing the hands and forearms, including the elbows;
- Wiping the entire head and the ears, in your case, wearing a scarf, ensure it is wiped entirely;
- Washing both feet, including the ankles;
- Sequence. It must be completed in the basic order mentioned here;
- Continuity. It must be completed continuously so that there is no significant time between washing each limb.
Wiping Over Footgear, Plasters, and Turbans
It is permissible to wipe over leather socks and their likes (layers of leather socks, socks, and other barriers) and to wipe over the turban, one that wraps under the chin or the type of turban that has a tail and allowed for women to wipe over their scarves so long as it’s wrapped under the chin. It is also permissible to wipe over bandages that do not exceed the required amount until removed.
This wiping remains effective for one day (24 Hours) for non-traveler and three days (72 hours ) for the traveler. Provided that the socks (based on this analogy), turban, or scarf is worn after a person has already done wudhu. [Ibn Balban, Akhsar al-Mukhtasarat]
May Allah help us become confident, become people who purify ourselves fully and adequately before each of our prayers, and make the prayers themselves a reason why we should have much more confidence.
Related:
- Non-Leather Waterproof Socks For Ablution
- Wudhu Socks
- Prayer Reader: The Ultimate Guide To Prayer in Islam
- Menstruation: A Comprehensive Reader
- Can I Follow Another School (Madhhab) When I Need To?
- Women wearing headscarf in a state of purity– The Hanbali Madhhab
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I pray this helps with your question.
Wassalam,
[Mawlana] Ilyas Patel
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Mawlana Ilyas Patel is a traditionally-trained scholar who has studied in the UK, India, Pakistan, Syria, Jordan, and Turkey. He started his early education in the UK. He went on to complete the hifz of the Quran in India, then enrolled in an Islamic seminary in the UK, where he studied the secular and ‘Aalimiyya sciences. He then traveled to Karachi, Pakistan. He has been an Imam in Rep of Ireland for several years. He has taught hifz of the Quran, Tajwid, Fiqh, and many other Islamic sciences to children and adults onsite and online extensively in the UK and Ireland. He taught at a local Islamic seminary for 12 years in the UK, where he was a librarian and a teacher of Islamic sciences. He currently resides in the UK with his wife. His interest is a love of books and gardening.
