Is Hair Clay Permissible to Use?
Hanafi Fiqh
Answered by Mawlana Ilyas Patel
Question
I want to use hair clay as a product for the top of my head, but I am a bit worried if it can be washed out thoroughly in ghusl. I am also concerned if it makes a barrier on the hands after using it. So, should one abstain from it or not?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate.
I pray you are well.
Hair clay has become a more popular and versatile product than pomades and gels, which restrict you to shinier styles. However, as long as they don’t contain any impermissible ingredient or form a perceptible barrier, a kind of layer upon the skin that prevents water penetration, it would be permissible to use, whether they are water-based, oil-based, etc. So, it would be best to ensure it is washed and removed before wudu or applied after wudu.
The ruling is that anything that prevents water from reaching the hair/body will not make the wudu or obligatory bath (fard ghusl) valid. [Tahtawi, Hashiyat al-Tahtawi ‘ala Maraqi al-Falah]
How To Wash Out And Remove Hair Clay
Most hair clays will wash out easily simply by rinsing with water. Oil-based clays may require a shampoo rinse, however. In the rare instances where oil-based clays are resistant to shampoo, a deep-degreasing conditioner can be tried instead. See the link below.
Solution
It would be best to apply the hair clay product you intend to use after doing wudu; also, ensure that when you need to do wudu again, it is washed and removed.
Related
- Are Men Allowed to Use Hair Products Like Gel, Hairspray, and Creams?
- Is It Permissible to Use Cosmetics and Body Care Products That Contain Animal Ingredients?
- Hair Clay: The Complete Men’s Styling Guide [2021] • Ready Sleek
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.
