Does Scratching or Hair Falling Out Require Repeating Wudu or Ghusl?

Answered by Shaykh Qasim Hatem

Question: Assalamu alaykum,

I require an answer according to the Shafi’i school.

1. After taking a ghusl, when I rub myself dry with a towel body hair and hair from my beard and head fall out. I also get very itchy so I usually scratch myself and this obviously results in some skin coming off even though it can’t really be seen. After this if I remember that I forgot to wet a certain part on my body in the ghusl then will only washing that place suffice or must I wash the areas from where hair has fallen out and also where I’ve scratched myself?

I do suffer from wasawis and they badly affect my life. Would you say that the above are also wasawis? And, in such situations should I simply wash the area that was left out ignoring the places where hair has fallen out from etc. that I understand need re-washing?

2. Even during ghusl and wudu, if ever get an itch somewhere then I either don’t scratch it until I’ve finished or if I do scratch the place the I’ll repeat the washing of that place. According to the rules of the book this understanding would probably be correct but I wanted to ask if I should ignore this because it seems like waswasa and delving into fine details. Should I ignore these things?

Answer: Bismillah

As-Salaamu Alaykum

I pray all is well with you. I’m sorry for the late reply. May Allah give you success in this life and the next. Ameen.

1. Once you’ve made the intention for fard ghusl and washed the skin and hair on the body, then you don’t have to re-wash the parts you already washed, even if some of the skin or hair comes off before you wash the whole body. You just have to wash the part that you left out of the ghusl.

Yes, it does sound like a case of waswasa and you should just ignore the places where skin and hair had fallen out in this situation.

2. Once you wash the limbs of wudu in wudu, then you don’t have to return to them, even if you scratch them before you finish your wuduu. This also sounds like it could be waswasa and would be better to ignore.

I hope this helps.

Wassalaam (With peace),