In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Ever Merciful…

Completing one’s wudhoo‘ (or ghusl) by wiping over bandages over cuts, broken bones, or other wounds is established as a legitimate concession according to all four traditional math-habs [1], just as tayammum (using earth, soil, or sand for purification) is a legitimate concession for those who cannot access water, or using water would cause harm to them. [2] So a wounded person has these options to consider when taking a bath or making wudhoo‘, but which one should he choose?

The basic rule is that tayammum is only valid when water is unavailable or harmful when used. So if making wudhoo’ normally and wiping over one’s bandage at the place of his injury is possible without harm, then this is the correct course of action. [3] If there is potential harm in wiping over the bandage with water, then the injured person is allowed to make tayammum in place of wudhoo’ in such a case.

Scenario A: A man has a wound which has a scab over it, and washing it with water does not cause any harm. In this case, such an injured person must make wudhoo’ and take a bath as normal, using water when available.

Scenario B: A man has a wound which is open, and washing it with water could cause an infection or delay its healing. In this case, such an injured person must not allow water to get in the wound, and he makes wudhoo’ or takes a bath with water as he does normally, except that he wipes over the bandage at the place of his injury.

Scenario C: A man has a serious wound on one of the limbs of wudhoo’, like a severe burn on his foot or a large cut on his forearm, and the affected area must be kept absolutely dry. Wiping over the bandages in this case could cause harm. Such an injured person makes tayammum in place of wudhoo’ and ghusl.

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have Mercy on him) said:

فإن كان مكشوفا فالواجب غسله بالماء، فإن تعذر فالمسح، فإن تعذر المسح فالتيمم، وهذا على الترتيب.
وإن كان مستورا بما يسوغ ستره به؛ فليس فيه إلا المسح فقط، فإن أضره المسح مع كونه مستورا، فيعدل إلى التيمم، كما لو كان مكشوفا، هذا ما ذكره الفقهاء رحمهم الله في هذه المسألة.

“If it (the wound) is exposed, he must still wash it with water [for ghusl and wudhoo’]. If that is not possible (i.e. that would cause harm), then he wipes over it. If that is not possible, then he  makes tayammum, in this order. If it is covered with bandage, then the only option he has is to wipe over it. If that could harm him, even though it is covered, then he avoids that and does tayammum instead, just like if it were exposed. This is what the scholars of Fiqh have mentioned about this issue.” [4]

Scenario D: A man has a serious wound on other than the limbs of wudhoo’, like a severe burn on his shoulder, or a large cut on his thigh or chest, and the affected area must be kept absolutely dry. Wiping over the bandages in this case could cause harm. Such an injured person makes tayammum in place of ghusl, yet nothing prevents him from making a normal wudhoo’, as his injury is not related to the parts washed for wudhoo’, and thus tayammum in place of wudhoo’ for him is invalid.

Scenario E: A man has a sprained ankle or wrist, and so the doctor has advised him to keep it wrapped up tightly, only removing the bandage occasionally to clean the area. In this case, when removing the bandage is an inconvenience, but not an actual harm, he must remove the bandage for a ghusl, while he is allowed to wipe over it for wudhoo’. This is based on the Usool al-Fiqh principle that “Concessions for necessities only apply to the level of the necessity.”

QUESTION: How does an injured person wipe over the bandage? Does he wipe over a part of it, like when a person wipes over his socks, or does he wipe over most of it, or all of it?

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have Mercy on him) said: He wipes over the entire bandage (unlike wiping over the socks). [5]

QUESTION: Is it a must that wudhoo’ was done before putting on the bandage, like how that is required for wiping over the socks?

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have Mercy on him) said: This is not required. [5]

QUESTION: Is there a limit on how long a person can wipe over his bandage, like how wiping over the socks is only valid for three days as a traveler and one day as a resident?

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have Mercy on him) said: There is no time limit. [5]

QUESTION: Does the removal of the bandage nullify the person’s state of purification?

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have Mercy on him) said: It does not, as there is no evidence to indicate that. [6]

And Allah knows best.

Written by: Moosaa Richardson (1443/12/15)

FOOTNOTES:

[1] See: ash-Sharh al-Mumti’ (1/245-246)

[2] Listen to these class recordings to hear a detailed explanation of how to make tayammum, and to learn some of the most important rulings related to it: ‘Umdat al-Ahkaam: Lesson 17 (MP3) | Lesson 18 (MP3) | Lesson 19 (MP3) 

[3] See this Q&A from Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allah have Mercy on him): website | audio [MP3]

[4] Ash-Sharh al-Mumti’ (1/247)

[5] The shaykh’s official website (in Arabic): this link | audio [MP3]

[6] Fataawaa Arkaan al-Islaam (p.233)