Can You Use Lanolin on Your Skin and Then Pray?

Answered by Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat

Question

Can you use lanolin on your skin and then pray? Does it break wudu? It’s used in pure form as a skin lotion. 

It’s produced from the sebaceous glands of the sheep. I know animal fat is not okay to smear on yourself before Salah but what about this oil that the follicles of the sheep’s wool produces?

Answer

I pray you are well. 

Yes, it is fine to apply lanolin on yourself before praying. Sheep are permissible to consume, so the sweat and gland secretions  of a living sheep are considered to be pure. Lanolin is considered pure. (Shurunbulali, Maraqi al Falah)

Asking Allah for Internal Purity

Try making a du’a to Allah when applying it,  asking Him for internal purity through the prayer. It is a good habit to connect all matters to God. This can be seen in the sunna of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace), like when he looked into a mirror and wore a new garment. (Tirmidhi)

May Allah grant you the best of both worlds.

[Shaykh] Abdul-Rahim Reasat
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat began his studies in Arabic Grammar and Morphology in 2005. After graduating with a degree in English and History, he moved to Damascus in 2007, where, for 18 months, he studied with many erudite scholars. In late 2008 he moved to Amman, Jordan, where he continued his studies for the next six years in Sacred Law (fiqh), legal theory (Usul al-fiqh), theology, hadith methodology, hadith commentary, and Logic. He was also given licenses of mastery in the science of Quranic recital. He was able to study an extensive curriculum of Quranic sciences, tafsir, Arabic grammar, and Arabic eloquence.