Can a Woman Braid Her Hair to Perform a Ritual Bath and Only Wash the Roots?

Answered by Ustadh Tabraze Azam

Question: I am a woman with very long hair and I find it very difficult to make a ritual bath daily. Is there a way to ease this process?

Answer: Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah,

You can braid your hair before you bathe, and then wash the roots of the hair on your head, without wetting the braided hair- even though wetting this would be superior. As for simply putting your hair into a bun, this would not be sufficient.

Please see: Is It Obligatory for Women to Wash All Their Hair After Intercourse? and: Can a Woman Braid Her Hair Just Before Performing a Ghusl to Avoid to Wash All of It? and: The Ritual Bath (ghusl): Obligatory, Recommended, and Disliked Acts

And Allah Most High alone knows best.

wassalam,

Tabraze Azam

Checked & Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Photo: turydddu @ Flickr, retouched by JovanCormac