What Should I Do If My Hair Is Tangled After Ghusl?

Answered by Shaykh Anas al-Musa

Question

After performing the obligatory ghusl (ritual bath), I noticed that parts of my hair were tangled and stuck together. What should I do?

Answer

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

All praise is due to Allah, Lord of all worlds. Peace and blessings be upon the Messenger sent as a mercy to the worlds, our Master and Prophet, Muhammad, and his Family and Companions.

The Ruling on Tangled Hair During Ghusl

If your hair was untied (not braided) during the ghusl, it is obligatory to ensure that water reaches all parts of your hair—both its outer layers and the roots. For tangled or matted parts of the hair, water must reach them as well. If water successfully reached inside the tangled sections of your hair, then your ghusl is valid, and there is no issue. However, if water did not penetrate the tangled hair, you need only wash the affected sections again. There is no need to repeat the entire ghusl. [Ibn ‘Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar; Mawsuli, al-Ikhtiyar]

Ruling for Braided Hair

If a woman’s hair is braided, it is sufficient for her to wash the roots of her hair only, as undoing the braids can cause hardship. This ruling is based on the narration of Umm Salama (Allah be pleased with her), who said:

“I said: O Messenger of Allah, I am a woman who tightly braids her hair. Should I undo it for the ghusl of janaba (ritual impurity)? He said: ‘No, it is sufficient for you to pour three handfuls of water over your head and then pour water over the rest of your body, and you will be purified.’” [Muslim]

This ruling can also benefit newlywed brides on their wedding night, as it may be difficult for them to undo their hair for the obligatory ghusl.

Allah (Most High) knows best.

May Allah bless the Prophet Muhammad and give him peace, and his Family and Companions.

[Shaykh] Anas al-Musa

Shaykh Anas al-Musa, born in Hama, Syria, in 1974, is an erudite scholar of notable repute. He graduated from the Engineering Institute in Damascus, where he specialized in General Construction, and Al-Azhar University, Faculty of Usul al-Din, where he specialized in Hadith.

He studied under prominent scholars in Damascus, including Shaykh Abdul Rahman al-Shaghouri and Shaykh Adib al-Kallas, among others. Shaykh Anas has memorized the Quran and is proficient in the ten Mutawatir recitations, having studied under Shaykh Bakri al-Tarabishi and Shaykh Mowfaq ‘Ayun. He also graduated from the Iraqi Hadith School.

He has taught numerous Islamic subjects at Shari‘a institutes in Syria and Turkey. Shaykh Anas has served as an Imam and preacher for over 15 years and is a teacher of the Quran in its various readings and narrations.

Currently, he works as a teacher at SeekersGuidance and is responsible for academic guidance there. He has completed his Master’s degree in Hadith and is now pursuing his Ph.D. in the same field. Shaykh Anas al-Musa is married and resides in Istanbul.