Hair Extensions - Is your Wudu accepted?

Q. Is your Wudhu or Ghusl accepted when you have human hair extension weaved in your hair?

Answer by Shaykh Salim Giza

A. In the name of Allah the Most Beneficent and Merciful.

Wudhu or Ghusl is accepted when a person has human hair extensions as long all the obligations are fulfilled.

The four obligations for Wudhu, according to the Hanafi Madhab, are:

1. Washing the whole face once
2. Washing both of the hands/arms up to and including the elbows once
3. Wiping one quarter of the head with wet fingers
4. Washing both feet up to and including the ankles once

The three obligations for Ghusl, according to the Hanafi Madhab, are:

1. Washing the whole of the body, head to toe, once so no part is left dry
2. Washing the inside of the mouth
3. Washing the inside of the nostrils

For women who have plaited hair, as long as the roots and the hair attached to the head is washed it will be accepted. Therefore, if any external peripherals attached to the body are not washed, but all the above is, then the Wudhu or Ghusl will still count. For example, if a person was wearing an item of jewellery and moved it sufficiently so that the body part it was covering (that needed washing) was washed, however that item of jewellery was not washed then the Wudhu/Ghusl would count.

However, as far as the ruling goes for wearing human hair extensions or animal hair then this is NOT permissible.

It has been stated in a Hadith that Sayyiduna Abu Hurayra (Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) said:

“Allah has cursed the woman who joins (her or someone else’s) hair (with the hair of another man or a woman) and the woman who asks for her hair to be joined (with the hair of another person) and the one who tattoos (herself or someone else) and the one who asks to get tattooed.” [Sahih al-Bukhari, no. 5589]

The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) forbade this to such an extent that he did not even permit it for a woman whose natural hair had fallen off. Sayyida Aisha (Allah be pleased with her) narrates that an Ansari girl was married and became sick hence all her hair fell out. They (her family and friends) intended to join her hair with false hair, so they asked the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) who said:

“Allah has cursed the woman who joins her or someone else’s hair (with the hair of another man or woman) and the woman who asks for her hair to be joined with the hair of another.” [Sahih al-Bukhari, no 5590]

The word ‘false’ mentioned above means hair made from another living being, human or animal. However, false hair made from synthetics etc is permissible, as these do not constitute living beings. (Durr-e-Mukhtar)

Of course Allah knows best.