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One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Assalamu alaikum,

This site is very informative and useful to all. May Allah will bless the people behind here & after death. I have one question, If i touch my wife after taking wudu, will wudu still valid for prayer?

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Answer:

Touch woman wudu

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

May Allah Subhanah reward you with the best of this world and the Hereafter for your kind comments of encouragement for our humble efforts in the propagation of the Truth. If our humble and modest efforts have helped even one brother or sister get closer to Allah and His Deen of Truth, then we would consider ourselves indeed fortunate to have been given this opportunity by the Lord Most Merciful to serve in His Cause. We hope, beg, and pray the Merciful Lord accepts our humble and weak efforts, forgives us our shortcomings, and saves you, us, and all the believers from the torment of the Hell Fire. Ameen.

Your Question: If i touch my wife after taking wudu, will wudu still valid for prayer?

There is a difference of opinion amongst the scholars regarding the issue of the validity of wudu after one touches one’s wife or a woman.

The scholars who say that the wudu becomes invalid at the touching of a woman state this Verse of the Holy Quran as the evidence for their ruling:

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 5 Surah Maidah verse 6: O ye who believe! When ye prepare for prayer wash your faces, and your hands (and arms) to the elbows; rub your heads (with water); and (wash) your feet to the ankles. If ye are in a state of ceremonial impurity bathe your whole body. But if ye are ill or on a journey, or one of you cometh from offices of nature, or ye have been in contact with women and ye find no water, then take for yourselves clean sand or earth and rub therewith your faces and hands. Allah doth not wish to place you in a difficulty but to make you clean and to complete His favor to you that ye may be grateful.

But the majority of the scholars in Islam are of the opinion that although the Quranic term ‘massu’ literally means touch or contact; in the context of the Aayah ‘mass tomun-Nisaa’ would mean actual sexual intercourse with a woman. These scholars state that the simple touching of a woman does not invalidate one’s wudu, and as evidence they present the various authentic narrations from the Prophet (saws) whereby he (saws) at times touched his wives and offered his prayers without revalidating his wudu.

Fiqh-us-Sunnah Fiqh 1.37

Touching a woman

Aishah related that the Messenger of Allah (saws) kissed her while he (saws) was fasting and said, "Kissing does not nullify the ablution, nor does it break the fast." Related by Ishaq ibn Rahawaih and al-Bazzar.

Aishah also said, "One night, I missed the Messenger of Allah (saws) in my bed, and so went to look for him. I put my hand on the bottom of his feet while he (saws) was praying and saying, 'O Allah, I seek refuge in Your pleasure from Your anger, in Your forgiveness from Your punishment, in You from You. I cannot praise you as You have praised Yourself" (Related by Muslim and at-Tirmidhi.), and she also reported, 'The Prophet (saws) kissed some of his wives and went to prayer, without performing ablution." (Related by Ahmad.) She also said, "I would sleep in front of the Prophet (saws) with my feet in the direction of the qiblah (to him). When he (saws) made prostrations, he (saws) would touch me, and I would move my feet."

No one understood and implemented the commands of the Quran in their lives better or in a more perfect manner than the Messenger of Allah (saws); and it is evident from the above authentic narrations that the Prophet (saws) did not consider the touching of his wives as invalidating his wudu.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan