Fatwa ID: 01992

Answered by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Question:

I was under the impression that it is fard in the Hanafi madhab to make masah of ¼ of the head in wudu for both men and women.
But now I read in Kitab al Athar in Imam Mohammad's comment to hadith 44: "… As for us, we say that if she wipes that to the extent of three fingers then it suffices for her…"
Is it permissible to based on this act on "three fingers" for a woman, which gives an area which is less than 1/4 of the head?

Answer:

It is Fardh on a Muslim woman to do masah of a quarter of the head like it is Fardh on a man.

The text you were referring to from Kitabul Athaar is saying that if a woman for example cannot take of her headscarf and she does masah of her sides followed by an area equivalent to her three fingers, her masah would be done as that is approximately equivalent to a quarter of the head.

Only Allah Knows Best

Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham