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The Issue of wiping over a cast

Answered as per Shafi'i Fiqh by Shafiifiqh.com

Question:

assalam. I had a fall last weekend and fractured my lower arm bone,and doctor prescribed “cement” over the injured arm for next 5 weeks. Water cannot run over that part of my arm. How do I validate wudhu? Do I have to perform qadho prayers for the following 5 weeks if my prayers now not valid? I am happy if you have already answered such ?’s before. Pls respond ASAP. Wassalam.

Country: Malaysia

Answer:

Wa alaykum salam wa rahmatuLlah wa barakatuHu,

Regarding having a broken wrist that necessitates a cast for a few weeks and is not possible to take off, it is necessary that it be put on while in a state of purity. If one did not do so; then, if possible it is necessary that it be removed, one purifies, and then reapplies it while pure. If removing it will cause harm, then one does not need to do so, wiping on it will be valid. (Sharh al-Muhadhdhab v. 2, p. 315-21)

If the cast was put on while one was pure, then no make-up is due. On the other hand, if it was put on while one was impure, then the prayers must be repeated. Three things must be done for one wearing a cast who wants to purify. They are that one must wash the healthy parts of the limbs, wipe the entire cast with water, and make tayammum. If applying water to the cast would not be feasible, Qadi Abu al-Tayyib al-Tabari did maintain that tayammum is sufficient. Additionally, there is a view which considers that only part of the cast be wiped with water, and not its entirety. (Ibid)

In the case when a cast is put on while pure, and it is put on one of the limbs of tayammum, some noted a difference between Imam Nawawi’s views, namely in Rawdah and Sharh al-Muhadhdhab. In Rawdah, not repeating the prayers is restricted to when the cast is on other than the limbs of tayammum. This is Ramli’s stance. (Nihayat al-Muhtaj v. 1, p. 321-22) However, Ibn Hajar’s text gives credence to the view in Sharh al-Muhadhdhab, namely where he stated لكن كلامه في المجموع يقتضي ضعفه. This view does not distinguish between the limbs of tayammum and other than them. (Tuhfat al-Muhtaj v. 1, p. 382)

When Sh. Nuh Keller discusses this topic in Reliance of the Traveler, he notes a view found in the Hanafi Madhhab. He states,

 “The Hanafi school requires someone with an injury who wants to pray to make a complete ablution (Nuh Ali Salman: or bath, if needed). But if this would entail harm, such as one of the things mentioned above at e12.9. Then when he comes to the injury in the ablution sequence, he is merely required to wipe it with wet hands so as to cover more than half of the injury. If this would also entail harm, or if he has a bandage that cannot be removed without harm or he cannot reapply the dressing by himself and has no one to help him to do so, then he simply wipes more than half the bandage when he comes to it in his ablution. He may pray with such an ablution and need not repeat the prayer later (al-Hadiyya al-’Ala’iyya (y4) (43-44). It is not necessary that he be free of minor or even major impurity (janaba) at the time the dressing is applied (al-Lubab fi Sharh al-Kitab (y88), 1.41). (3) (Shaykh Nuh Salman says: There is strong evidence for performing dry ablution (tayammum) in place of washing such an injury. To add it at the proper point of the ablution sequence as a precautionary measure (dis: c6.5) would not interfere with the validity of following the Hanafi position just discussed.)” [See e12.9-12]

And Allah knows best.

Shafi’i Fiqh Fatwa Dept.

This answer was collected from Shafiifiqh.com which was a repository of Islamic answers as per the Shafi’i madhhab. The website no longer functions. At its peak, many ‘ulama were involved with the site including Shaykh Mawlana Taha Karaan, Shaykh Abdul-Fattah ibn Abdullah, and Shaykh AbdurRagman Khan.

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