Question: What constitutes touching private parts that break wudu?
Answer:
Wa alaykum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,
Dear questioner,
Thank you for your important question.
Touching means touching with the palm or inner side of the fingers without any barrier (Minhaj al Talibin, Nawawi).
The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, ‘When one of you touches his private parts with his hand when there is no barrier between the two, let him make wudu’ (Ibn Hibban).
A thick layer of cream would be a barrier that could be scratched off. A thin layer that can be felt but that does not form a layer over the skin would not.
For example, if someone put a thick layer of medication or cream on their own genitals or those of a baby, if they did not rub the cream in and left it as a thick layer, they would not really be “touching” the genitals. If they rubbed it in such that the layer of cream between their skin and the skin of genitals was no longer there, then it would break their wudu.
I pray this helps.
[Ustadh] Farid
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Ustadh Farid Dingle has completed extensive years of study in the sciences of the Arabic language and the various Islamic Sciences. During his studies, he also earned a CIFE Certificate in Islamic Finance. Over the years he has developed a masterful ability to craft lessons that help non-Arabic speakers gain a deep understanding of the language. He currently teaches courses in the Arabic Language