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Washing The Waterline Of The Eye When Making Wudhu

Answered as per Hanafi Fiqh by Darulifta Azaadville

Question:

Is it necessary for water to reach the waterline of the eye for wudhu and ghusl?
If one has surma or eyeliner applied to the waterline of the eye. Is it necessary to remove them when making wudhu or ghusl? 

Answer:

Before answering your query, it is important to consider the following two things:

1. What is the water line and where it is located? The waterline refers to the area between the base of the eyelid and the actual eyeball, it does not include the lacrimal caruncle area (the lacrimal caruncle area refers to the corner of the eyes which are towards the nose).

2. The type of eyeliner/Surma that is being applied could either be water resistant or permeable.

Now coming to your query, it is not necessary for water to reach the waterline of the eye for the validity of Wudhu or Ghusl.  However, it is necessary for water to reach the lacrimal caruncle area (i.e. the corner of the eyes which are towards the nose). 

If the eyeliner/Surma that is being applied to the waterline is permeable, then it will not have to be removed for the validity of Wudhu or Ghusl, even though it may reach the lacrimal caruncle area or below the waterline.  However, if the eyeliner or Surma that is being applied to the waterline is water resistant, then such an eyeliner/ Surma will not have to be removed provided that it does not reach the lacrimal caruncle area or to the area below the waterline. If it reaches the lacrimal caruncle area or the area below the waterline, then the eyeliner and Surma will have to be removed for the validity of Wudhu and Ghusl.

Note – Since Wudhu and Ghusl are requisites for the validity of Salaah, one should take precaution and avoid using anything that could potentially impact the validity of the Wudhu and Ghusl.

Checked and Approved By:

Mufti Muhammed Saeed Motara Saheb D.B.

وَإِدْخَالُ الْمَاءِ فِي دَاخِلِ الْعَيْنَيْنِ لَيْسَ بِوَاجِبٍ؛لِأَنَّ دَاخِلَ الْعَيْنِ لَيْسَ بِوَجْهٍ؛ لِأَنَّهُ لَا يُوَاجَهُ إلَيْهِ؛وَلِأَنَّ فِيهِ حَرَجًا.

(ج1ص4 – كتاب بدائع الصنائع في ترتيب الشرائع – بيان أركان الوضوء)

وَإِيصَالُ الْمَاءِ إلَى دَاخِلِ الْعَيْنَيْنِ لَيْسَبِوَاجِبٍ وَلَا سُنَّةٍ وَلَا يَتَكَلَّفُ فِي الْإِغْمَاضِ وَالْفَتْحُ حَتَّىيَصِلَ الْمَاءُ إلَى الْأَشْفَارِ وَجَوَانِبِ الْعَيْنَيْنِ. كَذَا فِيالظَّهِيرِيَّةِ.

(ج1ص4 – كتاب الفتاوى الهندية – الفصل الأول في فرائضالوضوء)

[1]وَيَجِبُإيصَالُ الْمَاءِ إلَى الْمَآقِي. كَذَا فِي الْخُلَاصَةِ

(ج1ص4 – كتاب الفتاوى الهندية – الفصل الأول في فرائضالوضوء)

(قَوْلُهُ: فَيَجِبُ غَسْلُ الْمَيَاقِي) جَمْعُ مُوقٍ، …وَهُوَ طَرَفُ الْعَيْنِ الْمُتَّصِلُ بِالْأَنْفِ

(ج1ص97 – كتاب الدر المختار وحاشية ابن عابدين رد المحتار –أركان الوضوء)

[1](قَوْلُهُ: لَا غَسْلُ بَاطِنِ الْعَيْنَيْنِ إلَخْ) لِأَنَّهُشَحْمٌ يَضُرُّهُ الْمَاءُ الْحَارُّ وَالْبَارِدُ، وَهَذَا لَوْ اكْتَحَلَبِكُحْلٍ نَجِسٍ لَا يَجِبُ غَسْلُهُ كَذَا فِي مُخْتَارَاتِ النَّوَازِلِلِصَاحِبِ الْهِدَايَةِ.

(ج1ص97 – كتابالدر المختار وحاشية ابن عابدين رد المحتار – أركان الوضوء)

وقالوا: لا يجب غسلها من كحل نجس، ولو كان أعمى، لأنه مضرمطلقا ولأن العين شحم، وهو لا يقبل الماء

(ص63 – حاشية الطحطاوي على مراقيالفلاح)

This answer was collected from the official Ifta website of Darul Uloom Azaadville, South Africa. Most of the answers are checked and approved by Mufti Muhammed Saeed Motara Saheb D.B.

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