🕌 Worship in the home · #28

Does skin contact between husband and wife break wudu?

According to the Shafi'i school, yes: skin contact without a barrier between a man and a woman who are not mahram breaks the wudu of both, and a wife is not mahram for this ruling.
The Shafi'i school takes the apparent meaning of Allah's words "or you have touched women" in the verse on wudu (an-Nisa' 4:43, al-Ma'idah 5:6), understanding "touch" as skin contact. So a husband and wife who shake hands after prayer or touch while performing wudu need to renew their wudu. Contact with hair, nails or teeth does not break it. In crowded situations such as tawaf, many Shafi'i scholars allow following another view to avoid hardship. Couples can arrange to shake hands before taking wudu. See Wudu & the obligatory bath.

Difference between schools. The Hanafi school holds that touching does not break wudu at all; the Maliki and Hanbali schools hold that it breaks only if accompanied by desire.

Sources

Surah an-Nisa' 4:43Surah al-Ma'idah 5:6

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This answer is general reference, not a fatwa. For your situation, consult the religious affairs office, a Syarie lawyer or your state Syariah Court.

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