Question:

I have dread locks which are pretty similar to the kuffar Jamaican musician bob Marley (I’m not copying him but just to compare his with mine and to give you an idea, please don’t fall into judgments and conclusions like how every lay man does looking at me)..

I have asked Mufti Muhammed ibn Adam before which he said it’s ok as long as all the locks have to be washed properly during ghusl but what I didn’t get an opportunity to ask him is that there are hundreds of strands in 1 lock, now of what i know is that not even 1 strand of hair should be left not watered..

If 1 strand of hair is not wet then your ghusl is not accepted. So my concern is that in my situation, will all the strands of hair get wet in a lock of hair? Because of its mangled situation. And mine is not natural dread locks. It’s made by back combing and applying a special gel after it for a few weeks without washing and washing it with a special shampoo every-time after it forms a lock.

I hope you know what I’m talking about.

Answer:

As-salāmu ‘Alaykum Wa-rahmatullāhi Wa-barakātuh.

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

In principle, It is necessary for one to wet all the hair in order for the ghusl to be valid.

In braids, their is dispensation for women from opening their braids and cleaning the hair. However, If a man’s hair is braided then it is still a requirement to wet the entirety of the hairs. Hence, one will have to open the braids to make ghusl. [i]

And Allah Ta’ala Knows Best
Mufti Faisal bin Abdul Hameed al-Mahmudi
www.fatwa.ca

Concurred by
Mufti Luqman Hansrot
www.efiqh.com

[i]

وداخل المضفور من شعر الرجل مطلقا لا المضفور من شعر المرأة إن سرى الماء في أصوله(نور الإيضاح ونجاة الأرواح في الفقه الحنفي (ص: 28))

“و” يفترض غسل “داخل المضفور” من شعر الرجل” ويلزمه حله “مطلقا” على الصحيح سواء سرى الماء في أصوله أو لا لكونه ليس زينة له فلا حرج فيه(حاشية الطحطاوي على مراقي الفلاح شرح نور الإيضاح (ص: 102))

وَفِي تَخْصِيصِ الْمَرْأَةِ إشَارَةً إلَى أَنَّهُ يَجِبُ عَلَى الرَّجُلِ النَّقْضُ لِعَدَمِ الضَّرُورَةِ فِي حَقِّهِ (الجوهرة النيرة على مختصر القدوري (1/ 11))