Does Makeup Break Wudu? Islamic Ruling for Muslims

Does makeup break wudu? No, makeup does not break wudu. This is one of the important topics about wudu that Muslims—especially Muslim women—need to understand. That's why I wrote this article. So, make sure to read it until the end!

Specifically, there are three important aspects regarding whether makeup breaks wudu that I will explain. These aspects are as follows:

Five Things That Can Break Wudu in Islamic Law

Before addressing whether makeup breaks wudu, it's crucial to understand the five things that can break wudu according to Islamic law. These are fundamental points in this discussion that must be clearly understood.

In simple terms, here are the five things that can break wudu:

Anything that comes out of the two openings: the front (penis and vagina) and the back (anus).

This is mentioned in the Quran:

يٰٓاَيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْٓا اِذَا قُمْتُمْ اِلَى الصَّلٰوةِ فَاغْسِلُوْا وُجُوْهَكُمْ وَاَيْدِيَكُمْ اِلَى الْمَرَافِقِ وَامْسَحُوْا بِرُءُوْسِكُمْ وَاَرْجُلَكُمْ اِلَى الْكَعْبَيْنِۗ وَاِنْ كُنْتُمْ جُنُبًا فَاطَّهَّرُوْاۗ وَاِنْ كُنْتُمْ مَّرْضٰٓى اَوْ عَلٰى سَفَرٍ اَوْ جَاۤءَ اَحَدٌ مِّنْكُمْ مِّنَ الْغَاۤىِٕطِ اَوْ لٰمَسْتُمُ النِّسَاۤءَ فَلَمْ تَجِدُوْا مَاۤءً فَتَيَمَّمُوْا صَعِيْدًا طَيِّبًا فَامْسَحُوْا بِوُجُوْهِكُمْ وَاَيْدِيْكُمْ مِّنْهُ ۗمَا يُرِيْدُ اللّٰهُ لِيَجْعَلَ عَلَيْكُمْ مِّنْ حَرَجٍ وَّلٰكِنْ يُّرِيْدُ لِيُطَهِّرَكُمْ وَلِيُتِمَّ نِعْمَتَهٗ عَلَيْكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُوْنَ

O you who have believed, when you rise to [perform] prayer, wash your faces and your forearms to the elbows, and wipe over your heads and wash your feet to the ankles. And if you are in a state of janabah, then purify yourselves. But if you are ill, on a journey, or one of you comes from the place of relieving himself, or you have had contact with women and do not find water, then seek clean earth and wipe over your faces and hands with it. Allah does not intend to make difficulty for you, but He intends to purify you and complete His favor upon you that you may be grateful. (Surah Al-Maidah, 5:6)

Loss of mental faculties due to sleep, madness, or similar conditions.

This is explained in the hadith:

الْعَيْنُ وِكَاءُ السَّهِ فَإِذَا نَامَتِ الْعَيْنَانِ اِسْتَطْلَقَ الْوِكَاءُ . رَوَاهُ أَحْمَدُ وَالطَّبْرَانِيُّ وَزَادَ : وَ مَنْ نَامَ فَلْيَتَوَضَّأْ

"The eye is the anal cord. When the eyes sleep, the cord is loosened." Narrated by Ahmad and at-Tabarani. The hadith continues, "Whoever has been sleeping should perform wudu."

Touching the skin of a non-mahram man or woman without a barrier.

This is mentioned in the Quran:

أَوْ لَامَسْتُمُ النِّسَاءَ

"Or you touch women." (Surah Al-Maidah, 5:6)

Touching the human penis, vagina, or anus with the palms of the hands or the inside of the fingers.

This is explained in the hadith:

مَنْ مَسَّ ذَكَرَهُ فَلْيَتَوَضَّأْ

"Whoever touches his penis should perform wudu."

Vomiting and nosebleeds.

This is explained in the hadith:

مَنْ أَصَابَهُ قَيْءٌ , أَوْ رُعَافٌ , أَوْ قَلَسٌ , أَوْ مَذْيٌ فَلْيَتَوَضَّأْ , ثُمَّ لْيَبْنِ عَلَى صَلَاتِهِ وَهُوَ لَا يَتَكَلَّمُ . أَخْرَجَهُ اِبْنُ مَاجَهْ

"Whoever experiences vomiting, nosebleeds, qalas (fluid from the throat), or madhiy (pre-seminal fluid), should perform wudu and then continue with his prayer without speaking." Narrated by Ibn Majah.

These are the five things that can break wudu according to Islamic law. As Muslims, it's important to understand these points.

Does Makeup Break Wudu?

The key point regarding whether makeup breaks wudu is a specific answer, which I will explain now. I encourage you to read the explanation below carefully.

In the previous paragraphs, I explained the five things that can break wudu. Understanding these five factors leads to the conclusion that makeup does not break wudu, unless the makeup contains impure substances or is made from something unclean, such as feces, pigs, or dogs.

Therefore, if the makeup is made from pure materials, it does not break wudu. This is the answer.

That’s a brief explanation of whether makeup breaks wudu. As Muslims, it is important to understand this concept.

How Do You Perform Wudu with Makeup?

The important question about whether makeup breaks wudu is "How do you perform wudu with makeup?" I hope you understand this by the end of this discussion, as it is a crucial aspect of this article that must be well understood.

Before explaining how to perform wudu with makeup, I will quote a hadith that outlines the obligations of wudu. This will help you understand what needs to be done during wudu. The hadith is as follows:

عَنْ حَمْرَانَ : أَنَّ عُثْمَانَ دَعَا بِوُضُوْءٍ فَغَسَلَ كَفَّيْهِ ثَلَاثَ مَرَّاتٍ ثُمَّ تَمَضْمَضَ وَاسْتَنْشَقَ وَاسْتَنْثَرَ ثُمَّ غَسَلَ وَجْهَهُ ثَلَاثَ مَرَّاتٍ ثُمَّ غَسَلَ يَدَهُ الْيُمْنَى إِلَى الْمِرْفَقِ ثَلَاثَ مَرَّاتٍ ثُمَّ الْيُسْرَى مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ ، ثُمَّ مَسَحَ بِرَأْسِهِ ، ثُمَّ غَسَلَ رِجْلَهُ الْيُمْنَى إِلَى الْكَعْبَيْنِ ثَلَاثَ مَرَّاتٍ ، ثُمَّ الْيُسْرَى مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ ، ثُمَّ قَالَ : رَأَيْتُ رَسُوْلَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ تَوَضَّأَ نَحْوَ وُضُوْئِيْ هَذَا . مُتَّفَقٌ عَلَيْهِ

From Hamran: Uthman called for water for wudu. He washed his hands three times, then rinsed his mouth, sniffed water up his nose, and expelled it. He then washed his face three times, his right hand up to the elbow three times, and his left hand similarly. He then wiped his head and washed his right foot up to the ankles three times, and his left foot in the same manner. He said, "I saw the Messenger of Allah (Prophet Muhammad) (peace be upon him) perform wudu like this." This hadith was narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim.

Dear readers, the hadith above shows that the essential elements of wudu involve applying water to certain parts of the body that must be rubbed or washed. If there is something blocking the water from reaching the skin, the wudu is not considered complete.

The parts of the body that must be washed in wudu are the face, the hands up to the elbows, and the feet up to the ankles. The parts of the body that must be rubbed are the hair on the head and the ears.

So, if you ask, "How do you perform wudu with makeup?" the answer is to follow the obligations of wudu as described in the previous paragraphs.

However, there is one important aspect to understand when performing wudu with makeup: there are two types of makeup:

Thick or layered makeup: Thick or layered makeup must be removed before performing wudu because it can block the water from reaching the skin.
Non-layered or thin makeup: Non-layered or thin makeup does not need to be removed before performing wudu, as it does not block the water from reaching the skin.

You might wonder why thick, layered makeup must be removed before wudu. The reason is that a Muslim must ensure that the water used for wudu reaches the skin.

This is a brief explanation of "How do you perform wudu with makeup?" As Muslims, it is important to understand this.

Conclusion

In conclusion, makeup does not break wudu unless it contains impure substances. For wudu to be valid, thick or layered makeup that blocks water from reaching the skin must be removed. However, thin or non-layered makeup does not prevent water from reaching the skin and thus does not need to be removed. Understanding these distinctions is essential for Muslims to perform wudu correctly and maintain ritual purity. By following the guidelines provided, one can ensure that wudu is valid, even when wearing makeup.

Dear readers, that concludes our discussion on "Does makeup break wudu?" and related important points. Do you understand? If you have any questions, please feel free to ask!

I hope this article has been useful. Ameen.

See you in the next article!