To: The Respected Chief Mufti (May Allah preserve him)
Subject: Regarding wearing contact lenses.
Issue: Nowadays, contact lenses are widely used as an alternative to eyeglasses. The method involves placing a thin, curved plastic lens directly over the cornea (pupil) of the eyeball, beneath which external water does not reach. Wearing these lenses eliminates the need to wear spectacles.
Query: What I wish to know from the respected Mufti is: Will ablution (Wudu) and the ritual bath (Ghusl) be valid (Sahih) if performed while wearing such contact lenses?
Ruling: In the aforementioned scenario, wearing contact lenses does not affect the validity of ablution (Wudu) or the ritual bath (Ghusl). This is because making water reach the interior surface of the eyes is not required (neither obligatory nor emphasized) for the validity of Wudu or Ghusl in Islamic jurisprudence.
Tanwir al-Absar with Al-Durr al-Mukhtar (1/220), Al-Muhit al-Burhani (1/36), Al-Fiqh al-Islami wa Adillatuhu (1/318), Al-Binayah (1/141).
