To: The Respected Chief Mufti (May Allah preserve him)
Subject: Regarding the ruling on ablution (Wudu) after applying Henna (Mehndi).
Issue: Nowadays, certain commercial henna (Mehndi) products have become available in our country which, a few days after application, peel off like a thin layer or crust of skin.
Query: What I wish to know from the respected Chief Mufti is: Will performing ablution (Wudu) over this type of henna be valid and permissible? Kindly oblige us by providing the ruling along with Islamic legal evidence (Dalil). May Allah be your helper.
Ruling: If the commercial henna (Mehndi) products mentioned in the question form a solid, impermeable layer similar to wax or grease that acts as a physical barrier preventing water from reaching the underlying skin, then neither ablution (Wudu) nor the ritual bath (Ghusl) will be valid (Sahih). Conversely, if the henna merely leaves a stain or a porous residue like clay through which water penetrates and reaches the skin underneath, then both Wudu and Ghusl will be valid.
Radd al-Muhtar (1/288), Al-Fatawa al-Tatarkhaniyyah (1/199), Kitab al-Fatawa (1/65), Jadid Fiqhi Masa'il (1/87).
