The ruling on performing wudu when the water cannot penetrate due to dried skin

Problem Description:

Ali is suffering from swelling and pus-filled sores on his fingers. Day by day, the swelling expanded until it reached approximately 2 cm. Eventually, the swelling burst, and the skin dried out. According to his observation, the water from wudu cannot penetrate because the skin has dried. And if he tries to peel the dried skin, he cannot bear the pain.

Questions:

1. Is Ali’s wudu valid while part of the skin on his fingers is dry?

2. Is he allowed to perform tayammum for the dried skin (similar to someone who has a bandage on part of their wudu areas)?

Answer:

1. Ali’s wudu is still valid, because the dried skin caused by the wound is not considered a hā’il (a barrier) that prevents water from reaching the skin. In fact, the dried skin must be washed because it is still part of the body.

2. His wudu does not need to be supplemented with tayammum, because he is still capable of performing purification with water.

References:

(إعَانَةُ الطَالِبِيْنَ, 1/53)

(فَرْعٌ) لَوْ دَخَلَتْ شَوْكَةٌ فِيْ رِجْلِهِ وَظَهَرَ بَعْضُهَا وَجَبَ قَلْعُهَا وَغَسْلُ مَحَلِّهَا لأَنَّهُ صَارَ فِي حُكْمِ الظَّاهِرِ فَإنْ اسْتَرَتْ كُلُّهَا صَارَتْ فِي حُكْمِ البَاطِنِ فَيَصِحُّ وُضُوءُهُ. وَلَوْ تَنَفَّظَ فِي رِجْلٍ او غَيْرِهِ لَمْ يَجِبْ غَسْلُ بَاطِنِهِ مَالَمْ يَتَشَقَّقْ، فَإنْ تَشَقَّقَ وَجَبَ غَسْلُ بَاطِنِهِ مَالَمْ يَرْتَتِقْ اهـ.

(كاشِفَةُ السَّجَا, 115)

والرَّابِعُ: النَّقَاعُ عَمَّا يَمْنَعُ وُصُولَ المَاءِ إلىَ البَشَرَةِ كَدُهْنٍ جَامِدٍ وَشَمْعٍ وَعَيْنِ حَبْرٍ وَحَنَاءٍ بِخِلاَفِ أثَرِهِمَا وَشَوْكَةٍ لَوْ أُزِيْلَتْ لَمْ يَلْتَئِمْ مَحَلُّهَا، وَدَمٍ وَغُبَارٍ عَلَى عَضْوٍ لاَ عِرْقٍ مُتَجَمِّدٍ عَلَيْهِ وَوَسَخٍ تَحْتَ الأظْفَارِ وَرَمَصًا فِيْ العَيْنِ وَلَيْسَ فِي العَيْنِ وَلَيْسَ مِنْهُ طَبُوعٌ عَسَرَ زَوَالُهُ فَيُعْفَى عَنْهُ، وَكَذَا قِشْرَةُ الدُمَّلٍ بَعْدَ خُرُوجِ مَا فِيْهَا وإنْ سَهُلَتْ إزَالَتُهَا بَلْ أوْلَى مِنَ العِرْقِ لأنَّهَا جُزْءٌ مِنَ البَدَنِ. اهـ.

(فَتْحُ العَلاَّم, 1/76)

وَمِنَ الحَائِلِ رَمَصٌ فِيْ العَيْنِ وَتُسَمِّيهِ العَامَّةُ بِالعَمَاصِ، وَكَذاَ وَسَخٌ مُتَرَاكِمٌ نَشَأَ مِنْ غُبَارٍ وَاَمْكَنَ فَصْلُهُ-إلى أن قال-فَإنْ نَشَأَ مِنْ بَدَنِهِ وَهَوَ العَرَقُ المُتَجَمَّدُ، فَلاَ يَضُرُّ وَإنْ قَدَرَ عَلىَ إزَالَتِهِ وَكَذَا لاَيَضُرُّ وُجُودُ قِشْرِالدُمَّلِ وَإنْ سَهُلَتْ إزَالَتُهَا بَلْ أوْلَى لأنَّهَا جُزْءٌ مِنَ البَدَنِ اهـ