Short answer
Wash everything you can, and wipe once with a wet hand over the cast or bandage in place of washing what is under it. In the Hanafi school you wipe over most of it, there is no time limit, and you did not need wudu when it was put on. The Shafi'i school also requires tayammum.
If washing or removing the dressing would harm the wound, wiping over the cast, splint or bandage (jabirah) takes the place of washing, including the healthy skin it covers. Wiping over most of it once is enough. If most of the wudu limbs are injured, tayammum is made instead.
Other madhhabs
- Shafi'i
- Wash what is healthy, wipe over the dressing, and also make tayammum. If the dressing was put on without wudu, or covers more healthy skin than needed, the prayer may have to be repeated later.
- Hanbali
- Wipe over the whole dressing; tayammum is only added if it covers more than is needed.
Explanation
Islam does not ask you to harm yourself to make wudu (ablution). Allah says He has not placed hardship on you in the religion. On a journey, a man with a head wound was told by others that he had no excuse, washed, and died. The Prophet ﷺ was angry with those who gave him the wrong answer, and said that the cure for not knowing is to ask.
The Hanafi steps:
- Wash every part of the wudu limbs that you can wash without harm.
- Wet your hand and wipe once over the cast, bandage or plaster, covering most of it.
- If even wiping would harm the wound, leave it.
Points that often come up:
- You do not need to have had wudu when the cast was put on.
- There is no time limit; you wipe as long as you need the dressing.
- If the bandage falls off after the wound has healed, wash that part. If it falls off before healing, you may put it back and your wudu stays.
- Small plasters on a cut are treated the same way.
- If most of your wudu limbs are injured and cannot be washed, make tayammum instead.
- The same rules apply in ghusl.
Because harm is a medical judgement, follow the advice of a trustworthy doctor, and ask a qualified mufti about difficult cases.
Ask a mufti about your own case. This answer explains the general ruling. When the details of your situation matter, as they do here, ask a qualified mufti and give them the full facts. Where to ask a scholar.
The evidence
Quran, Surah Al-Hajj 22:78
وَجَٰهِدُوا۟ فِى ٱللَّهِ حَقَّ جِهَادِهِۦ ۚ هُوَ ٱجْتَبَىٰكُمْ وَمَا جَعَلَ عَلَيْكُمْ فِى ٱلدِّينِ مِنْ حَرَجٍۢ ۚ مِّلَّةَ أَبِيكُمْ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ ۚ هُوَ سَمَّىٰكُمُ ٱلْمُسْلِمِينَ مِن قَبْلُ وَفِى هَٰذَا لِيَكُونَ ٱلرَّسُولُ شَهِيدًا عَلَيْكُمْ وَتَكُونُوا۟ شُهَدَآءَ عَلَى ٱلنَّاسِ ۚ فَأَقِيمُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتُوا۟ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَٱعْتَصِمُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ هُوَ مَوْلَىٰكُمْ ۖ فَنِعْمَ ٱلْمَوْلَىٰ وَنِعْمَ ٱلنَّصِيرُ ﴿٧٨﴾
And strive for Allah with the striving due to Him. He has chosen you and has not placed upon you in the religion any difficulty. [It is] the religion of your father, Abraham. Allah named you "Muslims" before [in former scriptures] and in this [revelation] that the Messenger may be a witness over you and you may be witnesses over the people. So establish prayer and give zakah and hold fast to Allah. He is your protector; and excellent is the protector, and excellent is the helper.
The basis for easing the rule of washing when it would cause harm.
Quran, Surah Al-Baqara 2:286
لَا يُكَلِّفُ ٱللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا ۚ لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَعَلَيْهَا مَا ٱكْتَسَبَتْ ۗ رَبَّنَا لَا تُؤَاخِذْنَآ إِن نَّسِينَآ أَوْ أَخْطَأْنَا ۚ رَبَّنَا وَلَا تَحْمِلْ عَلَيْنَآ إِصْرًۭا كَمَا حَمَلْتَهُۥ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِنَا ۚ رَبَّنَا وَلَا تُحَمِّلْنَا مَا لَا طَاقَةَ لَنَا بِهِۦ ۖ وَٱعْفُ عَنَّا وَٱغْفِرْ لَنَا وَٱرْحَمْنَآ ۚ أَنتَ مَوْلَىٰنَا فَٱنصُرْنَا عَلَى ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلْكَٰفِرِينَ ﴿٢٨٦﴾
Allah does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity. It will have [the consequence of] what [good] it has gained, and it will bear [the consequence of] what [evil] it has earned. "Our Lord, do not impose blame upon us if we have forgotten or erred. Our Lord, and lay not upon us a burden like that which You laid upon those before us. Our Lord, and burden us not with that which we have no ability to bear. And pardon us; and forgive us; and have mercy upon us. You are our protector, so give us victory over the disbelieving people."
No one is asked to do more than they are able.
Sunan Abi Dawud 336
Graded hasan... الا سالوا اذ لم يعلموا فانما شفاء العي السؤال ...
"Why did they not ask, if they did not know? The cure for not knowing is to ask."
Graded hasan by al-Albani; shows that a wounded person is not forced to wash, and that one should ask before risking harm.
Where the ruling is recorded
- al-Hidaya, Kitab al-Taharat, chapter on wiping over khuffs, section on splints. Wiping over the jabirah, with no time limit and no condition of prior wudu.
- Radd al-Muhtar (Ibn Abidin), Kitab al-Taharah, chapter on wiping over khuffs. Wiping over most of the dressing is enough.
- Minhaj al-Talibin, Kitab al-Taharah, chapter on tayammum. The Shafi'i view of washing, wiping and tayammum together.
This answer is pending review by the scholars on our team. Quran translation by Sahih International. Hadith Arabic from the standard editions of the six books and the Muwatta, with gradings as recorded there; the English is our own rendering. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.