Short answer
No. In the Hanafi school a woman does not have to undo her braids for ghusl after a period or janabah, as long as water reaches the roots of her hair and the scalp. Loose hair must be washed through.
Wetting the roots and scalp is fard; wetting the length of braided hair is excused for women. If the braids are so tight that water cannot reach the roots, she must loosen them. Men must wash all their hair.
Other madhhabs
- Hanbali
- For ghusl after a period it is recommended to undo the braids, and some Hanbali scholars said it is required; for janabah it is not needed.
Explanation
Umm Salamah asked the Prophet ﷺ whether she had to undo her tightly braided hair for ghusl, and in one narration she mentioned both janabah and menstruation. He said no: it is enough to pour three handfuls of water over your head, then pour water over the rest of your body, and you are pure. This is one of the eases given to women.
What is fard in a woman's ghusl:
- Rinsing the mouth.
- Rinsing the nose.
- Washing every part of the body, including the scalp and the roots of the hair.
For hair, check that water actually reaches the scalp. Work it in with your fingers. With very tight braids, cornrows or extensions sewn to the scalp, water may not reach, and then they must be loosened.
Things that block water must be removed before ghusl: nail polish, waterproof makeup, glue, thick hair gel or wax. Henna colour and hair dye that only stains are fine. See nail polish and henna.
When ghusl is required for a woman: after her period ends, after nifas ends, after intercourse, and after a wet dream in which she sees fluid. The Prophet ﷺ told Umm Sulaym that a woman must bathe after a dream if she sees the water. For the step-by-step method see how to do ghusl.
The evidence
Quran, Surah Al-Maaida 5:6
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِذَا قُمْتُمْ إِلَى ٱلصَّلَوٰةِ فَٱغْسِلُوا۟ وُجُوهَكُمْ وَأَيْدِيَكُمْ إِلَى ٱلْمَرَافِقِ وَٱمْسَحُوا۟ بِرُءُوسِكُمْ وَأَرْجُلَكُمْ إِلَى ٱلْكَعْبَيْنِ ۚ وَإِن كُنتُمْ جُنُبًۭا فَٱطَّهَّرُوا۟ ۚ وَإِن كُنتُم مَّرْضَىٰٓ أَوْ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍ أَوْ جَآءَ أَحَدٌۭ مِّنكُم مِّنَ ٱلْغَآئِطِ أَوْ لَٰمَسْتُمُ ٱلنِّسَآءَ فَلَمْ تَجِدُوا۟ مَآءًۭ فَتَيَمَّمُوا۟ صَعِيدًۭا طَيِّبًۭا فَٱمْسَحُوا۟ بِوُجُوهِكُمْ وَأَيْدِيكُم مِّنْهُ ۚ مَا يُرِيدُ ٱللَّهُ لِيَجْعَلَ عَلَيْكُم مِّنْ حَرَجٍۢ وَلَٰكِن يُرِيدُ لِيُطَهِّرَكُمْ وَلِيُتِمَّ نِعْمَتَهُۥ عَلَيْكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ ﴿٦﴾
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 or on a journey or one of you comes from the place of relieving himself or you have contacted 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.
Commands the full purification of ghusl.
Sahih Muslim 330
Sahih... إنما يكفيك أن تحثي على رأسك ثلاث حثيات ...
"It is enough for you to pour three handfuls of water over your head."
Shows a woman need not undo her braids for ghusl.
Sahih al-Bukhari 282
Sahih... نعم إذا رأت الماء ...
"Yes, if she sees the fluid."
Shows that a woman must bathe after a wet dream when she sees fluid.
Where the ruling is recorded
- al-Hidaya, Kitab al-Taharah, section on ghusl. A woman need not undo her braids if water reaches the roots.
- Nur al-Idah with Maraqi al-Falah, Chapter on ghusl. The fard acts of ghusl and the women's exemption for braids.
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.