Should Hairspray be Removed before Ablution?

4-8-2019 | IslamWeb

Question:

Asalamo aleikoum scholars. If a person uses hairspray to fix his beard, does he have to clean it before doing wudu? I don't know if hairsorays are considered to be a prevention for the water reashing the hair of the face. Notice I'm talking about the part of the beard that must be wiped (which is the beard that is in the face area) and not the beard that is under the chin (المسترسلة). Is it obligatory to remove it?

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

We cannot issue a Fatwa regarding the hairspray you mentioned, whether or not it must be removed before performing ablution, as we haven't seen it. However, it is easy for those who use it to know. The rule is that anything that prevents water from reaching the intended area which must washed during ablution must be removed. Meaning, anything that forms a layer that prevents the water from reaching the intended part of the body and is considered a barrier must be removed.

Allah Knows best.