The presence of dry flakes on the scalp or hair does not affect wudu’; your wudu’ is valid and your prayer was valid, and you do not have to repeat them.
Is wudu valid if there is a layer of dried pus left on the scalp?
Question 618212
On my scalp I have some pimples, and sometimes blood comes out of them, followed by pus, then the pus dries and forms a dry layer over the area where the pimples are and on my hair. One day I did ghusl and wudu, then I prayed, then after I had prayed, I realised that some of this dry layer still remained over the pimples and it had not been removed by the water. Was my wudu valid even though it was there when I wiped my head or not? Was my prayer valid, or do I have to repeat it?
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Answer
Praise be to Allah, and blessings and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah:
Traces of blood, pus and the dry flakes that remain on the pimples on the scalp are usually a small amount that can be overlooked, especially if a person suffers a great deal from these pimples and the appearance of blood and pus happens frequently.
Al-Bukhari narrated in a mu`allaq report (1/55):
Al-Hasan said: The Muslims used to – and still – pray with their wounds. End quote.
It says in Hashiyat al-Bajuri `ala Ibn Qasim (1/51): Whatever barrier that is on them must be removed, such as accumulated dirt from outside, if it is not too difficult to remove it; otherwise it does not matter, because it has become like part of the body... The same applies to the crust that forms over a sore or abscess, even if it is easy to remove.
It says in Matalib Uli an-Nuha (1/116):
It does not matter if there is a little dirt under the nails and the like, and the same applies to what is inside the nose, even if it prevents the water from reaching where it should reach, because these are things that usually happen a lot, and if wudu was not valid in this case, then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would have said so, because it is not permissible to delay explaining something from the time when it is needed.
Shaykh Taqiy ad-Din ibn Taymiyah added to that – i.e., a small amount of dirt – any small amount of anything that prevents the water reaching where it should, such as blood or dough on any part of the body. He decided this on the basis of analogy with what may be under the nails. He also included in that cracks in the skin that may appear on some parts of the body. End quote.
Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said in Al-Fatawa al-Kubra (5/302):
If a small amount of dirt under the nails and the like prevents the water reaching where it should, wudu is still valid. This is one view among our companions. The same applies to any small amount of anything that prevents the water reaching where it should, wherever it may be, such as blood and dough. End quote.
See also the answers to questions no. 227587 and 223873.
Based on that, the presence of these dry flakes on the scalp or hair, even if water does not remove them when wiping, does not affect wudu, because it is a small amount which is overlooked. Therefore your ghusl and wudu were valid, and your prayer was valid, and you do not have to repeat anything.
And Allah knows best.
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