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Fatwa CenterValidity of ablution with thick black skin on the foot
Question
dear brother/s,
recently I have had a cut on my right foot near my toes and overtime that has become black and kind of a thick black skin has formed there, perhaps you understand what i mean. Although the black skin is very small, when I make ablution would it be valid? If not then what about my prayers I have made with those ablution? Please advise. It is not possible to peel that skin off as it hurts.
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.
Your ablution is valid as long as you cannot peel this skin off since it hurts you. This area does not fall under the category of the dead skin that Muslim jurists discussed. Dead skin refers to the skin which separates from the body then becomes dry and covers the body under it. This dead skin must be removed in order to allow the water to reach the area under it because this skin is considered a separate part, whether it is in the feet or elsewhere in the body. The skin which must be removed must be dead and covering part of the living skin, provided its removal does not cause harm. However, in case the removal of that skin may cause harm to the living skin because it is still connected to it and will affect it, then it is not obligatory to remove it.
As for the thick skin in the sole of the feet, it is not considered dead skin; it is part of the feet even if removing it may not hurt the person, like the hair or nails.
To sum up, when the dead skin covers the living one and the person performing ablution or making Ghusl is able to remove it but he does not, his purification is invalid.
Allaah Knows best.
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