Islam Museum Islam Museum islam.museum
Search ⌕ ARENUR
Accessibility
Text size 100%

Saved on this device only — nothing is sent anywhere.

The bandage or turban and wiping over it (isaba)

العِصَابة

In the lexicon, isaba comes from 'asb, a tight binding; the word is used for a turban and for what binds a wound 1. The Hanbalis and Malikis allow wiping over the turban in ablution, on the report of al-Mughira ibn Shu'ba, with the Malikis limiting it where removal would harm or be hard; the Hanafis do not allow wiping over it and instead lift it and wipe the head 1. Prostration on the fold of the turban is disliked by the Hanafis, Malikis and Hanbalis unless there is an excuse 1 2. In cases of need, the jurists permit wiping over a dressing, plaster or splint in place of washing or dry ablution 2.

Depth

At a glance

Era
The Prophetic Era
Region
Global / Diaspora
Review
Draft Completeness 1/5 · Help complete it

Worship and the pillarsDress

Summary

In the lexicon, isaba comes from 'asb, a tight binding; the word is used for a turban and for what binds a wound 1.

Wiping over the turban

The Hanbalis and Malikis allow wiping over the turban in ablution, on the report of al-Mughira ibn Shu'ba, with the Malikis imposing conditions. The Hanafis do not allow wiping over it; they lift it and wipe the head 1.

Prostration on the turban

Prostration on the fold of the turban is disliked by the Hanafis, Malikis and Hanbalis unless there is an excuse; the Shafi'is do not allow it 1 2.

What binds a wound

In cases of need, the jurists permit wiping over a dressing, plaster or splint in place of washing or dry ablution 2.

People and things also explored

The turban (amama): its forms, wiping over it, and its rules in prayer and ihram· Awra (intimate parts)· Hair, wool and fur (their purity, the rules for the dead, washing, adornment and sale)· The ruling on one who abandons prayer· Ada' (performance of an obligation within its time)· Adhan (the call to prayer: its ruling, wording, conditions, recommended features and the muezzin)· Bone (adhm): purity, use and retaliation· The adornment of desires and the goods of this world

Sources

  1. al-Mawsu'a al-Fiqhiyya al-Kuwaitiyya, Noor-Book copy (file named v3) , p.11638
  2. al-Mawsu'a al-Fiqhiyya al-Kuwaitiyya, Noor-Book copy (file named v3) , p.11639
Cite this page

islam.museum contributors. “The bandage or turban and wiping over it (isaba)”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/concept/isaba/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Last updated 2026-10-23.

Improve this page on GitHub · Report an error · JSON

Wing

Ideas

Beliefs, concepts, sciences and schools, explained in plain words. Related

The turban (amama): its forms, wiping over it, and its rules in prayer and ihram

In the lexicon, 'amama is a cloth wound round the head, and its plural is 'amai'im; it is related to the tail, the headband, the bandage, the veil and the cap. Its styles include wrapping the head with the end let fall on the back, and i'tijar, wrapping without tucking the end under the chin, and the end let fall from both sides of the head. The turbans of the Prophet are described as black, with the end let fall between the shoulders, and he is reported to have worn a Qatari cloth. Protected non-Muslims were distinguished by colours and by wearing the turban without tucking it under the chin. Prostration on the fold of the turban is disliked by most jurists unless there is an excuse, and the Shafi'is require the forehead to be bare. Wiping over the turban in ablution is refused by the Hanafis, allowed by the Malikis where removal would harm, and allowed by the Shafi'is and Hanbalis. A shirt and a turban in a shroud are recommended by Abu Hanifa and Malik and not by al-Shafi'i and Ahmad. A turban is forbidden to one in the state of ihram, and a restraint may be imposed by removing the turban as a discretionary penalty.