What is the ruling on not washing the hair, due to hardship, during the ritual bath of purification? ترك غسل الشعر أثناء غسل الجنابة

Praise be to Allah, and may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah, his family and his companions.

As to what follows:

In response to your question, we say, and with Allah Almighty lies all success:

Wiping is not enough, even if there is hardship, but:

If it were not for hardship everyone would lead,

Generosity is accepting poverty and coming forth is fighting.

When Umm Salamah, inquiring the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “I am a women who keeps her hair closely plaited; should I undo it when I wash after sexual impurity?” Meaning that she braided her hair. So she asked if she should undo it, i.e, should she open these braids in order to take a bath from sexual impurity. And in another narration, “…and [when washing] from menstruation?”  So he said, “Rather, it is sufficient for you to pour three handfuls of water over yourself.” And wiping is not the same as pouring handfuls. So the requirement is to pour handfuls. But it is not mandatory on her while taking a bath of purification to thoroughly get water into the insides of all of her hair braids, because the prophet (peace be upon him) did not order her to undo her braids. So she pours water over her head in handfuls; whereas if she only wiped, she would not have fulfilled the requirement of the bath of purification. And this is an important issue, as the bath is the key to prayers:

 “And if you are in a state of janabah [i.e. sexual impurity], then purify yourselves.” [Al-Ma’idah 5:6].

That is, in order to get the reward you want from prayer and in order to free yourself of guilt from what you owe to it.

So I advise my sister not to be excessive in the matter of the bath for purification. But at the same time, wiping is not sufficient, rather water must be poured over the head in handfuls.

And Allah knows best.