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Is a woman's prayer valid if she performs ablution then applies makeup?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

If a woman performs ablution (wudu') and then applies makeup or touches it with her hand, this does not harm her wudu' or her prayer, unless the makeup is impure (najis). It is important to know that it is not permissible for a woman to wear makeup in front of non-mahram men, because it is an adornment and a source of temptation. If she does so and then prays, her prayer is valid, but she bears the sin of displaying her adornment (tabarruj).

It is stated in "Fatawa Al-Lajnah Ad-Daimah" (Fatwas of the Permanent Committee): "There is no objection to a woman adorning herself by applying makeup, kohl, and styling her hair in a way that does not resemble disbelieving women, and it is also stipulated that she must cover her face from men who are not her mahrams." It also states therein: "The use of kohl is permissible, but it is not permissible for a woman to display any of her adornments, whether kohl or anything else, to anyone other than her husband and her mahrams; due to the Almighty's saying: (And not expose their adornment except to their husbands)."

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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