The Religious Ruling on the Bride's Tayammum on the Wedding Night

On the wedding day, brides typically cannot perform wudu due to their makeup and wedding attire. Given the significant cost of makeup services, it is difficult for the bride to wash and perform wudu. Additionally, if they perform wudu before the makeup, maintaining it until the evening is extremely challenging. Therefore, many brides ask about performing tayammum in place of wudu on their wedding night. In this article, we provide answers to this question based on the views of religious authorities.

A bride typically goes to the salon in the morning and has her makeup on until late in the evening. During this extended period, it is generally difficult to maintain wudu. Is it valid for the bride to perform tayammum instead of wudu under these circumstances? Can she delay the prayer until there is no time for wudu and then perform tayammum?

According to the views of the major religious authorities, this situation cannot be considered a valid excuse for neglecting wudu or ghusl and performing tayammum instead. Brides who are preparing for a wedding or similar events must ensure that the barriers to wudu are removed and perform wudu.

In these cases, religious women typically plan ahead and coordinate with the makeup artist so they do not neglect their religious obligations. Since this process usually takes no more than five or six hours, the bride can perform wudu at noon while at the salon, pray, and then continue with her makeup. In the time before Maghrib prayer, she can prevent her wudu from invalidating and perform her prayer along with the Maghrib adhan. This can be easily done.

However, it should be noted that for the morning prayer the next day, the makeup must be removed, and the barriers preventing water from reaching the wudu areas must be removed.

Ayatollah Khamenei's Opinion on the Bride's Tayammum:

Question: If a bride has makeup on her face and does not want to remove it for the prayer, and given the modern culture where brides go to the salon early in the morning and must keep their makeup on until late at night, it is often difficult to maintain wudu for such a long time. Can she perform tayammum? Or can she delay the prayer so much that there is no time for wudu and then perform tayammum?

Answer: In the mentioned case, she cannot perform tayammum unless she intentionally delays the prayer until the time for it runs out. In that case, although it is sinful, she may perform tayammum to pray. (Source: Office of the Supreme Leader)

Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi's Opinion on the Bride's Tayammum:

If a bride has heavy or thick makeup that cannot be removed, she can perform tayammum on a flat stone, if possible. If she cannot, she should perform the prayer and later repeat it. (Source: Fatwas of Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi)

This applies in situations where it is impossible to remove the makeup, such as not having enough time. However, if she can remove the makeup but chooses not to for the prayer, it is considered sinful.

Steps for Performing Tayammum:

1. With the intention of obeying God's command, strike both palms on something suitable for tayammum (some scholars suggest a slight impact rather than placing the hands gently on the earth).

2. Rub the palms across the forehead, from the hairline to the eyebrows (and possibly over the eyebrows according to some opinions). Hair should not obstruct this.

3. Rub the entire palm of the left hand across the back of the right hand, from wrist to fingertip.

4. Repeat the same for the left hand. Some scholars believe that before wiping the hands, the palms should be struck on the earth again, and others believe that after the four steps, the hands should be struck once more and wiped over the back of both hands.

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