If I change my baby's diaper or wash my child’s private parts, does that break my wudhu?

by Asma bint Shameem

ANSWER

The majority of the scholars said that changing the baby’s diaper or washing your child after they use the bathroom does not invalidate wudhu.

Similarly, when dealing with a baby, you may come in contact with

najaasah itself or you may step on it (urine accidents).

Or the baby’s clothes may be soiled with najaasah and that might touch you or your clothes.

Or the baby may spit up or vomit on you.

NONE of these things will invalidate wudhu.

The only thing we have to do in such cases, is to simply wash our hands or wash that part which came in contact with the najaasah.

🍃 Shaikh ibn Uthaymeen said:

"If a woman washes her child, boy or girl, and touches the child’s private part, she does not have to do wudhu’, rather she only has to wash her hand, because touching the private part without desire does not necessitate wudhu’.

It is known that when a woman washes her children, desire does not even enter her mind, so if she washes her child she only needs to wash her hands to get rid of any najaasah that has got onto them, and she does not have to do wudhu’."

(Majmoo’Fataawa Ibn ‘Uthaymeen(11/203).

🍃 Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan said:

“If a person gets something impure on his body or clothes and he has wudhu, then his wudhu is not broken by that, because none of the things that break wudhu have happened.

But all that he has to do is to wash this impurity from his body or clothes, and pray with that wudhu. There is nothing wrong with him doing that.”

(al-Muntaqaa fi Fataawa Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan, part 3, p. 23)

🔺What about adults?

What if I have to touch the private parts of a handicapped adult, or a sick patient to help clean themselves?

There’s a difference of opinion among the scholars about this issue. 

But the stronger scholarly opinion is that it would not invalidate your wudhu, especially if you’re wearing gloves. 

And the dispute among the scholars is about touching the private part “without” a barrier. 

🍃 Shaikh Ibn Uthaymeen said: 

“touching the private parts of an adult or a minor does not invalidate wudhu’ unless it is accompanied by desire.”

(Liqa’ al-Baab al-Maftooh)

🔺Conclusion

So all you have to do is just wash your hands. And there’s no need to renew your wudhu.

And Allaah knows best