Question: Does touching one’s spouse break wudu?
Answer:
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ، الْـحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ، وَالصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَى أَشْرَفِ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ وَالْمُرْسَلِينَ، نَبِيِّنَا مُحَمَّدٍ، وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَصَحْبِهِ أَجْمَعِينَ، وَمَنْ تَبِعَهُمْ بِإِحْسَانٍ إِلَى يَوْمِ الدِّينِ.
The Qur’ān says: ﴿ أَوْ لَامَسْتُمُ النِّسَاءَ ﴾
“Or you touched women…” (Sūrat al-Nisāʾ: 43). The scholars differed in the interpretation of the term “lamastum,” and this led to different rulings on whether physical touch nullifies wuḍūʾ.
According to the Ḥanafī madhhab, touching one’s spouse without desire does not break wuḍūʾ. Even with desire, wuḍūʾ remains intact unless accompanied by discharge. This is based on their understanding that the verse refers to sexual relations (a euphemism), not mere touch.
The Mālikī madhhab also holds that touching does not break wuḍūʾ unless it is accompanied by desire.
The Shāfiʿī madhhab interprets the verse literally and holds that any skin-to-skin contact with ones spouse or a non-mahram member of the opposite gender breaks wuḍūʾ, regardless of intention or desire.
The Ḥanbalī madhhab holds that wuḍūʾ is nullified if the touch is accompanied by desire. If there is no desire, it does not nullify wuḍūʾ.
Therefore, the more lenient view held by the Ḥanafī, Mālikī, and Ḥanbalī schools is that touching one’s spouse does not break wuḍūʾ unless there is desire. The Shāfiʿī position is more cautious and should be respected by those who follow it.
وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ.