Gargling During Wudu and Ghusl: The Legal Ruling and Detailed Evidences
Question:
Is gargling obligatory for one performing wudu and ghusl? And if a fasting person has a wet dream during the day, is it necessary to gargle at the time of iftar?
Answer:
الحمد لله، والصلاة والسلام علىٰ رسول الله، أما بعد:
Gargling (gharghara) during wudu or ghusl is not proven from any sahih hadith. Similarly, if a fasting person has a wet dream during the day, it is not necessary to gargle at the time of iftar.
The Obligation of Istinshaq and Madmada in Wudu and Ghusl
Legal Rulings:
Drawing water thoroughly into the nose is obligatory only when one is not fasting.
Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah and al-Mishkat report from Hadrat Laqit ibn Sabrah (may Allah be pleased with him):
“Perform a complete wudu, pass water between the fingers, and draw water thoroughly into the nose when you are not fasting.”
It is also narrated from Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him):
“When any one of you performs wudu, he should draw water into his nose and then blow it out.”
In the Sahihayn, it is narrated from Hadrat Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him):
“When any one of you wakes from sleep, he should blow his nose three times, for the devil stays in his nose.”
Why Are Madmada and Blowing the Nose Obligatory in Wudu and Ghusl?
Key Points:
◈ The command to wash the face is found in the Quran, and madmada (rinsing the mouth) and putting water into the nose (istinshaq) are included in it.
◈ Although the mouth and nose have separate names, both are part of the face, just as the cheeks, eyes, eyelids, etc. are.
Additional Evidences:
The hadith of Muslima ibn Qays:
“When you perform wudu, blow your nose.”
Another narration of Laqit ibn Sabrah (may Allah be pleased with him):
“When you perform wudu, rinse your mouth.”
Other Evidences for the Obligation of Madmada and Istinshaq:
The narration of al-Daraqutni:
“The Prophet ﷺ commanded rinsing the mouth and putting water into the nose.”
According to al-Daraqutni: “Although some have narrated this hadith as mursal, its narrator Hudbah is a narrator of the Sahihayn, so it is acceptable.”
– Imam Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him):
It is never proven that the Prophet ﷺ abandoned madmada and istinshaq.
The statements of Abu Bishr al-Dulabi and Abu al-Hasan ibn al-Qattan:
“When you perform wudu, be thorough in madmada and istinshaq, except when you are fasting.”
– Hadrat Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her):
“Madmada and istinshaq are necessary in wudu.”
Objections and Their Answers:
Objection:
“Ten things are among the sunnah.”
Answer:
This hadith concerns natural matters; the technical sunnah is not meant.
The hadith of Hadrat Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) (that madmada and istinshaq are sunnah) is da’if because its narrator Isma’il ibn Muslim is weak.
Objection:
“The Quran mentions washing the face, but not madmada and istinshaq.”
Answer:
Rinsing the mouth and putting water into the nose is included in washing the face.
The command of the Prophet ﷺ is the command of Allah:
“وَمَا آتَاكُمُ الرَّسُولُ فَخُذُوهُ وَمَا نَهَاكُمْ عَنْهُ فَانْتَهُوا”
Statements of the Imams
◈ Imam al-Shawkani
:
“The view of obligation is the truth, because the Quran commands washing the face, and both (madmada and istinshaq) are included in the face.”
◈ Imam Ibn Hazm
:
“Istinshaq and istinthar are obligatory.”
◈
:
“There is no sahih and explicit narration from the Prophet ﷺ of wudu without madmada and istinshaq.”
Linguistic Clarification:
◈ Madmada: moving water around inside the mouth.
◈ Istinshaq: expelling water through the nose.
The Ruling on Gargling and Inserting a Finger into the Nose:
◈ Gargling (drawing water to the throat and gurgling it) has no basis.
◈ There is no evidence for inserting a finger into the nose.
Hadith of Abdullah ibn Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him):
“The Prophet ﷺ performed madmada and istinshaq with one handful of water, and did this three times.”
Some hadiths also show that they were performed separately.
ھذا ما عندي، واللہ أعلم بالصواب
