Rulings on Ghusl
The Sunnah Method of Ghusl al-Janabah:
❀ Like every act of worship, ghusl will be valid only if it follows the Sunnah, otherwise it will not be. Allah the Exalted says:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ وَلَا تُبْطِلُوا أَعْمَالَكُمْ
“O you who believe! Obey Allah and obey the Messenger, and do not render your deeds void.”
❀ Every action depends on intention, so while performing ghusl, make the intention of purification.
❀ First wash both hands, then with the left hand clean off filth and similar matter, and perform istinja. Clean the hands with soil or soap.
❀ Then perform wudu, but do not wipe the head and do not wash the feet. (For the detailed method of wudu, read the chapter on wudu.)
❀ Then pass wet fingers through the hair of the head, then pour three handfuls of water and rub well with the fingers placed in the hair, so that the skin beneath the hair becomes wet.
❀ Pour the three handfuls in such a way that first on the right side, then on the left side, and then in the middle.
❀ Then wash the whole body.
❀ Move away from the place of bathing and wash the feet.
❀ If a woman, during ghusl al-janabah, has braided the hair of her head, it is not necessary to unbraid it; rather, pouring three handfuls of water over it is sufficient.
❀ The same ruling applies to ghusl after menstruation, because in another chain of the same hadith in Muslim there are these words: فانقضيه للحيضة والجنابة؟ فقال لا “Should I unbraid the braids of my hair for ghusl after menstruation and ghusl al-janabah?” He ﷺ said: “No, there is no need.”
As for the hadith in Bukhari
and Silsilah Sahihah
and others, in which the Mother of the Believers ʿĀ’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, was ordered by the Prophet ﷺ to unbraid her hair, that was not ghusl after menstruation but ghusl for ihram, because at that time ʿĀ’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, had not yet become pure.
Use of Soap in Ghusl:
❀ Soap, shampoo and the like are not necessary for ghusl al-janabah; however, if someone uses soap or shampoo, it is permissible.
Performing Ghusl Naked:
❀ Ghusl should be performed in privacy. The noble wife of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, Maymunah, may Allah be pleased with her, said: “I screened the Prophet ﷺ while he was performing ghusl.”
❀ It is permissible to perform ghusl naked when alone, but it is better to cover oneself even when alone.
Husband and Wife Performing Ghusl Together:
❀ A husband and wife may perform ghusl together. Sayyidah ʿĀ’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said: “The Prophet ﷺ and I would bathe together from one vessel in such a way that our hands would take turns dipping into it.”
No Need to Renew Wudu After Ghusl:
Prayer may be offered with the wudu of ghusl; there is no need to perform separate wudu. Sayyidah ʿĀ’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ did not perform wudu after ghusl.”
However, if during ghusl the wudu is broken for some reason, such as touching the private part, then fresh wudu must be performed for prayer.
Wiping over Socks Is Not Permissible During Ghusl:
When ghusl becomes obligatory, the wiping also ends, meaning that wiping over the feet is not permissible during ghusl. Sayyiduna Safwan ibn ʿAssal, may Allah be pleased with him, said: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to command us that when we were travelling we should not remove our leather socks for three days and nights because of defecation, urination and sleep, but we must remove them upon being junub.”
How Much Water Should Be Used in Ghusl:
In purification, water should be used as needed; spending more than necessary is a sin. Allah the Exalted says:
وَلَا تُسْرِفُوا إِنَّهُ لَا يُحِبُّ الْمُسْرِفِينَ
“Do not be extravagant, for Allah does not love the extravagant.”
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ would perform ghusl with water from one sa’ (approximately two kilograms) up to five mudd (approximately three kilograms).
When Does Ghusl Become Obligatory?
Ghusl becomes obligatory in five situations: sexual intercourse, seminal emission (ihtilam), menstruation and postpartum bleeding, conversion to Islam, and death.
Ghusl After Intercourse:
Ghusl becomes obligatory through intercourse even if there is no emission. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
إذا جلس بين شعبها الأربع ثم جهدها فقد وجب عليه الغسل وإن لم ينزل
“When a man sits between the four branches of a woman and exerts himself, ghusl becomes obligatory upon him, even if there is no emission.”
Prohibited Acts in the State of Janabah:
❀ In the state of janabah, prayer and circumambulation of the Kaaba are prohibited, because purification is a condition for them.
❀ Postponing acts of worship without reason is a sin, therefore one should perform ghusl promptly and fulfil these obligations.
Ghusl and Wudu for Intercourse Again:
It is better to perform ghusl again before intercourse a second time. Sayyiduna Abu Rafi’ (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “The Prophet ﷺ went to all his wives in one night, and performed ghusl with each of them. He was asked: ‘O Messenger of Allah! Would one ghusl not suffice?’ He ﷺ said: ‘This method is purer, better, and more purifying.'”
If one wishes to have intercourse again, one should perform wudu. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
إذا أتىٰ أحدكم أهله ثم أراد أن يعود فليتوضأ
“When one of you has intercourse with his wife and then wishes to return to her, he should perform wudu.”
Ghusl due to wet dream:
❀ An ihtilam (wet dream) is when semen is discharged with lustful excitement, whether asleep or awake.
❀ Ihtilam commonly occurs to men, and occasionally to women.
❀ If there are traces of ihtilam on clothing, ghusl should be performed, even if one does not remember the dream.
❀ If one feels a wet dream while asleep but there are no traces of semen on clothing, ghusl is not obligatory. Sayyidah Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said:
سئل النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم عن الرجل يجد البلل ولا يذكر احتلاما، قال يغتسل، وعن الرجل يرىٰ أنه قد احتلم ولا يجد البلل قال لا غسل عليه
“The Prophet ﷺ was asked about a man who sees wetness but does not remember a dream. He ﷺ said: ‘He should perform ghusl.’ Then he was asked about a man who feels in his sleep that he has had a wet dream but sees no wetness on his clothes. He ﷺ said: ‘There is no ghusl upon him.'”
❀ Its rulings are the same as ghusl after intercourse.
❀ For the method of cleaning clothing stained with semen, see the rulings on purity of clothing.
The ruling on madhi and wadi
Madhi:
A slippery fluid that exits the private part at the time of sexual arousal.
Wadi:
A thick white fluid that exits either before or after urination; it is an illness, and in our region it is called dripping of drops.
❀ When madhi or wadi exits, one should cleanse the private parts and perform wudu; ghusl is not obligatory due to them.
❀ Leucorrhea in women has the same ruling.
Explanation of menstruation and postnatal bleeding:
❀ Hayd is blackish blood that comes to adult women every month; generally its duration is three to seven days. Nifas is the blood that flows at childbirth; generally its duration is forty days, but sometimes it ends even earlier.
❀ Ghusl becomes obligatory due to hayd and nifas; the ghusl is to be performed once the blood stops. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
فإذا أقبلت الحيضة فدعي الصلاة، وإذا أدبرت فاغتسلي وصلي
“When menstruation begins, leave off prayer; and when it departs, perform ghusl and pray.”
To remove the odour of this blood, perfume should be used. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
خذي فرصة ممسكة فتوضئي ثلاثا
“Take a piece of cloth scented with musk and purify yourself with it three times.”
Prohibited acts during hayd and nifas:
❀ A woman in hayd or nifas will not do the following four things: prayer, fasting, intercourse, and circumambulation of the Ka’bah.
❀ A woman in hayd and nifas may do all other acts. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
إن المؤمن لا ينجس
“Indeed, the believer is never impure.”
If hayd or nifas begins during prayer, fasting, or circumambulation, that act ends automatically. The obligatory fast and the obligatory circumambulation are to be made up, whereas the prayer is not made up. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to Sayyidah Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her):
أن لا تطوفي بالبيت حتىٰ تطهري
“Do not circumambulate the House until you are pure.”
Sayyidah Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said:
كان يصيبنا ذٰلك فتؤمر بقضاء الصوم ولا تؤمر بقضاء الصلاة
“When we had menstruation, we were commanded to make up the fast, but we were not commanded to make up the prayer.”
❀ A prayer that had already become obligated before hayd or nifas began, meaning its time had already come but she had not yet performed it out of negligence, must be made up after hayd or nifas ends, because that prayer had already become obligatory upon her.
❀ If the blood of hayd or nifas ends before the time, all restrictions end and prayer and fasting become obligatory. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
فإذا أقبلت الحيضة فدعي الصلاة، وإذا أدبرت فاغتسلي وصلي
“When menstruation begins, leave off prayer; and when it departs, perform ghusl and pray.”
Can a menstruating woman recite the Qur’an?
There is a difference of opinion among scholars regarding the recitation of the Quran during menstruation, postnatal bleeding, and the state of janabah. The correct position is that there is no sahih and clear hadith regarding the prohibition of reciting the Quran in these circumstances. When there is no clear and sahih evidence for prohibition, it is not permissible to forbid recitation in these circumstances. Similarly, the prohibition of touching the Quran during menstruation or postnatal bleeding is not established by any clear and explicit hadith; however, if the Quran is touched through a clean cloth or the like and pages are turned with it, it is better.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ instructed Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) to hand him a mat (musalla) from the mosque. She expressed her menstruation as an excuse, and the Prophet ﷺ said:
إن حيضتك ليست فى يدك
“Your menstruation is not in your hand.”
So it is known that the effect of menstruation is not in the hands; anything can be taken with them.
The Status of Water Outside the Days of Menstruation:
❀ The rulings for the discharge of water outside the specified days are not the rulings of menstruation and postnatal bleeding.
Umm Atiyyah (may Allah be pleased with her) says:
كنا لا نعد الكدرة والصفرة شيئا
“We did not consider the brownish and yellowish water to be anything.”
The Issue of Istihadah:
For its details, see “The Purification of the Sick and the Disabled.”
Ghusl upon Accepting Islam:
❀ When a person wishes to accept Islam, he will be made to perform ghusl before being taught the Kalimah.
Sayyidina Qais bin Asim (may Allah be pleased with him) says:
“I came to the Prophet ﷺ to accept Islam, and he ordered me to perform ghusl with water and lote-tree leaves.”
Ghusl of the Deceased:
❀ When a Muslim passes away, it is obligatory to give him ghusl. (For its details, see the chapter on funerals.)
Further Rulings on Ghusl:
❀ Ghusl for janabah should be performed as soon as possible, as it is an act of worship. Some people say that when ghusl becomes obligatory for a woman, it is necessary to perform ghusl at that time; this is not correct.
Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates about the Messenger of Allah ﷺ:
ربما اغتسل فنام ، وربما توضأ فنام
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ would sometimes sleep after performing ghusl and sometimes after performing wudu.”
❀ Common people consider a janabah person to be completely impure, and a woman during menstruation and postnatal bleeding is placed in a separate room on a dirty bed in the house; her utensils are set apart, sitting, rising, eating, drinking and mixing with her are prohibited. However, Islam has no such restriction.
❀ If a janabah person wishes to do some work and it is not time for ghusl, it is better that he performs wudu. Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) relates: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ would sometimes sleep after performing ghusl and sometimes after performing wudu.
If he has neither time nor water for wudu, he may do the work without wudu, because the Prophet ﷺ has declared the believer pure in all circumstances.
If Knowledge of Janabah Comes After the Prayer:
❀ If an imam led the congregation while in a state of janabah and he later came to know of it, he should perform ghusl and repeat his prayer alone.
Sulayman bin Yasar says:
Umar bin al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) led the people in the Fajr prayer, then went to his land in Jurf, and saw traces of ihtilam on his clothes. He said:
“Since we started using fat, our veins have started to flow.”
Then he performed ghusl, washed the semen from his clothes, and repeated the prayer, but when he returned he did not tell the followers to repeat the prayer.
If Multiple Ghusls Are Combined:
If several ghusls become due together, one ghusl is sufficient for all, because the purpose is to attain purity, and that has been achieved.
Recommended Ghusl:
In the following situations, performing ghusl is recommended, meaning it is preferable.
Friday Ghusl:
For its details, see the chapter on Friday.
Ghusl for Washing the Deceased:
For its details, see the chapter on funerals.
Ghusl for the Two Eids:
For its details, see the chapter on the Eids.
Ghusl for Ihram:
Performing ghusl when putting on ihram is sunnah.
❀ Sayyidina Zayd bin Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him) says:
أنه رأى النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم تجرد لإهلاله واغتسل
“I saw the Prophet ﷺ perform ghusl before putting on ihram.”
Ghusl upon Entering Makkah:
❀ Performing ghusl upon entering Makkah is sunnah. Nafi’ says:
“Sayyidina Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) would spend the night at Dhi Tuwa before entering Makkah, until he prayed the morning prayer and performed ghusl, then he would enter Makkah during the day and say: The Prophet ﷺ used to do exactly this.”
