Source: Ahkam wa Masail in the Light of Qur’an and Hadith, Volume 02❖ Question
Peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be upon you.A man was unaware of one of the essential components of Ghusl Janabah. He performed the ritual bath in his own way and remained unaware of the missing component. Shortly after, he came to know the correct ruling. Is it necessary for him to repeat the Ghusl, or is he excused due to his ignorance?
❖ Answer
He is excused due to his ignorance, but he should be cautious not to repeat this mistake in the future.
Evidence:The elevated Hadith of Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (رضي الله عنه) regarding offering prayer while unknowingly wearing impure shoes.
Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (رضي الله عنه) narrated that once the Noble Prophet (ﷺ) was leading his companions in prayer when he removed his shoes and placed them to his left. Upon seeing this, the people also removed their shoes. When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) completed the prayer, he asked:
"What made you take off your shoes?"
They replied: "We saw you remove your shoes, so we did the same." The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) then said:
"Indeed, Jibreel (عليه السلام) came to me and informed me that there was impurity on both of my shoes."
He then added:
"When any of you comes to the mosque, let him look at his shoes; if he sees any impurity or filth, let him rub them clean and pray in them."
(Sunan Abi Dawood, Book of Prayer, Chapter on Praying in Shoes)
✿ Key Point:
The precedent established by this Hadith shows that unintentional neglect due to ignorance is excused in Shari'ah. Hence, the Ghusl performed unknowingly without fulfilling all its essential parts does not require repetition, although one must ensure proper knowledge and practice going forward.
