GHUSL

Ghusl is a major ablution as opposed to wudu which is a minor ablution. In Islamic

laws, Ghusl is considered an act of worship; it is an act of purifying oneself from
the ritual impurity (najasat) caused by sexual intercourse, discharge of semen or
blood, and by touching the dead body. The ritual bath given to a dead Muslim
before burial is also known as Ghusl.

There are seven obligatory Ghusl. The Ghusl for each of these causes has
different names:

1) GHUSL JANABAT

Purification from the impurity caused by sexual intercourse or discharge of

semen.

2) GHUSL HAYD (for women only)

Purification from the impurity caused by menstruation.

3) GHUSL ISTIHADAH (for women only)

Purification from the impurity caused by irregular bleeding.

4) GHUSL NIFAS (for women only)

Purification from the impurity caused by post-natal bleeding.

5) GHUSL MAYYIT

In Islamic laws, death is also considered a cause of ritual impurity of a

Muslim's body. Therefore, a dead Muslim has to be given a ritual bath
before the burial ceremony.

6) GHUSL MASE MAYYIT.

Touching a dead body, before the ritualistic bath, also makes one impure
(najis). He is required to take a ritual bath.
 7) GHUSL which becomes obligatory on account of a vow or an oath to
perform it.

METHOD OF PERFORMING GHUSL

Before explaining the rules of performing the ghusl it is necessary to

mention that all the ghusls are performed in the same manner; the
difference is only in the niyyat of each ghusl. For example, for purifying
oneself from the ritual impurity of sexual intercourse, one has to make
the niyyat that he is doing ‘ghusl janabat’.

Ghusl is a ritual bath; it involves washing of the whole body. There are two
methods of performing ghusl. One is known as Ghusl Tartibi, and the other is
known as Ghusl Irtimasi.

(1) GHUSL TARTIBI (in stages)

"Ghusl Tartibi" means an ordinal bath, performed in three stages.

After washing away the najasat from the body and after niyyat, the body
has to be washed in three stages: First, head down to the neck; then the
right side of the body from the shoulder down to the foot; and lastly, the
left side of the body.

Note: After washing the head and neck, it is sufficient to wash the
remaining parts of the body but it is better to wash the right side of
the body first and then the left side.

Each part should be washed thoroughly in such a way that the water reaches
the skin. Special care should be taken while washing the head; the hair
should be combed (e.g., with your fingers) so that water reaches the hair -
roots. While washing the right side of the body, some part of the left side
must be washed too, and also, while washing the left side of the body, some
part of the right side must be washed.

It is not necessary that the body should be washed downwards from the
head. It is also not necessary to wash the body immediately after washing
the head and the neck. There is no harm, therefore, if there is a lapse of
some time after washing one’s head and neck before washing one’s body. It
 is not necessary that one should wash one’s head, neck and body in one
instance.

(2) GHUSL IRTIMASI (by submerging the whole body in the water)

"Ghusl Irtimasi" means a bath involving immersion of the whole body in the
water. It is needless to say that such a ghusl can only be done in a body of
water, e.g., a pool, river, lake or sea.

After washing away the najasat from the body and after niyyah, the whole
body should be completely immersed in the water all at once, not gradually.
One has to make sure that the water reaches all parts of the body, including
hair and the skin under it.

However, Ghusl Tartibi is preferred to Ghusl Irtimasi.

CONDITIONS FOR THE VALIDITY OF GHUSL

The validity of ghusl depends on certain conditions which are known as "the
conditions for the validity of ghusl". These conditions are ten in number:
three conditions are related to the water, four are related to the person
and three to the act of ghusl itself.

i. THE WATER

1. The water must be mutlaq (unmixed, pure).

2. The water must be tahir (ritually clean).
3. The water must be mubah (lawful). The details of these conditions are
same as the conditions of the water of wudu.

ii. THE PERSON

4. Niyyah.
5. All parts of the body must be clean from the impurity (e.g., semen,
blood) before starting the ghusl.
6. Use of water should not be harmful to the person who wants to
perform ghusl.
7. The ghusl must be performed by the person himself. (The details are
same as in wudu)
iii. THE GHUSL

8. The place where ghusl is being performed must be mubah (lawful).

9. The ghusl should be performed either in tartibi manner or in irtimasi
manner.
10. All parts of the body must be washed thoroughly as explained above.

SOME GENERAL RULES RELATING TO GHUSL

01) It is not necessary that the entire body of a person should be tahir
before irtimasi or tartibi ghusl. So, if the body becomes tahir while
diving in water or pouring water over one’s body with the intention of
the ghusl, the ghusl will be in order.

02) While doing ghusl, if a part of the body, however small, remains
unwashed the ghusl is invalid. But, it is not obligatory to wash the
inside of the ear or nose and other places which are reckoned to
be the interior of the body.

03) All things which prevent water from reaching the body should be
removed. If a person does ghusl before ensuring that such obstacles
have been removed, the ghusl will be void.

04) At the time of ghusl, if one doubts whether there is something on

one’s body which would prevent water from reaching the body, one
should investigate and satisfy oneself that the obstacle is not there
and if it is there he should remove it.

05) While doing ghusl, one should wash the short hair which are taken as a
part of the body. Washing of the long hair is not obligatory.
However, if one makes water reach the skin in such a way that those
long hair do not become wet, the ghusl is in order. However, if it is
not possible to make water reach the skin without washing those hair
one should wash them so that water may reach the body.

06) When a person is in doubt whether he or she has done ghusl or not,
such a person must do ghusl. However, if doubt arises in the mind
after ghusl as to whether ghusl was correct or not, then there is no
need to do ghusl again.
07) If one urinates or passes wind (or does any act which would invalidate
the Wudu) while doing the ghusl, one does not have to abandon the
ghusl and start all over again. In fact, one can continue with the same
ghusl till completion. However, in this situation, one will have to do
Wudu also, as per obligatory precaution.

08) If more than one ghusl become wajib on a person, e.g., janabat, mase
mayyit, etc., then one ghusl with the niyyat of all of them will suffice.

09) All the ghusls, except the ghusl for "medium istihazah," suffices the
performer from wudu provided none of the nawaqiz (those things
which end the effectiveness of Wudu and make it null and void) of
wudu have taken place after the ghusl. So a person who has done ghusl
janabat, for example, can pray without doing wudu.

NOTE: All the conditions for the validity of Wudu (e.g. the
water being pure and not having been usurped) also apply
to the validity of Ghusl.

10) At the time of doing Ghusl, it is not necessary to have in mind that
he/she is performing an obligatory Ghusl. It is sufficient if
he/she performs the Ghusl with the intention of Qurbat, i.e.
complying with Allah’s orders.

11) As far as the method of the Ghusl of Janabat caused by haram

act is concerned, there is no difference. The method of Ghusl for
halal and haram JUNUB is the same.

NOTE: The sweat of Junub bil Haram (Janabat caused due to a

haraam act) is Taahir, but as a recommended precaution,
the clothes soiled with such sweat should not be worn for
Salaat.

After Ghusl of Janabat (caused by halal or haram) Wudu is

not necessary, unless any such act has been committed
which invalidates Wudu. Except in the case of the
homosexual act between males where Wudu after Ghusl is
Wajib for both. (May Allah save us from all evils).
 12) All the conditions for the validity of Wudu also apply to the validity
of Ghusl except:
a) For Ghusl it is not necessary that the body be washed
downwards.

b) It is not necessary to wash the body immediately after washing

the head and the neck. There is no harm, therefore, if there is
a lapse of some time after washing one’s head and neck before
washing one’s body. It is not necessary that one should wash
one’s head, neck and body in one instance.

RECOMMENDED ACTS OF GHUSL

What has been mentioned above are the wajib acts of ghusl; here we shall
explain the things which are recommendable (mustahab, sunnat) during the
ghusl. These recommendable acts are five:

1) Washing both hands up to the elbows three times before the

Ghusl.
2) Gargling three times.
3) Wiping the hands on the whole body to ensure that every part
has been thoroughly washed.
4) Combing the hair with the fingers to ensure that the water
reaches the hair-roots.
5) (For men only) Passing urine and doing istibra' after urinating
before ghusl janabat.
The benefit of istibra':
If a liquid comes out of one's urinary organ after completing
the ghusl, and he doubts whether it is semen or urine, then
should he repeat the ghusl or not? If he had done istibra'
before the ghusl, then he can assume that the liquid is urine he
will not have to repeat the ghusl; he just has to do Wudu for
his Salaat. But, on the other hand, if he had not done istibra'
before the ghusl, then he has to assume that it is the remnant
of semen and he will have to do the ghusl again.

MAKRUH (DISLIKED) ACTS FOR A PERSON IN JANABAT

The following things are makruh (disliked) for the Junub:

 1. Eating and drinking except after washing his/her face, hands
and mouth.

2. Reciting more than seven verses from the Qur'an. This applies
to other than the four verses with Wajib Sajdah mentioned
above.

3. Touching the cover, margin or border of the Qur'an or the

space between its lines, with any part of one’s body.

4. Sleeping except after performing Wudu orTayammum instead

of Ghusl on account of non-availability of water.

5. To have sexual intercourse after Ihtilam (discharge of semen

during sleep)

FORBIDDEN ACTS BY A PERSON IN JANABAT

There are certain things in Islam which are so sacred that a Muslim cannot
come into contact with them unless he or she is ritually pure and clean.
Based on this concept of sacredness, a junub is forbidden from coming into
contact, in various ways, with two of the most sacred things in Islam: the
Qur'an and the Mosque.

The following five acts are Haraam for Junub (a person who is in Janabat)
until after he has performed Ghusl of Janabat:

1. To touch with any part of one's body the script of the holy
Qur'an or the Name of Almighty Allah in whichever language it
may be. And it is better that the names of the holy Prophet and
Imams and Hazrat Fatima Zahra (peace be upon them) should
also not be touched in that condition.

2. Entering Masjidul Haraam or Masjidun Nabi, even though it may

be only passing from one gate and going out of another.

3. To stay or halt in all other Masjids, and similarly, on the basis

of obligatory precaution, to stay in the shrines of the holy
Imams. However, there is no harm if one crosses or traverses
 through a Mosque, entering from one gate and exiting from
another.

4. To enter a Mosque with an intention of lifting away something

or placing something in it.

5. To recite those verses of the Holy Qur'an on the recitation of

which performance of Sajdah becomes obligatory. These verses
occur in four Surahs of the Holy Qur'an:

™ Surah Alif Lam Mim as-Sajdah, 32:15

™ Surah Ha Mim Sajdah, 41:38
™ Surah an-Najm, 53:62
™ Surah al 'Alaq, 96:19

ACTS FOR WHICH GHUSL JANABAT IS OBLIGATORY

The acts whose validity depend on Ghusl Janabat are:

¾ Ghusl for Janabat is obligatory for offering the daily prayers and
other similar acts of worship. However, it is not obligatory for Salatul
Mayyit or for Sajdatus Sahv (prostrating on account of oversight) or
Sajdatush Shukr (prostration for thanks giving) or for the obligatory
Sajdah upon reciting or hearing the four particular verses of the Holy
Qur'an given above.
¾ Wajib tawaf (the circumambulation of the Ka'bah in Hajj).
¾ Fasting. If someone knowingly remains in the state of Janabat until
dawn in Ramadan, his fasting will become invalid (batil).

CAUSES THAT CALLS FOR PERFORMANCE OF GHUSL JANABAT

Janabat" is a ritual impurity caused by the discharge of semen or by sexual

intercourse; and the person on whom ghusl janabat becomes wajib is known
as "junub".

1) DISCHARGE OF SEMEN

It does not make any difference whether this discharge is while

awake or in a wet-dream, slight or profuse, intentionally or otherwise,
in lawful way or unlawful (e.g., masturbation). In all these cases Ghusl
 Janabat becomes obligatory (wajib).

If a liquid comes out from a man and he does not know whether or not
it is semen, then he should look for the following three signs: (1)
emission with passion; (2) spurting discharge; (3) feeling relaxed after
the discharge. If these signs are found together on him, then he
should consider the liquid as semen, otherwise not.

If a secretion is discharged from a woman, then it is precautionary

Wajib for her to do Ghusl Janabat provided it came with sexual
passion and she felt relaxed after it. But if the secretion comes
without the sexual passion or without the feeling of relaxation after
the discharge, then it is not Najis and therefore Ghusl is not Wajib
upon her.

2) SEXUAL INTERCOURSE

It does not make any difference whether the intercourse was lawful
or unlawful, and with or without discharge of semen. In Islamic laws,
sexual intercourse is defined as the penetration of the glans into the
vagina of the woman even up to the point of circumcision. That is, for
Ghusl Janabat to become Wajib it is not necessary that full
penetration or discharge of semen should take place. In case of sexual
intercourse, Ghusl Janabat becomes Wajib on both the man and the
woman.

GHUSL JABIRAH

If a person has a bandage over a wound on his body, then such a person will
do ghusl jabirah. Jabirah literally means a splint, but in the present context,
it means the material or the medicine used for bandaging a wound, etc. Ghusl
jabirah means the ghusl which is done on the bandage that has been fixed on
certain parts of the organs of ghusl.

Ghusl jabirah is relevant only in the case where the use of water is not
harmful for the person. If the use of water is harmful, then one should do
tayammum.

Ghusl Jabirah can be done only in the following cases:

 1] If the bandage is on a wound in which the skin is cut or torn. So ghusl
jabirah cannot be done on a bandage that has been fixed only for pain
or swelling - in such a case, one has either to do ghusl as normally if
possible or to do tayammum.

2] If it is a splint for keeping a fractured limb in a proper position.

RULES APPLICABLE TO GHUSL JABIRAH

Ghusl Jabirah can be done by observing the following rules:

(a) If the wound or fracture is not bandaged and water does not cause
any harm to it, then ghusl must be performed as normally.

(b) If the wound or fracture is covered with a bandage and the bandage
can be removed without causing any harm, and water is not harmful to
the wound, then the bandage should be removed and perform ghusl as
normally.

(c) If there is uncovered wound or broken bone and if the use of

water would cause harm to the affected part, then the adjoining
parts must be washed and wet hands passed over the affected
part by placing a Paak piece of cloth over it. But in the case of a
fracture, tayammum must be performed.

(d) If the wound or fracture is covered with a bandage which is Paak

and it is not possible to remove the bandage nor is it possible to
make water reach the wound without any harm, then the
adjoining parts must be washed and wet hands passed over the
bandaged affected parts.

(e) If the wound or its bandage is najis, but it is possible to remove

the bandage, and if water is not harmful for the wound, he should
remove the bandage, make the wound paak and should make water
reach the wound.

(f) If the wound or its bandage is najis and cannot be made paak,
then tayammum should be performed.
 (g) If something is stuck on the part of ghusl, and it is not possible to
remove it, or its removal involves unbearable pain, then one should
perform tayammum. But, if the thing which is stuck is medicine,
then rules relating to jabira will apply to it.

(h) If there is no wound or fractured bone in the parts of ghusl, but

the use of water is harmful for some other reason, one should
perform tayammum.

(i) If the Jabira has covered unusually more space than the size of
the wound, and if it is difficult to remove it, then one should
perform tayammum..

(j) There is no jabira ghusl for Ghusl of Meyyit.

(k) If a person cannot decide whether he should perform Tayammum

or jabira ghusl, the obligatory precaution is that he should
perform both.

(l) If a person who has to pray with jabira ghusl knows that his
excuse will not be removed till the end of time for Namaz, he can
offer prayers in the prime time. But if he hopes that his excuse
will be removed before the Namaz becomes Qazaa, it is better
for him to wait, and if his excuse is not removed by then, he
should offer prayers with jabira ghusl. And if, however, he
prayed in the prime time, and his excuse was removed before
the end of Namaz time, the recommended precaution is that he
should do ghusl, and repeat the prayers.

MUSTAHAB GHUSLS

In Islam, a number of Ghusls are Mustahab. Some of them are listed below:

• Ghusl-e-Jumuah: Its prescribed time is from Fajr to sunset, but it is better

to perform it near Zuhr. If, however, a person does not perform it till noon,
he can perform it till dusk without a Niyyat of either performing it on time
or as Qadha. And if a person does not perform his Ghusl on Friday it is
Mustahab that he should perform the Qadha of Ghusl on Saturday at any
time between dawn and dusk. And if a person knows that it will not be
 possible for him to procure water for his Ghusl on Friday he can perform the
Ghusl on Thursday with the Niyyat of Raja', that is, as a desirable act. And
it is Mustahab to recite the following supplication while performing Friday
Ghusl: 'Ash hadu an la ilaha il lal lahu wahdahu la sharika lah wa ash hadu
anna Muhammadan 'abduhu wa Rasuluh. Alla humma salli 'ala Muhammadin wa
Ali Muhammad waj'alni minat tawwabina waj'alni minal mutatahhirin. (I
testify that there is none to be worshipped but Allah alone, Who has no
associate and Muhammad is His servant and Messenger. O Allah! Bless
Muhammad and his Progeny. And make me one of those who are repentant
and pure).
• Taking baths on the 1st and 17th nights and in the earlier part of the 19th,
21st, 23rd nights and 24th night of the holy month of Ramadhan.
• Ghusl on Eidul Fitr day and Eidul Azha day. The time of this Ghusl is from
Fajr up to sunset. It is, however, better to perform it before Eid prayers.
• Ghusl on the 8th and 9th of the month of Dhul-Hijj. As regards the bathing
on the 9th of Dhul-Hijj it is better to perform it at noon-time.
• Ghusl by a person who has touched a dead body after it has been given
Ghusl.
• Ghusl for Ihram (pilgrim's dress).
• Ghusl for entry into the haram of Makkah.
• Ghusl for entry into Makkah.
• Ghusl for visiting the holy Ka'bah.
• Ghusl for entry into the holy Ka'bah.
• Ghusl for slaughtering an animal and for shaving one's head (during
pilgrimage).
• Ghusl for entry into Madinah, and its haram (sanctuary).
• Ghusl for entry into the Mosque of the holy Prophet.
• Ghusl at the time of bidding farewell to the sacred shrine of the holy
Prophet.
• Ghusl for Mubahala (imprecation) with the enemy.
• Ghusl to a new-born child.
• Ghusl for Istakhara .
• Ghusl for offering Istisqa' - invocation for rains.

After having taken the Mustahab Ghusl listed above one can perform
acts (e.g. prayers) for which Wudu is necessary. However, it is better
to do Wudu as a recommended precaution.
The Fuqaha have mentioned many more Mustahab Ghusls, some of which are
as follows:

• Ghusl on all odd nights of the month of Ramadhan and on each of its last
10 nights and in the last part of its 23rd night.
• Ghusl on the 24th day of Dhul-Hijj.
• Ghusl on the day of Eid-i-Nawroz and 15th of Sha'ban and 9th and 17th of
Rabi'ul Awwal and the 25th day of Dhul-Qa'dah.
• Ghusl by a woman who has perfumed herself for someone other than her
husband.
• Ghusl by one who slept in a state of intoxication.
• Ghusl by a person who went to witness the hanging and saw the hanged
person. However, if his eyes fell on him by chance or helplessly, or if he
had gone for example, to give evidence, Ghusl will not be Mustahab for
him.
• Ghusl for the Ziyarat of the Masoomen (A.S.) whether from near or far.

As a precaution, these Ghusls should be done with the Niyyat of

'Raja', (i.e. with a hope that it might be a desirable act).

Ghusl performed with the Niyyat of 'Raja' do not suffice for Wudu
(i.e. Wudu has to be performed).

NOTE: If a person wishes to perform a number of Mustahab Ghusls,

one Ghusl with the Niyyat of performing all the Ghusls will be
sufficient.