What is ghusl ?
Ghusl is a full body wash that is either obligatory or recommended. A person who needs to take ghusl is known as junub and is upon the state of janaba.
What is forbidden to do without ghusl?
1 Touching the Quran
2 Reciting Quran even from memory
3 Entering a masjid
When is it obligatory to do ghusl?
1 After a woman’s cycle (hayd) is over
2 After a woman’s postpartum bleeding (nifas) is over
3 After sexual fluid (semen) is emitted (not pre-seminal fluid, which only requires wudu)
4 After penetration of male part into the female reproductive part even if no emission
5 After entering Islam
6 After death, and the obligation is upon the heirs, if not then the community
When is it recommended to take a ghusl?
1 Every Friday morning for Jum’a
2 Before Hajj or ‘umra
Fara’id al-Ghusl (obligations)
1 Intention (niyya)
2 Washing (ghasl) the entire body including between toes with ma’ mutlaq*
3 Rubbing (dalk)
4 Continuity (tawali)
5 Penetrating throught the hair to rub the scalp
*water whose smell, taste, and color have not been altered
except things you cannot control (like pipes), and includes all natural bodies of water.
Sunan al-Ghusl (recommendations)
1 Washing your hands to the wrist at the beginning
2 Rinsing out the mouth
3 Sniffing water in and out
4 Wiping the very insides of the ears
Fada’il (light recommendations)
1 Beginning by removing najasa* from the body
2 Not touching private parts after having cleaned them
3 Performing all the acts of wudu except the feet for last
4 Washing the upper parts of the body before the lower ones
5 Washing the head three times
6 Beginning with the right sides before the left sides
7 Using minimum amount of water
*najasa = flowing blood, anything that comes out of the front or back, vomit, acid reflux, puss, liquid intoxicants, and anything dead (except sea creatures, meat slaughtered properly, the dead human, or dead insects that do not have flowing blood)
Written by Shadee Elmasry
Source: Matn al-‘Ashmawiyya
Study Maliki fiqh at Arkview.org.