Islamic Manual

What the full bath (ghusl) is, and when it is required

The definition of the full bath (ghusl), the occasions it is obligatory (fard), necessary (wajib), sunnah or recommended (mustahabb), the conditions for it to count, and its three obligations.

Ghusl is washing your whole body with water, called ghusl. You wash from the top of your head to the bottom of your feet, so that water touches every part of the outside of your body.

Ghusl is fard (you must do it) after these things

  1. Semen leaves the body with desire, while awake.
  2. You have a wet dream while asleep.
  3. A husband and wife have had intercourse.
  4. A woman's monthly bleeding (menstruation) finishes.
  5. A woman's bleeding after having a baby finishes.

Ghusl is also sunnah on Friday, on the two Eid days, when starting Ihram for Hajj or Umrah, and on the Day of Arafah for someone doing Hajj. It is mustahabb (a good extra thing to do) on some other special nights and occasions, such as the night of Laylat al-Qadr, when wearing new clothes, or when coming back from a journey.

The three things you must do for ghusl to count

  1. Rinse your mouth so water reaches all of it.
  2. Put water inside your nose.
  3. Pour water over your entire body, once.

Ghusl is washing the entire body, from head to toe, so that water reaches every external part that can be washed without difficulty, in order to remove major ritual impurity (hadath akbar).

When ghusl is required, recommended, or preferable
Level Occasions
Fard Ejaculation with desire; a wet dream; sexual intercourse; the end of menstruation; the end of postnatal bleeding.
Fard kifayah Giving ghusl to a deceased Muslim, a duty on the Muslim community as a whole.
Wajib For someone who becomes Muslim while already in a state that requires ghusl.
Sunnah Friday (Jumu'ah); Eid al-Fitr; Eid al-Adha; entering Ihram for Hajj or Umrah; the Day of Arafah, for someone performing Hajj.
Mustahabb The night of Shab-e-Barat; the night of Laylat al-Qadr; the night of Arafah, and during solar and lunar eclipses; wearing new clothes; returning from travel; entering Makkah al-Mukarramah; before the Tawaf of Ziyarat; entering Madinah al-Munawwarah out of respect for the Prophet ﷺ; and when praying for rain (Istisqa).
Obligatory (Farḍ)must do

Water must reach every external part of the body. If even a small part remains dry, the ghusl is not correct.

Obligatory (Farḍ)must do

There must be nothing on the body that stops water from reaching it.

Obligatory (Farḍ)must do

The reason that made ghusl obligatory must not still be present during the ghusl itself, for example, if bleeding has not actually stopped, a ghusl performed before it stops does not count.

There are three obligatory (fard) actions in ghusl. Everything else in the method (washing the hands, doing wudu, pouring three times) is sunnah or recommended, described in the how-to method.

The three obligations of ghusl

  1. Rinsing the mouth thoroughly, so water reaches every part of it.Drinking water so that it fills the mouth also fulfils this. Anything stuck between the teeth that blocks the water must be removed, as long as removing it does not cause harm.
  2. Taking water into the nose, so it reaches both nostrils where the soft part of the nose is.Any dried mucus blocking the way must be cleared first.
  3. Pouring water over the entire body, once, from head to toe.This includes wetting the hair from root to tip; washing the beard, moustache and the skin underneath even where the hair is thick; washing inside the ears and nostrils and through any piercings in them; moving a tight ring, tight earrings or a tight nose ring so water reaches beneath; removing dirt (such as dried dough) from the forehead or nails; and, for a man who is not circumcised, pouring water under the foreskin unless this causes harm.

Ghusl is the washing of the entire body from head to toe, so that water reaches every part of the exterior of the body that can be washed without difficulty, for the removal of hadath akbar (major ritual impurity).

The rulings that attach to ghusl on different occasions
Level Occasions
Fard Ejaculation with desire; a wet dream (ihtilam); sexual intercourse; the end of menstruation (hayd); the end of postnatal bleeding (nifas). Each of these conditions is explained in full under the reasons for ghusl.
Fard kifayah Giving ghusl to a deceased Muslim is a collective obligation on the living Muslims.
Wajib Ghusl is wajib for a person who accepts Islam while already in a state that would require ghusl.
Sunnah Friday (Jumu'ah); Eid al-Fitr; Eid al-Adha; entering Ihram for Hajj or Umrah; the Day of Arafah for one performing Hajj.
Mustahabb The night of Shab-e-Barat; the night of Laylat al-Qadr; the night of Arafah, and during solar and lunar eclipses; wearing new clothes; returning from a journey; entering Makkah al-Mukarramah; before the Tawaf of Ziyarat; entering Madinah al-Munawwarah in respect for the Prophet ﷺ; and when praying for rain (Istisqa).

The document lists 'the night of Arafah, during the solar and lunar eclipses' as a single item; it is reproduced here as printed. See the review notes for this ambiguity.

Three conditions govern the correctness (sihhah) of ghusl:

Obligatory (Farḍ)must do

Water must reach every external part of the body; if even a small part remains dry, the ghusl is not correct.

Obligatory (Farḍ)must do

There must be no obstruction (haʾil) on the body preventing water from reaching it.

Obligatory (Farḍ)must do

The cause that made ghusl obligatory must not still be present during the performance of the ghusl itself.

Ghusl has three fard obligations; every other act in the received method (washing the hands, rinsing najasah from the body, performing wudu, and pouring water three times) is sunnah or mustahabb, and is set out separately in the how-to method and the sunnahs of ghusl.

The three obligations, with their explanation

  1. Rinsing the mouth (madmadah), such that water reaches every part of it.Drinking water to the point that it fills the mouth also discharges this obligation. Anything lodged between the teeth or in the gaps that would block the water must be removed, provided removal does not cause harm.
  2. Taking water into the nose (istinshaq), reaching both nostrils at the soft part of the nose.Dried mucus obstructing the passage must first be cleared.
  3. Pouring water over the entire body once, from head to toe.This obligation covers: wetting the hair from root to tip; washing the beard, moustache and the skin beneath them even where the hair is thick and the skin is not visible; washing inside the ears and nostrils, and through any piercings there, with water passed into them; moving or removing a tight ring, tight earrings or a tight nose ring so water reaches the skin beneath; removing matter such as dried dough from the forehead or under the nails so water can reach it; and, for an uncircumcised man, pouring water beneath the foreskin, unless doing so would cause harm, in which case it is not required.

This is the English translation of Nisab Ahle Khidmaat Sharia, exactly as the book has it, for the passages this page was written from. About 882 words. Switch back to Guide for the rewritten version.

Rulings of Bath (Ghusl)

  1. There are three obligations in Ghusl (ritual bath):
  2. Rinsing the mouth thoroughly.
  3. Taking water into the nose.
  4. Pouring water over the entire body.(All other acts are Sunnah or recommended, as described in the method below.)
  5. The method of performing Ghusl is as follows:
  6. First, make the intention: “I am bathing to purify myself.”
  7. Then silently say “بسم اللہ الرحمٰن الرحیم” in your heart.
  8. Wash both hands up to the wrists three times.
  9. Wash the private parts and remove any impurity from the body.
  10. Perform Wudu as done for prayer, ensuring to rinse the mouth thoroughly and take water into the nose.
  11. After completing Wudu, pour water over the entire body. Begin by wetting the hair, then pour water over the head, followed by the right shoulder and then the left shoulder.
  12. Make sure water reaches the entire body by rubbing it with your hands.
  13. Repeat pouring water over the head and shoulders two more times (making a total of three times, which is Sunnah).

Rulings of Bath (Ghusl) Note 3

  • Rinsing the mouth.
  • Taking water into the nose.
  • Pouring water over the entire body.

If even a small part of the body remains dry, the Ghusl will not be valid, no matter how many times the intention is recited or water is poured. Without fulfilling these obligations, one remains in a state of impurity.

Rulings of Ghusl (Full Ritual Bath) 17. Definition of Ghusl (Full Ritual Bath)

Ghusl refers to the act of washing the entire body from head to toe, ensuring that all parts of the body that can be washed without difficulty are cleaned, in order to remove major impurity (Hadath Akbar).

Rulings of Ghusl (Full Ritual Bath) 18. Attributes of Ghusl

The attributes of Ghusl are as follows:

Fard (Obligatory):

  1. After ejaculation due to sexual desire.
  2. After a wet dream (Ihtilam).
  3. After sexual intercourse.
  4. After the end of menstruation (Haid).
  5. After the end of postpartum bleeding (Nifas).

Note:

The detailed explanation of these matters will be discussed later under the topic of what causes Ghusl.

Fard Kifayah (Collective Obligation):

It is the responsibility of the living Muslims to perform Ghusl for a deceased Muslim.

Wajib (Necessary):

Ghusl is obligatory for someone who becomes a Muslim and is in a state requiring Ghusl.

Sunnah (Recommended):

  1. On the day of Friday (Jumu'ah).
  2. On the day of Eid al-Fitr.
  3. On the day of Eid al-Adha.
  4. When entering into the state of Ihram for Hajj or Umrah.
  5. For those performing Hajj, on the day of Arafah.

Mustahabb (Preferable):

  1. On the night of Shab-e-Barat.
  2. On the night of Laylat al-Qadr.
  3. On the night of Arafah, during the solar and lunar eclipses.
  4. When wearing new clothes.
  5. When returning from travel.
  6. Upon entering Makkah al-Mukarramah.
  7. Before performing the Tawaf of Ziyarat.
  8. Upon entering Madinah al-Munawwarah, as a mark of respect for Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ).
  9. When seeking rainfall (for Istisqa).

Rulings of Ghusl (Full Ritual Bath) 19. Conditions for the Correctness of Ghusl

  1. Water must reach all external parts of the body (if even a small part of the body remains dry, the ghusl will not be correct).
  2. There should be no obstruction on the body that prevents water from reaching it.
  3. The reasons for which ghusl becomes obligatory must not be present during the ghusl itself.

Rulings of Ghusl (Full Ritual Bath) 20. Obligations of Ghusl

There are three obligatory actions in ghusl:

  1. Rinsing the mouth.
  2. Pouring water into the nose.
  3. Pouring water over the entire body.

Rulings of Ghusl (Full Ritual Bath) Note

  1. These actions must be done only once.
  2. If even a small part of the body remains dry, the ghusl will not be valid.

Rulings of Ghusl (Full Ritual Bath) Explanation of the first obligation (Rinsing)

  1. The water must reach every part of the mouth.
  2. If instead of rinsing, a person drinks water to fill the mouth, the obligation will still be fulfilled.
  3. If there is something stuck in the teeth or gaps between them that prevents the water from reaching, it must be removed, provided it does not cause harm.

Rulings of Ghusl (Full Ritual Bath) Explanation of the second obligation (Washing the Nose)

  1. Water must reach both nostrils (where the soft part of the nose is).
  2. If there is any dried mucus in the nose, it must be cleared so that water can reach beneath it.

Rulings of Ghusl (Full Ritual Bath) Explanation of the third obligation (Washing the Entire Body)

  1. Water must be poured over the entire body from head to toe, including:
  2. — Wetting the hair (from the roots to the tips),
  3. — Washing the beard, mustache, and the skin underneath (even if the hair is thick and the skin is not visible),
  4. — Washing inside the ears and nostrils.
  5. — If there are any piercings in the ears or nostrils, water must be poured into them.
  6. If a woman has braided hair, it is not necessary to undo the braids. It is enough to wet the roots of the hair. However, men must wet the entire roots and hair. If the hair is open, both men and women must wash all the hair.
  7. If there is a tight ring on the finger, tight earrings in the ears, or a tight nose ring that prevents water from reaching the skin, it is obligatory to move or remove them during ghusl.
  8. If there is any dirt (like dried dough) on the forehead or nails, it must be removed so that water can reach underneath it.
  9. If a man is uncircumcised, it is necessary to pour water under the foreskin, as long as it does not cause harm. Otherwise, it is not necessary.

Rulings of Ghusl (Full Ritual Bath) Note

If washing a part of the body causes harm or difficulty (such as the inner surface of the eyes, or blocked ear or nose holes), it is not obligatory to wash that part.

Terms on this page

Ghusl

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