Islamic Manual

The sunnahs, preferred acts and disliked acts of the full bath (ghusl)

The five sunnahs of the full bath (ghusl), the acts that are recommended (mustahabb), and the acts that are disliked (makruh) while bathing.

Once you have done the three fard things in ghusl, there are also sunnahs, things the Prophet ﷺ used to do, and mustahabb things, which are good extra things to do.

Five sunnahs of ghusl

  1. Washing both hands up to the wrists.
  2. Washing your private parts.
  3. Removing any impurity (najasah) from anywhere on your body.
  4. Doing wudu.
  5. Pouring water over your whole body three times.
The Prophet’s practice (Sunnah)the Prophet’s way

These five sunnahs are how the Prophet ﷺ himself made ghusl: he washed his hands first, then his private parts, then made wudu, then poured water over his head three times and over the rest of his body.

Good extra things to do (mustahabb)

  1. Making the intention in your heart.
  2. Saying "Bismillah" (In the name of Allah) when you wash your hands.
  3. Rubbing your body with your hands while you wash.
  4. Bathing somewhere no one can see you.
  5. Doing the other mustahabb things of wudu too, except facing the qiblah, saying the special duas, and drinking the leftover water, which do not apply here.
Recommended (Mustaḥabb)good to do

It is good to rub your body as you wash, and to bathe somewhere no one can see you. The Prophet ﷺ said that Allah loves modesty and covering, so whoever bathes should keep himself covered.

Disliked (Makrūh)better not to

It is better not to bathe where someone who should not see you could, and not to face the qiblah while bathing without clothes.

Beyond the three fard obligations, ghusl has five sunnahs, a set of mustahabb (preferable) acts, and acts that are makruh (disliked).

The five sunnahs of ghusl

  1. Washing both hands up to the wrists.
  2. Washing the private parts.
  3. Removing any impurity (najasah) from the body, wherever it may be.
  4. Performing wudu.
  5. Pouring water over the entire body three times.
The Prophet’s practice (Sunnah)the Prophet’s way

The five sunnahs of ghusl are the acts of the Prophet's ﷺ own method that fall short of fard: washing the hands, washing the private parts, removing any impurity, performing wudu, and pouring water over the whole body three times.

Mustahabbat (preferable acts) of ghusl

  1. Making the intention (niyyah).
  2. Saying "Bismillah" when washing the hands.
  3. Rubbing the body while washing.
  4. Bathing in a place where no one can see.
  5. Whatever is mustahabb in wudu, except facing the qiblah, reciting the specific duas, and drinking the leftover water, none of which apply to ghusl.
Recommended (Mustaḥabb)good to do

It is mustahabb to make the intention, to say Bismillah when washing the hands, to rub the body while washing, and to bathe where one cannot be seen, since Allah loves modesty and concealment.

Makruhat (disliked acts) in ghusl

  1. Bathing where a non-mahram could see, without necessity.
  2. Facing the qiblah while bathing unclothed.
  3. Reciting "Bismillah" or other duas at an inappropriate moment.
  4. Speaking without need.
  5. Whatever is disliked in wudu.
Disliked (Makrūh)better not to

It is makruh to bathe where a non-mahram could see without necessity, to face the qiblah while bathing unclothed, to recite Bismillah or other supplications at an unsuitable moment, and to speak without need.

Beyond the three farāʾiḍ, ghusl carries five sunan, a set of mustaḥabbāt, and acts classed as makrūhāt.

The five sunnahs of ghusl

  1. Washing both hands to the wrists.
  2. Washing the private parts.
  3. Removing najāsah from the body, wherever it is present.
  4. Performing wuḍūʾ.
  5. Pouring water over the entire body three times.
The Prophet’s practice (Sunnah)the Prophet’s way

The five sunan of ghusl are the acts of the transmitted method that fall short of fard: washing the hands to the wrists, washing the private parts, removing najasah, performing wudu, and pouring water over the whole body three times. Aisha's description of the Prophet's ﷺ ghusl from janabah gives the sequence, and Umm Salamah's report gives the three handfuls over the head.

The mustaḥabbāt of ghusl

  1. The niyyah.
  2. Saying 'Bismillāh' when washing the hands.
  3. Rubbing the body while washing.
  4. Bathing where one cannot be seen.
  5. Every act mustaḥabb in wuḍūʾ, with three exceptions that do not carry over to ghusl: facing the qiblah, the specific duʿās of wuḍūʾ, and drinking the water left over from it.
Recommended (Mustaḥabb)good to do

The mustahabbat are the niyyah, the basmalah at the washing of the hands, rubbing (dalk) the body while washing, and bathing where one is not seen, on the Prophet's ﷺ words that Allah is modest and concealing and loves modesty and concealment.

The makrūhāt of ghusl

  1. Bathing where a non-maḥram could see, without necessity.
  2. Facing the qiblah while bathing unclothed.
  3. Reciting 'Bismillāh' or other duʿās at a moment unsuited to it.
  4. Speaking without need.
  5. Every act that is makrūh in wuḍūʾ.
Disliked (Makrūh)better not to

The makruhat are bathing where a non-mahram could see without necessity, facing the qiblah while bathing unclothed, reciting the basmalah or other supplications at a moment unsuited to it, and speaking without need.

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 133 words. Switch back to Guide for the rewritten version.

There are five Sunnahs in Ghusl

  1. Washing both hands up to the wrists.
  2. Washing the private parts.
  3. Removing any impurity (najasa) from the body wherever it may be.
  4. Performing wudu (ablution).
  5. Pouring water over the entire body three times.

There are five Sunnahs in Ghusl 22. Preferable Acts (Mustahabbat) of Ghusl

The following acts are mustahabbat in Ghusl:

  1. Making the intention (niyyah).
  2. Saying "بِسمِ اللّٰہ" (In the name of Allah) when washing the hands.
  3. Rubbing the body while washing.
  4. Bathing in a place where no one can see.
  5. Those actions that are Mustahab in wudu (except facing the qiblah, reciting specific du’as, and drinking the leftover water).

There are five Sunnahs in Ghusl 23. Disliked Acts (Makruhat) in Ghusl

The following acts are disliked in Ghusl:

  1. Bathing in a place where a non-mahram can see without necessity.
  2. Facing the qiblah while bathing if one is naked.
  3. Reciting "Bismillah" or other du’as (supplications) inappropriately.
  4. Speaking without need.
  5. Those actions that are disliked in wudu.

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