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Ghusl (غسل) is an Arabic term referring to the full ablution (ritual washing) required in Islam for various rituals and prayers. The ablution becomes mandatory for any adult Muslim after having sexual intercourse, any sexual discharge (e.g. of semen) ¹², completion of the menstrual cycle³⁴, giving birth, and death by natural causes⁵.

Islam also recommends (i.e. it is mustahab) the performance of the full ablution before the Friday^{6 7} and Eid⁸ prayers, before entering the ehram, in preparation for hajj,⁹, after having lost consciousness⁹, and before formally converting to Islam. Shia Muslims also perform the ablution before Namaz-e-tawbah.

Ghusl should not be confused with wudu, a partial ablution, that Muslims perform before salat.

Method of performance

In Islam, ghusl requires the washing of the full body. There are some differences in details between the Sunni and the Shia schools of thought.

Sunni school of thought

The following ahadith describe how ghusl should be performed by Sunni Muslims.

In another hadith, ibn Abbas stated that Maimuna said that The Messenger of Allah was given a towel (after ghusl), but he did not rub his body with it, but he did like this with water (i.e. he shook it off). ¹¹ In addition, ibn Abbas recorded the following hadith on the authority of his mother's sister.

Similarly, Muhammad ibn Saalih al-Uthaymeen said, "Sufficient ghusl means that you rinse your mouth and nose, then you wash your entire body with water, even if that means plunging yourself into deep water in one go.^{citation needed}

Complete ghusl means washing your private parts and anywhere else that is contaminated with traces of impurity, then you do full wudu, then you pour water over your head three times, making sure that it reaches the roots of the hair. Then you wash the right side of the body then the left side."¹³

Shia school of thought

According to the Shia school there are two main methods of performing a ghusl. For both methods one has to begin with niyyah, the intention to remove any impurities.

• Irtimasi: one has to submerge the entire body in pure water, either at once or in stages. ¹⁴
• Tartibi: one needs to start by washing the head and neck, and then the rest of the body, preferably the right side first followed by the left side. ¹⁴

References

This article or section needs sources or references that appear in reliable, third-party publications. Primary sources and sources affiliated with the subject of the article are generally not sufficient for a Wikipedia article. Please include more appropriate citations from reliable sources, or discuss the issue on the talk page. (July 2008)

1. ^ Sahih Muslim, hadith number 616
2. ^ Sharh as-Sunnah by al-Baghawi, vol 2., pg. 9
3. ^ Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn Baaz by Shaykh Abd al-Aziz ibn Baaz, vol. 10 pg. 161
4. ^ Majmoo’ Fataawa Ibn ‘Uthaymeen by Muhammad ibn Saalih al-Uthaymeen, vol. 11 pg. 318-319
5. ^ Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 2, Book 23, Hadith number 345
6. ^ Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 1, Book 12, Hadith number 817
7. ^ Majmoo’ Fataawa wa Maqaalaat Mutanawwi’ah li Samaahat by Shaykh Abd al-Aziz ibn Baaz, part 12, pg. 404
8. ^ Sharh Mukhtasar, Volume 2, pg. 102
9. ^ ^{a b} Tamaam al-Minnah by Shaykh al-Albani, pg. 120
10. ^ Sahih Muslim, hadith number 616
11. ^ Sahih Muslim, hadith number 622
12. ^ Sahih Muslim, hadith number 620
13. ^ I’laam al-Musaafireen bi Ba’d Aadaab wa Ahkaam al-Safar wa ma Yakhuss al-Mallaaheen al-Jawwiyyeen by Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-Uthaymeen, pg. 11
14. ^ ^{a b} http://www.al-islam.org/laws/ghusl.html

See also

• Mikvah, the Jewish ritual bath