What ghusl is

Ghusl is washing your whole body with water, with the intention of becoming pure. It is a bigger washing than wudu.

Allah says: if you are in a state of janabah, purify yourselves¹. And He says: do not come to salah while junub, until you have washed².

• Janabah is the state you are in after intimacy or a sexual discharge, until you make ghusl.
• A person in that state is called junub.
• While junub, you cannot pray. Wudu alone is not enough. You need ghusl, or tayammum if you truly cannot use water.

These topics are private, but they are part of the deen. Umm Sulaim began her question to Nabi ﷺ about them with: Allah is not shy of the truth³. So there is no shame in learning this.

When ghusl is required

1. After intercourse

• Once a husband and wife have intercourse, ghusl is required for both⁴.
• This is so even if nothing comes out and there is no climax⁵.
• Kissing and touching without intercourse and without a discharge of mani do not need ghusl.

2. A discharge of mani, awake or asleep

• Mani (sexual fluid) that comes out with pleasure needs ghusl, for men and women.
• Umm Sulaim asked: does a woman need ghusl after a wet dream? Nabi ﷺ said: yes, if she sees the fluid⁶.
• Woke up and found wetness, but do not remember a dream? Make ghusl. Remember a dream but find nothing? No ghusl⁷.
• Mani that comes out without pleasure, for example from illness or extreme cold: Hanafis, Malikis and Hanbalis say no ghusl, only wudu. Shafi'is say ghusl is needed whenever mani comes out.

3. When a period ends

• Nabi ﷺ said: when your period comes, stop praying. When it ends, wash and pray⁸.
• Allah says about intimacy after a period: do not go near them until they are pure, and when they have washed⁹.

4. When the bleeding after childbirth ends

• This bleeding is called nifas. When it stops, the mother makes ghusl and prays, even if that is before 40 days.
• She does not make up the prayers she missed during the bleeding. See Periods and bleeding after birth for the full rules.

5. Death

• When a Muslim dies, the living must wash the body. Nabi ﷺ told the women washing his daughter to wash her three or five times or more, with water and sidr (lote leaves)¹⁰.
• This is a duty on the community. If some people do it, the rest are free.

6. Accepting Islam

• Qais ibn Asim came to accept Islam, and Nabi ﷺ told him to bathe with water and sidr¹¹.
• Hanbalis say ghusl is required for a new Muslim. Most other scholars say it is sunnah, and required only if the person had janabah or a period that ended before they became Muslim.
• Either way, it is a good start. Do not delay saying the shahada to make ghusl first.

Mani, madhi and wadi: which needs ghusl

Three different fluids can come from the private parts. Only one of them needs ghusl. Knowing the difference saves a lot of worry.

• Madhi on clothes: Nabi ﷺ told Sahl ibn Hunaif that it is enough to take a handful of water and sprinkle it where you think it touched¹².
• The ordinary daily discharge many women have is not mani. It does not need ghusl. Most scholars say it breaks wudu, like anything that comes from the front. If it is constant, the rule for constant leaking applies. See Wudu.

Ali ibn Abi Talib had this exact question, and he was too shy to ask it himself¹³.

What makes ghusl valid

All the schools agree on the main thing: water must reach every part of the outside of the body, once. Skin and hair, from head to toe. Beyond that, the schools add a little:

The places people miss

• The roots of the hair and the scalp. Nabi ﷺ ran his wet fingers through the roots of his hair¹⁹.
• The navel, behind the ears, the armpits, under the chin, and the folds of the skin.
• Between the toes, the back of the knees, and the skin under a ring or watch.
• The outer private parts, and between the buttocks.

The ghusl of Nabi ﷺ, step by step

The wives of Nabi ﷺ, Aisha and Maimunah, described his ghusl in detail. Here it is in order²⁰²¹²².

• Feet in the wudu or at the end? Both are sunnah. Aisha described a full wudu first²⁹. Maimunah saw him leave the feet and wash them at the end, away from where the water had run³⁰. In a modern shower, either way is fine.
• The shortest valid ghusl: intention, then water over the whole body once, with the mouth and nose rinsed. Everything else is sunnah.

Hair, braids, extensions and nail polish

Braids

• Umm Salamah asked Nabi ﷺ: I have tightly braided hair. Must I undo it for ghusl after intimacy? He said: no, it is enough to pour three handfuls of water over your head, then pour water over yourself, and you are pure³¹.
• What matters is that water reaches the scalp, the roots of the hair. You do not need to wet every strand of a braid.
• After a period: most scholars say the same rule applies. Hanbalis recommend that a woman undo her braids for the ghusl after a period.
• Men with long hair: wet all of it, down to the roots.

Hair extensions and weaves

• Nabi ﷺ warned against joining extra hair to a woman's hair³². Scholars differ on extensions that are not human hair, so ask a scholar you trust.
• For ghusl, the question is only: can water reach the scalp? If water gets through to the roots, the ghusl counts.
• A wig or anything glued to the scalp, so that water cannot reach the skin under it, must come off for ghusl.

Nail polish and other coatings

• Nail polish, waterproof make-up, glue and paint stop water from reaching the nail or skin. Remove them before ghusl.
• Henna is only a color, so it does not block water.
• Contact lenses, dentures, braces and fillings can stay in.

Water, towel and covering

• How much water. Nabi ﷺ bathed with one sa' up to five mudd of water, roughly three to four liters³³. When a man told Jabir that a sa' was not enough for him, Jabir said: it was enough for someone with more hair than you, and better than you, meaning Nabi ﷺ³⁴. A shower is fine, but do not let water run for no reason.
• Towel. Maimunah brought Nabi ﷺ a cloth after ghusl. He did not take it, and wiped the water off with his hands³⁵. Most scholars say using a towel is allowed. Both are fine.
• Covering. Nabi ﷺ saw a man bathing in the open without covering. He said: Allah is modest and loves covering. So when one of you bathes, let him cover himself³⁶. Bathe in private, out of sight. Maimunah held up a cloth to screen Nabi ﷺ³⁷.

Before you have made ghusl

You are not impure as a person

Abu Huraira once met Nabi ﷺ in a street of Madinah while he was junub. He slipped away to bathe. When he came back, Nabi ﷺ asked where he had gone. He said he did not want to sit with him in that state. Nabi ﷺ said: Subhan Allah! A believer never becomes impure³⁸.

What you can do

• Talk, work, eat, cook and be with your family and other people³⁹.
• Dhikr and dua, in any language, at any time.
• Sleep. Umar asked: can one of us sleep while junub? Nabi ﷺ said: yes, if he makes wudu⁴⁰. Nabi ﷺ made wudu before sleeping in that state⁴¹. The wudu is a sunnah, not a duty.
• Be intimate again before ghusl. A wudu in between is sunnah⁴², and one ghusl at the end is enough⁴³.
• Start a fast. Nabi ﷺ sometimes woke up junub in Ramadan, then made ghusl and fasted⁴⁴.
• Cut hair or nails. There is no sound hadith against it.

What waits until after ghusl

• Salah of every kind⁴⁵, and tawaf.
• Touching the mushaf, according to the four schools.
• Staying in the masjid. Passing through is allowed⁴⁶. Hanbalis allow staying in the masjid after making wudu.
• Reciting Quran, according to most scholars. Short words of dhikr from the Quran, like Bismillah or a dua, are fine. Malikis allow a woman on her period to recite, so she does not forget what she knows.

Delaying ghusl

• You may delay ghusl, for example until the morning.
• But you must not let a prayer time pass because of it. If you wake up junub at Fajr, make ghusl in time to pray Fajr before sunrise.
• Shy at home, or worried about wet hair? Missing salah is far more serious. Make ghusl quietly and pray.

Sunnah baths

Some baths are not required, but Nabi ﷺ did them or encouraged them.

• Friday. Nabi ﷺ said: the bath on Friday is a duty on every adult⁴⁷. He also said: whoever makes wudu on Friday, that is fine, and whoever makes ghusl, ghusl is better⁴⁸. So most scholars say it is a strong sunnah, not a duty. Whoever bathes, comes early, sits close to the imam and listens, gets the reward of a year of fasting and night prayer for every step⁴⁹. Its time starts at dawn on Friday for most scholars. It is best close to going to Jumuah. Malikis say it must be just before you go.
• Before ihram for Hajj or Umrah. Nabi ﷺ bathed before entering ihram⁵⁰.
• Eid. Bathing on the morning of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha is from the practice of the Companions, and scholars of all four schools recommend it.
• Accepting Islam⁵¹, for those who say it is sunnah.
• After washing a dead person⁵². Most scholars say this is recommended.
• The day of Arafah and entering Makkah: scholars recommend these too.

A sunnah bath has the same steps as any ghusl. Just make the intention for it.

One ghusl for two reasons, and wudu after ghusl

• Janabah and Friday together? Intend both, and one ghusl counts for both, according to most scholars.
• A period ended, and you also had janabah? One ghusl is enough for both.
• Do you need wudu after ghusl? No. Aisha said Nabi ﷺ made ghusl and prayed, and she did not see him make a new wudu after it⁵³. A complete ghusl covers wudu.
• Broke your wudu during the ghusl, for example you touched your private parts with your hand (in the schools where that breaks wudu)? Then make wudu after, or wash the wudu parts again at the end.

When water would harm you

Allah does not want hardship for you⁵⁴. If there is no water, or water would truly harm you, like serious illness, an injury or dangerous cold with no way to warm the water, then tayammum takes the place of ghusl. See Tayammum for how.

• On a journey, Nabi ﷺ saw a man sitting apart who had not prayed. He said he was junub and there was no water. Nabi ﷺ said: use clean earth, it is enough for you. When water came later, he gave the man water to wash with⁵⁵.
• Some travelers once told a man with a head wound that he must bathe. He did, and he died. Nabi ﷺ was very angry with them. He said: why did they not ask, when they did not know? The cure for not knowing is to ask⁵⁶.
• Once you have water and are able to use it, make ghusl for the next prayer.

Amr ibn al-As faced this on a freezing night⁵⁷.

Common questions

Does a normal shower count as ghusl?

Yes. Intend ghusl in your heart, rinse your mouth and nose, and let water reach your whole body, including your scalp. That is a valid ghusl.

I woke up junub and I am late for work or school. What do I do?

Make a quick ghusl: intention, mouth and nose, water over the whole body. It takes a few minutes. Then pray Fajr if it is still before sunrise. Do not leave the house and miss the prayer.

I am staying with family or friends and feel shy to shower in the morning. Can I skip it?

You can delay ghusl, but not past a prayer time. Nobody needs to know why you are showering. Covering your hair with a towel or hat after is fine. Salah comes first.

I found a stain on my clothes and do not know if it is mani or madhi. What now?

Think about how it happened. If you remember pleasure at a peak, or a wet dream with wetness, it is likely mani: make ghusl. If it was mild arousal, it is likely madhi: wash and make wudu. Scholars say that if you really cannot tell, making ghusl is the safer choice.

I am a new Muslim. Do I need to make ghusl before I say the shahada?

No. Say the shahada first. Do not delay it for anything. Then make ghusl, which is sunnah for most scholars and required for Hanbalis⁶³.

My teenager may have started having wet dreams. How do I teach this?

Calmly and privately, before it happens if you can. Explain that it is normal, that it means they have reached adulthood, and show them how to make ghusl. A parent of the same gender, or a trusted teacher, can help. Umm Sulaim's question shows these talks are part of Islam⁶⁴.

I have long, thick hair and it takes ages to dry. Must I wash all of it every time?

Water must reach your scalp. A woman with braids does not need to undo them⁶⁵. If your hair is loose, pour water so it soaks to the roots. You do not need shampoo or a long wash.

Can I read Quran on my phone while junub?

Most scholars say do not recite Quran until after ghusl, whether from a book, a phone or memory. You can listen to Quran, make dhikr and make dua.