Full-body ritual washing
How to Perform Ghusl?
A step-by-step guide without pictures. According to the Hanafi school; points that differ for women and men are at the bottom.
Ghusl (full-body ablution) is washing the entire body, including the mouth and nose, so that no part is left dry. The state of janabah (sexual intercourse, or a discharge of semen while awake or asleep) and, for women, the end of menstruation (hayd) and postnatal bleeding (nifas) make ghusl necessary. It is sunnah to perform ghusl on Fridays and Eid days, when entering ihram and on the Day of Arafah. Without ghusl, one may not pray, touch or recite the Quran, perform tawaf or enter a mosque. The description follows the Hanafi school.
Obligatory acts of ghusl
- Rinsing the mouth with water (madmadah).
- Drawing water into the nose (istinshaq).
- Washing the entire body, down to the roots of the hair, so that no part is left dry.
Sunnah acts of ghusl
- Making the intention.
- First washing the hands up to the wrists.
- If there is any impurity on the body, cleaning it first and washing the private parts.
- Performing the wudu for prayer before ghusl.
- Pouring water three times each, first over the head, then over the right shoulder, then over the left shoulder.
- Rubbing the body; checking the folds so that no part is left dry.
- Not wasting water, not talking; not facing the qibla while the private parts are uncovered.
When ghusl is required
- Sexual intercourse (even if no semen is discharged).
- A discharge of semen with desire while awake or asleep (a wet dream, ihtilam).
- For women, the end of menstrual bleeding (hayd).
- For women, the end of postnatal bleeding (nifas).
How to perform ghusl step by step
- 1
Intention
Make the intention in your heart: “I intend to perform ghusl for the sake of Allah.” In the bathroom and while the private parts are uncovered, Bismillah is not said aloud but silently in the heart. If there is anything on the body that keeps water out (nail polish, oil paint, adhesive tape, etc.), remove it first.
- 2
Hands
Wash the hands up to the wrists three times.
- 3
Cleaning
If there is any impurity on the body, wash it off first; clean the private parts. This cleaning is done with the left hand, and then the hands are washed again.
- 4
Wudu for prayer
Perform wudu as you would for prayer. If you are standing where water collects, leave washing the feet until the end of the ghusl.
- 5
Mouth and nose
Take water into the mouth three times and rinse it thoroughly up to the throat; draw water into the nose three times so that it reaches the soft part. These two are fard acts of ghusl; if they were neglected during wudu, they must be done here. Dental fillings, crowns and braces do not prevent ghusl.
- 6
Head
Pour water over the head three times; let the water reach the roots of the hair and the scalp, and rub with the fingers. Wash the inside and the back of the ears and around the ear openings.
- 7
Right shoulder, then left shoulder
First pour water three times down from the right shoulder, then three times down from the left shoulder. With each pouring, rub the body with the hand; wet the back, stomach and legs thoroughly.
- 8
Leave no part dry
Check the navel, the armpits, behind the ears, the folds of the neck, between the fingers, the backs of the knees and under the nails. If even a dry spot the size of a pinpoint remains that water has not reached, the ghusl is not complete.
- 9
Feet
If they were not washed during wudu, wash the feet last, doing khilal between the toes. Once ghusl is complete, there is no need for a separate wudu unless it is required; with ghusl, wudu has also been performed.
Points that differ for women and men
- Women: It is not necessary to undo braided hair; it is enough for water to reach the base of the braids and the roots of the hair. When Umm Salamah asked about this, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: “It is enough for you to pour water over your head three times” (Muslim, Hayd 58). If the hair is loose, all of it is wetted. If the earring holes are open, make sure water passes through them. Nail polish and substances that leave a waterproof layer, though not permanent hair dye, are removed.
- Women: During menstruation and postnatal bleeding, one does not pray or fast; when the bleeding ends, ghusl becomes obligatory (fard). Missed prayers are not made up; missed fasts are made up later.
- Men: It is fard to let water reach the roots of the beard and moustache and the skin beneath them (in wudu, washing the outside of a thick beard is enough, but in ghusl the roots must be wetted as well).
- Men: The area under the foreskin and the groin area are washed thoroughly.
Good to know
- Ghusl can also be done by showering or by bathing in the sea or a pool: if you make the intention, rinse the mouth and nose, and the whole body gets wet, the ghusl is complete.
- A person in a state of janabah should at least perform wudu before eating and sleeping, and should not delay ghusl so long that the prayer time is missed.
- Where no water is available, or where using water would harm an illness, tayammum is performed instead of ghusl.
For the wudu before prayer, see How to Perform Wudu; for how to pray, see the How to Pray Salah page. Source: Ilmihal of Diyanet (Turkish Presidency of Religious Affairs).
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the fard (obligatory) acts of ghusl?
According to the Hanafi school there are three: rinsing the mouth (madmada), drawing water into the nose (istinshaq), and washing the whole body so that no dry spot remains. When these three are complete, the ghusl is valid.
How do you perform ghusl, step by step?
You make the intention, wash your hands and private parts, perform the wudu for prayer, and rinse your mouth and nose; then you pour water over your head, right shoulder and left shoulder in that order, washing the whole body. The essential thing is that no dry spot remains.
Do women have to undo their hair for ghusl?
If the hair is braided, it is not necessary to undo the braid; it is enough for the water to reach the roots of the hair. If it is not braided, all of the hair must be wetted. Care is taken that water reaches under jewellery such as earrings and rings.
Do I need to make wudu again after ghusl?
No. If nothing that breaks wudu happened during the ghusl, the ghusl takes the place of wudu for prayer and you can pray in that state.
Prayer times, notifications, dhikr counter, qibla and all the duas in your pocket.
Get it free Google Play
