But if he has forgotten, then he is excused.

For example, if he performs ghusl for Friday—according to the view that it is sunnah—while in a state of major ritual impurity, but has forgotten it, or only learns of his major ritual impurity after the prayer, as when he had a nocturnal emission but did not realize it until after the prayer, then his Friday prayer is valid because his major ritual impurity has been lifted.

But if he knows of it and intends only this recommended ghusl, then there is some reservation about the view that it suffices.

The reverse likewise applies, …

His statement: “The reverse likewise applies”: “likewise” is a preceding predicate, while “the reverse” is a delayed subject. That is, if he intends an obligatory ghusl, it also suffices for the recommended one, since the latter is included within it. For example, if he is in a state of major ritual impurity and performs ghusl for it while setting out for the Friday prayer, it suffices for the Friday ghusl, because the obligatory act is higher than the recommended one, and the latter is thereby waived. This is like someone who enters the mosque and finds the people praying, so he joins them: the prayer of greeting the mosque is waived for him, because the obligatory prayer is stronger than the recommended one.

If he intends both the obligatory and recommended ghusls, it suffices all the more so, due to the general meaning of the Prophet’s ﷺ statement: “Actions are only by intentions” (1).

But if he performs a separate ghusl for each, that is better, as the companions have held (2) ﵏.

Accordingly, when an obligatory ghusl and a recommended one coincide, there are four cases:

The first: that he intends the recommended one but not the obligatory one.