Chapter on the Ritual Bath (ghusl)

A full bath becomes obligatory for any of the following reasons: death; ḥayḍ (menstruation); nifās (post-natal bleeding); childbirth even when no fluid is discharged, according to the sounder view; and janābah (major ritual impurity) caused either by insertion of the glans or an equivalent portion into a private part, or by the emission of semen through its normal outlet or otherwise. Semen is recognized by one of three signs: its gushing flow, the pleasure that accompanies its release, or its odour—resembling fresh dough when moist and dried egg white when dry. If these characteristics are absent, no bath is required, and the rulings are identical for women and men.

Everything prohibited in a state of minor impurity is likewise forbidden in janābah. In addition, it is unlawful to remain in a mosque—though merely passing through is allowed—and to recite the Qur’an, while other forms of remembrance are permissible so long as they are not intended as Qur’anic recitation.

The minimum for a valid ghusl is: an intention—whether to lift janābah, to permit an act that depends on purity, or simply to discharge the obligation of the bath—made at the moment of the first obligatory act, together with ensuring that water reaches every strand of hair and every part of the skin. Rinsing the mouth and nostrils is not obligatory. The complete, preferred manner is first to remove any visible filth, then to perform a full ablution; according to one opinion, the washing of the feet is delayed until the end.