Book of Ritual Bath (Ghusl)

First Chapter: Understanding the Practical Procedure for This Purification

The basis for this purification is the Almighty’s words:

“And if you are in a state of major ritual impurity, then purify yourselves.” (Al-Mā’idah 5:6)

Once its obligation, those upon whom it is obligatory, and the element with which it is performed—unqualified water—are understood, all discussion of its foundational rules may be gathered under three chapters:

Chapter One: Identifying the procedure of this purification.
Chapter Two: Identifying the things that nullify this purification.
Chapter Three: Identifying the rulings pertaining to its nullifiers.

As for those upon whom it is obligatory, it is required of everyone upon whom the prayer is required, and there is no disagreement on this point. Likewise, there is no dispute over its obligatoriness. The evidences for it are identical to the evidences for wuḍū’, which we have already presented, as are the rulings concerning water, which were discussed earlier.

Chapter One
Identifying the Procedure of This Purification

This chapter comprises four issues.

Issue One:

The scholars differ as to whether passing the hand over the entire body, as is done with the limbs in wuḍū’, is a condition of this purification, or whether it suffices merely to pour water over the whole body, even if one does not run the hands over it. The majority of scholars hold that pouring water alone is sufficient. Mālik, most of his companions, and al-Muzanī among the Shāfiʿīs, however, maintain that if the person performing ghusl misses even a single spot without rubbing it with the hand, his purification is not yet complete.

The cause of their disagreement is twofold: the shared use of the term “ghusl,” and the apparent sense of the ḥadiths describing the manner of the Prophet’s ghusl, which are weighed against an analogy that would treat ghusl in this regard like wuḍū’. The authentic narrations transmitted about his ghusl—peace and blessings be upon him—from ʿĀ’ishah and Maymūnah contain no mention of rubbing; they speak only of pouring water.

In the ḥadith of ʿĀ’ishah she said:

“Whenever the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—performed ghusl after major impurity, he would begin by washing his hands, then pour water with his right hand over his left and wash his private parts. He would then perform ablution as he did for the prayer, after which he would take water and insert …”